Congress Passes $15 Billion Amtrak Funding Bill

[JaxByDefault]

With gas prices soaring, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that will provide Amtrak and intercity rail systems with nearly $15 billion over the next five years. A similar bill already passed in the Senate. The bill passed in both the House and the Senate with a veto-proof majority--a good thing since the Bush Administration has threatened to veto the bill.

Rep. John Mica, R-Florida was a sponsor of the House bill. Read more here:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/11/amtrak.congress.ap/index.html

[thelakelander]

nice.

[thelakelander]

The bipartisan bill, which passed by a veto-proof margin of 311-104, would authorize funding for the national passenger railroad over the next five years. Some of the money would go to a program of matching grants to help states set up or expand rail service.

Besides the $14.9 billion provided for Amtrak and intercity rail, an amendment to the bill would authorize $1.5 billion for Washington's Metro transit system over the next 10 years.

Alright Jacksonville.  What's our plan to attempt to get some of this $14.9 billion to be spent right here?  Sitting down and studying will only get us so far.

[WeeklyJoe]

Greetings from Hilton Head, SC!

Since this is my first post to this forum, I'd like to take time to thank those who have made it possible. This window for the world to view opinion and discuss Jacksonville compared to other metro areas is indeed enlightening.

Amtrak was my first exposure to Jacksonville about 20 years ago, and whether you locals can believe it or not, your city is the gateway to Florida for many coming from points North. My first reactions to your Amtrak station went along the lines of "Why is this in the middle of nowhere?" I have since learned some of the ins and outs of your public transportation, have done the JTA between the airport and the depot (not on weekends, although I would if available, and once got on the K2 route going the wrong way to the beaches for the perfect time killer...best bus driver I've ever seen at work, and I made the Silver Service with time to spare), taking advantage of Southwest Air and saving bundles of mullah.

With increased funding for Amtrak being geared for state cooperation, I see this as a chance for Florida to correct the wrongs done to their transportation spending (won't mention any names) that have been in place but killed by previous administrations. Now that gas prices are out the roof and going higher, all can begin to see how wrong these decisions were. Cuts have been made throughout the the Amtrak system within Florida, as well as around the country. IMHO, what the citizens of Jacksonville could possibly do for themselves now in this regard would also help the state and the nation.

New Amtrak funding would enable bringing owned but unused equipment, due to the lack of maintenance, back to the state of good repair and usable again. I'm guessing here, but there would only be so much of this available before the purchase of new equipment is needed, requiring a much larger price tag. Florida may end up in a race with other states to establish service quickly to avoid the higher cost.

Jacksonville, would you please make it possible to go downtown by rail, instead of requiring the rail passenger to sheepishly search an unknown neighborhood and find out you can walk along a highway to seek out McDonalds or Krystal! That's a nice looking station you used to have, but until you begin using it again, at least lay the concrete for a sidewalk (another ignored source of transportation) so the traveler can eat while waiting for the next train!

You can go West, young man, but not from Jacksonville by train. Since Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, the Sunset Limited quit running between hither and yon...not canceled, but suspended, avoiding the red tape required to end the route completely. I was fortunate enough to make this trip as far as San Antonio, TX two years before the storm, but now any Amtrak trip west would require me to go to DC first...by no means a straight line. I suspect you'll have to ask CSX about this, too.

To sum up:
Support an Amtrak Florida Corridor
Support moving the Amtrak Station to downtown
Support Amtrak routes West from Jacksonville