Bleeding Heartland - Amtrak

Iowa passenger rail funding update

desmoinesdem — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:57:58 GMT

Last October the U.S. Department of Transportation approved $230 million for passenger rail between Iowa City and Chicago, going through the Quad Cities. However, the November election results placed both federal and state money for that project in doubt.

Follow me after the jump for recent news on prospects for funding the passenger rail link.
Immediately after the November election, a Federal Railroad Administration stated definitively that money for the Chicago to Iowa City rail project had been awarded. Then in December, Congress failed to pass an omnibus bill on fiscal year 2011 spending. Last month, the House of Representatives approved a large package of current-year spending cuts, which rescinded all passenger rail funds that were not "obligated." The Iowa City to Chicago funding had not yet been "obligated," because the bureaucratic process for doing so typically takes at least nine months.

The Senate rejected the House package of spending cuts. Congress hasn't yet reached agreement on spending for the rest of the current fiscal year. Quad-Cities Rail Coalition Executive Director Paul Rumler traveled to Washington on a lobbying mission this month and told the Quad-City Times, "I got the feeling we'd be OK, [...] I understand the project continues to move forward, and I didn't get a sense the Senate was targeting passenger-rail funding in their version of any deficit reduction bill."

From the same article by Ed Tibbetts, check out the profile in courage from Senator Chuck Grassley:

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday he would back restoring funding for passenger rail in the 2011 budget as long as it's a "national approach" and not seen as an earmark for the Quad-Cities. [...]
Grassley also cautioned that if rail funding were to become a litmus test of his seriousness over reducing the deficit, he likely wouldn't support it. A vote last month on rural air service was widely seen that way, he said.
"How it is going to be viewed is kind of an issue as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Grassley was on record last fall supporting federal funding for the Chicago-Iowa City rail link. Now he wants to see how other people view the project.

Assuming the federal funding comes through, a passenger rail link from Chicago to the Quad Cities is assured, because the state of Illinois supports the project. Some state of Iowa funding will be needed to extend the line to Iowa City, however. Governor Terry Branstad didn't include any passenger rail funding in his draft budget for the next two fiscal years. Iowa House Republicans tried to eliminate passenger rail funding already this year, but the Democratic-controlled state Senate removed that language from a broad spending-cut bill Branstad signed last month.

The Iowa communities that stand to benefit most from passenger rail may agree to pick up a large share of the future subsidy, expected to total about $3 million per year. In late February, local officials from Iowa City, Des Moines, Dubuque and the Quad Cities met with policy-makers representing Illinois, Amtrak and the Iowa Department of Transportation. Under this plan, Iowa City would need to contribute $300,000 to $400,000 annually. The city council has approved this idea in principle. Local backers hope Branstad will change his mind if the state is not on the hook for most of the future maintenance costs.

Spokesman Tim Albrecht said the Governor's Office will need to see what happens before commenting on whether local financial support would make Branstad more agreeable to the project.
"He continues to review the rail project as a whole," Albrecht said. "And certainly we'll be interested in reviewing whatever action the City Council takes with regard to passenger rail in Iowa."

Branstad is scheduled to discuss the new funding proposal with DOT personnel on March 21, according to Iowa City Manager Tom Markus. The governor said recently that "transportation is critically important to meeting the goal of creating 200,000 jobs over the next five years," but his speeches indicate that funds for road-building will be his top priority. He has expressed doubt about whether people would use a new passenger rail line. This DOT fact sheet (pdf) lays out some of the reasons to support a passenger rail connection between Chicago and Iowa City. I'll update this post later with DOT documents outlining more specific economic, safety and environmental benefits.

Branstad not sold on new passenger rail for Iowa

desmoinesdem — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:57:08 GMT

Governor-elect Terry Branstad expressed concern today about the cost of new passenger rail links between Chicago and cities in Iowa.

"Well, I want to analyze the situation," Branstad said. "I'm very concerned about the federal debt." Public transportation advocates say if states like Ohio and Wisconsin reject high speed rail, it could stymie projects all across the Midwest. Branstad says he doesn't want to rush to judgment.
"I want to carefully review and analyze the circumstances and I understand there are concerns about the huge cost of this and how cost effective it is and how much it would really be utilized," Branstad said.

In late October, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $230 million in funding for a new Amtrak route connecting Iowa City to Chicago via the Quad Cities. Senator Chuck Grassley has spoken approvingly about the project. A spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration told me last week, "The money has been awarded." One question mark is whether the route could be completed if the Iowa legislature declines to fund our state's share of the costs in future years:

The project will cost $310 million, and Iowa and Illinois will pay pro-rated shares of costs not covered by the federal government. Iowa lawmakers have already appropriated $10 million and need to come up with another $10 million, said Tamara Nicholson, director of the Iowa DOT's rail office. The state would also pay an estimated $3 million annually in operating subsidies. [...]
Train supporters hope the route will someday be extended to Des Moines and Omaha. Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie has endorsed the idea and Tom Kane, executive director of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning organization, says passenger trains are important to the future of Des Moines and the national transportation system.
"We know that much of the air traffic out of Chicago is for trips of less than 500 miles, so why are we flying? There will also be future congestion on the interstate highway system, particularly from freight and trucks. This will give our transportation consumers a choice," Kane said.

Kane's point is valid, but Republican lawmakers would probably rather widen interstate highways, even if that proved more costly than adding rail capacity.

The best hope of bringing Branstad around is a lobbying effort by business interests. Quite a few corporations and business groups support the Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition. The Greater Des Moines Partnership and central Iowa Young Professionals Connection back extending passenger rail across Iowa. This year's chairman of the Greater Des Moines Partnership is Doug Reichardt, who is close to Branstad and was rumored to be on his short list for running mates last year. One of the partnership's past presidents, Teresa Wahlert, "played a lead role in Branstad's economic development agenda" during this year's campaign.

Iowa-Chicago rail funding secure despite election

desmoinesdem — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:48:26 GMT

The Republican takeover of the House of Representatives will change transportation policy priorities, but should not affect recently announced funding for a Chicago to Iowa City passenger rail link. KCCI-TV questioned this week, "Will Election Changes Kill Iowa-Chicago Train Funding?"

Florida Rep. John Mica, the comittee's ranking GOP member, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that he believes high-speed trains are a good idea, but he doesn't agree with the projects selected by the Transportation Department for funding.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was in Iowa just last week, where he joined local leaders to celebrate $230 million in federal money to start work on a passenger rail line. Service on the new GreenLine is expected to begin in 2015 and take passengers from Chicago's Union Station to the Quad Cities to Iowa City.

I contacted the Federal Railroad Administration today to find out whether there is any way for Congress to reverse the passenger rail funding decisions. FRA spokesman Rob Kulat said, "You'd have to ask Chairman Mica" how he thinks he can do that, adding, "The money has been awarded." When I asked about a possible review process, Kulat repeated, "The money has been awarded."

The Wall Street Journal reported on November 3 that the newly elected Republican governors of Ohio and Wisconsin want to cancel passenger rail projects in their states. The same article said Iowa Governor-elect Terry Branstad "has supported expanding rail service between Chicago and cities in Iowa." However, in late October Branstad's campaign manager "declined to comment" when the Des Moines Register asked "if Branstad would support the use of state money to establish Chicago-to-Iowa City passenger service."

Some Republicans claimed the passenger rail grant was a political ploy to help endangered Democrats in Iowa and the Quad Cities. If so, it didn't work. Representative Phil Hare lost his re-election bid in Illinois' 17th Congressional district, including Rock Island and Moline. Representative Bruce Braley was re-elected narrowly but trailed his Republican opponent in Scott County, containing Davenport and Bettendorf. Governor Chet Culver didn't carry Scott County either.

It's too bad the outgoing Congress didn't approve a comprehensive transportation funding bill. Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar had a strong vision for balancing priorities and increasing investments in passenger rail and public transit. The Republicans who will write the new highway bill have little interest in rail or the administration's efforts to make roads more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly. At a Congressional hearing this March, Iowa's own Tom Latham asserted that every bicyclist is one fewer person paying into the transportation trust fund.

Chicago-Iowa City passenger rail funding approved

desmoinesdem — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:13:33 GMT

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $230 million in federal funding today for a new Amtrak route connecting Chicago and Iowa City, Senators Tom Harkin and Dick Durbin announced. The route will go through the Quad Cities. From a statement released by Harkin's office:

The project - scheduled for completion in 2015 - will create 588 jobs per year for the first four years of design and construction. Once initiated, the new service is expected to increase business activity at $25 million per year. [...]
The new Chicago - Quad Cities - Iowa City route will provide two daily round-trips and carry trains traveling at speeds up to 79 miles per hour (mph) with an expected trip time of less than 5 hours. The long-term vision for the line includes expanding the frequency of trains to offer more than two daily round-trip trains; extending the route; and making additional infrastructure investments to increase speeds from 79 mph to 90 mph, or even 110 mph.

Today's news is a pleasant surprise. Although Governor Chet Culver and several members of Congress strongly advocated for expanding passenger rail in Iowa, the U.S. Department of Transportation did not fund an earlier grant request supporting Amtrak routes between Chicago and Iowa City and Chicago and Dubuque.

A 2008 Amtrak feasibility study on passenger rail from Iowa City to the Quad Cities estimated annual ridership on the route at "about 187,000 passengers, based on two daily round-trips and if improvements are made allowing maximum speeds of 79 mph." Typical passenger trains reach maximum speeds of 79 mph; anything faster than 110 mph is considered "high-speed rail."

More details on today's announced funding are in the full statement from Harkin's office, which I've posted after the jump. The Quad-City Rail Coalition website has additional background information on the proposed route. Central Iowa business and political leaders hope a Chicago-Iowa City passenger rail link could eventually be extended through Des Moines to the Council Bluffs-Omaha metro area.

UPDATE: I've added a press release from the governor's office with more details. It states that first-year ridership on the route between Iowa City and Chicago is projected at 246,800.

TUESDAY UPDATE: Senator Chuck Grassley also expressed support for this passenger rail link: "You're finding a situation where, connected with the problems of Homeland Security, the problems of terrorists on airplanes, the fact that airlines are having trouble providing the service they used to provide, alternative service like rail service is something that, at least on a regional basis, is going to pay off."

Harkin, Durbin Announce $230 Million in Funding for New Rail Service from Chicago to Iowa City Through the Quad Cities
Project will create 588 jobs per year with service scheduled to begin in 2015
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that $230 million in federal funding was awarded today by the Department of Transportation for a new Amtrak route between Chicago and Iowa City through the Quad Cities. The project - scheduled for completion in 2015 - will create 588 jobs per year for the first four years of design and construction. Once initiated, the new service is expected to increase business activity at $25 million per year.
"I applaud the Obama Administration's commitment to increasing transportation opportunities in the Midwest, which will get a much-needed boost with this funding. I also commend Governor Culver, who has been a leader in our state on this effort working with Congressmen Boswell, Braley and Loebsack," said Harkin. "Passenger rail from Iowa City to Chicago will create jobs now and, once it is a part of a broad intercity network to Des Moines and all around the Midwest, will help our economy in the long-term as well as add convenience for many Iowans. In order to be truly successful, this rail service must connect to a high-speed intercity network. Planning and building this network is already underway."
"Securing such a significant investment from the federal government wouldn't have been possible without the coordinated efforts of state and local officials in Illinois and Iowa and the strong community support for expanding Amtrak service to the Quad Cities," said Durbin. "And this is a project that will see a return on that investment. Not only will it create nearly 600 jobs per year and stimulate economic activity, but for every dollar spent, the public will see $1.70 returned in reduced costs for transportation, fuel and pollution. I thank Secretary LaHood, Senator Harkin, Governors Quinn and Culver and Congressman Hare for seeing the potential in this route becoming an integral part of the Midwest rail network."
The new Chicago - Quad Cities - Iowa City route will provide two daily round-trips and carry trains traveling at speeds up to 79 miles per hour (mph) with an expected trip time of less than 5 hours. The long-term vision for the line includes expanding the frequency of trains to offer more than two daily round-trip trains; extending the route; and making additional infrastructure investments to increase speeds from 79 mph to 90 mph, or even 110 mph.
"The Green Line between Chicago to Iowa City-and, in the near future, on to Des Moines and to western Iowa-which has been funded today in an extraordinarily tough competition with passenger rail proposals across America, will set a new national standard for reliable, cost-effective, fuel-efficient passenger rail service in the United States," said Iowa Governor Chet Culver. "This will not only create jobs and spur development, but work toward the Culver-Judge Administration's goal of making Iowa the best-connected state in America. Iowa's families and business travelers deserve world-class travel options-and passenger rail service needs to be one of those options. This new development in Iowa transportation history builds upon successful efforts by the Culver-Judge Administration to secure funding to improve and maintain passenger rail service through southern Iowa. Today's announcement will also inspire efforts to establish new passenger rail from Chicago to Dubuque and points westward from there."
"Illinois is quickly becoming the rail hub of the Midwest, and this new route means that for the first time, passengers can travel from Chicago to the Quad Cities - and beyond - quickly and effortlessly," said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. "I would like to thank Senator Durbin and Secretary LaHood for their work to help us continue our economic recovery by putting hundreds of Illinoisans each year back to work expanding Illinois' railway infrastructure."
Illinois and Iowa are part of a nine state regional effort in the Midwest to build an integrated high speed rail network. These states have already completed careful planning and made significant investments to modernize our existing passenger rail system. The Midwest rail system, with Chicago as its hub, could provide 3,000 miles of high speed rail service and serve 90 percent of the 60.3 million people living in its nine-state region. A significant federal investment into this region could create a rail system that could carry nearly as much traffic as regional air service.
Last week, $10 million in funding was awarded by the Department of Transportation for the construction of an intermodal station which will serve as the Quad Cities stop for Amtrak service in downtown Moline. The proposed Intermodal Station located adjacent to the Centre Station transit facility will spur development in downtown Moline and throughout the Quad Cities region. Construction is expected to generate nearly 750 construction jobs and result in the retention or creation of 1,100 private sector jobs. An additional $47 million in private investment will come to the Quad Cities as a result of the transit oriented development centered on the Amtrak station.
"This investment is a much-needed first step in bringing high-speed passenger rail through Des Moines and across the state of Iowa," said Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA), a senior Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "Not only will this grant create jobs, but it will lay the foundation for future growth in Iowa and the Midwest. Iowans deserve to have access to the same transportation options available on the coasts."
"Today's announcement is great news for Iowa," said Congressman Bruce Braley (D-IA). "The Chicago to Iowa City route will create jobs and bring significant economic gains to Eastern Iowa. I'm proud of the work I've done with my colleagues in Iowa and Illinois to make this route possible. This is one more step to create jobs in the short term and putting Iowa's economy back on track."
"This funding is critical as we work to rebuild our economy now and will lay the groundwork for Iowa's future growth," said Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA). "Passenger rail will help connect our cities and towns and it will help Iowa businesses and communities compete and grow. It has been a collaborative public-private partnership and I was pleased to be able to work with local and state business and community leaders to move this project forward. I look forward to the good-paying jobs and continued economic development that passenger rail will bring to Iowa and will continue to work to ensure that service eventually reaches Des Moines and Omaha."
"The good news keeps pouring in for the Quad Cities. This funding will effectively complete the Quad Cities-Chicago Amtrak route," said Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL). "This project is a winner for our entire community. It will create jobs, spur economic development, and provide a safe and convenient transportation alternative. I couldn't be prouder to have played a role in making this a reality."
Today's funding is part of the $2.5 billion Congress appropriated in Fiscal Year 2010 for high speed rail corridors and intercity passenger rail service (HSPIR Program). The Department of Transportation received 20 applications from 10 states totaling $7.8 billion for high-speed rail corridor development programs and 57 applications from 18 states totaling $700 million for smaller, individual projects within rail corridors that are ready to begin construction. There is $1 billion included for the HSPIR Program in the 2011 Senate Transportation Appropriations bill which was approved by the Appropriations Committee and is awaiting action by the full Senate.
The long-term goal of the HSIPR Program - created in June 2009 - is to build an efficient, high-speed and emerging high speed passenger rail network connecting major population centers 100 to 600 miles apart. In the short-term, the program aims to aid economic recovery efforts and lay the foundation for this high-speed passenger rail network through targeted investments. Earlier this year, $8 billion was awarded nationwide under this program including $1.1 billion to bring high speed rail to the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.

Monday, October 25, 2010
Iowa and Illinois Receive $230 Million for Chicago-to-Iowa City Intercity Passenger Rail Route
Culver: Announcement begins new age of intercity passenger rail service
DES MOINES -Governor Chet Culver received word this morning that the Iowa and Illinois departments of transportation will be receiving $230 million from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to initiate intercity passenger rail service on a route from Chicago to Iowa City via the Quad Cities.
"The Green Line between Chicago to Iowa City-and, in the near future, on to Des Moines and to western Iowa-which has been funded today in an extraordinarily tough competition with passenger rail proposals across America, will set a new national standard for reliable, cost-effective, fuel-efficient passenger rail service in the United States," Culver said. "This will not only create jobs and spur development, but will work toward the Culver-Judge Administration's goal of making Iowa the best-connected state in America. Iowa's families and business travelers deserve world-class travel options-and passenger rail service needs to be one of those options. This new development in Iowa transportation history builds upon successful efforts by the Culver-Judge Administration to secure funding to improve and maintain passenger rail service through southern Iowa. Today's announcement will also inspire efforts to establish new passenger rail from Chicago to Dubuque and points westward from there."
The 219.5-mile route will provide twice-daily, round-trip service at maximum speeds of 79 mph, and have an expected trip time of less than five hours. The Amtrak trains will operate on a route that begins at Chicago's Union Station and travels on BNSF Railway's line to Wyanet, Ill., and then the Iowa Interstate Railroad's line from Wyanet to Iowa City, Iowa. Each train can accommodate 230 passengers and offers coach seating and food service. First-year ridership is projected to be 246,800 persons. New stations will be established at Geneseo and Moline, Ill., and Iowa City, Iowa.
The Illinois and Iowa departments of transportation submitted a joint $248-million application under the FRA's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program. The total cost of the project is $310 million; the federal grant will provide $230 million. Each state will be required to provide a prorated share of the required match, based on the share of investment in each state.
A total of 20 applications from 10 states were submitted to the FRA, totaling approximately $7.8 billion in rail projects. Funds available in this round of the program were $2.1 billion.
The HSIPR funding will support continued environmental impact analyses, track infrastructure construction and improvements, layover facility construction, equipment acquisition, and station improvements to implement services.
Iowa's share of funding will come from a combination of state appropriations and local funding. The legislature appropriated $3 million for fiscal year 2010, $2 million for 2011 and $6.5 million for 2012. Lawmakers also approved intent language to provide up to $20 million over four years to help fund Iowa's commitment for matching federal passenger rail funding.
Iowa is among nine states that have been working together for several years to develop a regional intercity passenger rail system with Chicago serving as the hub.
For additional information about Iowa's rail system and intercity passenger rail service, visit the Iowa DOT's website at www.iowadot.gov/iowarail. The complete Chicago to Iowa City application is available at http://www.iowadot.gov/IowaPas...

Feds give no money for passenger rail to Iowa City

desmoinesdem — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:04:37 GMT

The Des Moines Register's William Petroski reports today that the Obama administration declined requests for federal money to support Amtrak routes between Chicago and Iowa City and between Chicago and Dubuque.

A list of grants issued Wednesday night by the White House shows that Iowa will receive only $18 million in federal railroad passenger money. This includes $1 million to study a proposed passenger train that would run daily between Chicago and Omaha, including stops in the Quad Cities, Iowa City and Des Moines.
The remaining $17 million will be used to install four remote- controlled powered crossovers on the BNSF Railway tracks in the Ottumwa area. This will reduce travel times and improve on-time performance on Amtrak's existing California Zephyr train that runs across southern Iowa, federal officials said.

Iowa and Illinois officials had sought $256 million in federal funds for the Chicago to Iowa City route, which would go through the Quad Cities, and $139 million for the Chicago to Dubuque route.

Dubuque and the Quad Cities may get passenger rail despite today's disappointing news:

Even without the federal money, Illinois officials expect to begin Amtrak service between Chicago and Dubuque and Chicago and the Quad Cities, possibly within two years, officials said. That's because Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a $31 billion capital construction package last year to ensure the rail expansion.
But the federal grants would have bolstered both projects and would have assured the extension of the train service to Iowa City, and possibly eventually to Des Moines, officials said.

A feasibility study from 2008 showed promising numbers for an Amtrak route connecting Iowa City to the Quad Cities. A huge number of University of Iowa students are from the Chicago area, and many people living in that region of Iowa travel to Chicago for business or entertainment.

In comments to the Des Moines Reigster, Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba predicted yesterday that the Chicago to Iowa City train would receive some federal funding by 2013, even if the current grant request was denied. I hope he turns out to be right.

UPDATE: Governor Chet Culver's response to this news is after the jump.
Statement from the governor's office:

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Governor Culver Voices Optimism for Passenger Rail Development in Iowa
DES MOINES - Governor Chet Culver expressed his support for the decision by the Obama Administration to improve passenger rail service in Iowa by funding improvements for existing Amtrak service through southern Iowa and for supporting a feasibility study to initiate new passenger rail service from Chicago to Omaha.
The Governor also expressed his disappointment that applications for proposed new routes from Iowa City to Chicago and Dubuque to Chicago did not receive funding while predicting that these routes, when developed, will prove to both popular with the traveling public and among the most cost-effective new passenger rail services in the nation.
"I want to thank the Obama Administration for selecting Iowa to receive two high-speed passenger rail grants worth approximately $18 million. This will help to improve passenger rail service on existing Amtrak lines in southern Iowa while allowing us to study passenger rail expansion through central Iowa," the Governor said. "These represent additional steps in our efforts to expand passenger rail in Iowa, and to revitalize passenger rail services throughout the Upper Midwest."
"At the same time," the Governor stated, "I am disappointed that the US DOT did not fund the Chicago to Iowa City and the Chicago to Dubuque proposals. These are sound projects that will help the people of this state, and with the work we have already done, we will be competitive for future rounds of funding. I am confident that an expanded passenger rail system is in Iowa's future, and the Culver/Judge Administration will continue to work directly with members of our congressional delegation, with Illinois officials and with the Obama Administration to get this done."

A few links on passenger rail and transportation policy

desmoinesdem — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:04:29 GMT

Governor Chet Culver rode a train from Iowa City to Chicago Sunday, promoting passenger rail links en route to the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit, which starts Monday.

After the jump I've posted some news relating to passenger rail in Iowa and nationwide, including a follow-up on Congressman Tom Latham's attempt to transfer funds from high-speed rail to the highway fund.

UPDATE: From the governor's office on July 27:

Governor Chet Culver and Governor Pat Quinn today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate efforts by Iowa and Illinois to establish passenger rail service from Chicago to Dubuque and from Chicago to the Quad Cities and Iowa City.
In addition, Governor Culver joined leaders from eight states who signed a Memorandum of Understanding in support of regional high-speed rail. That agreement includes, as a key goal, extending passenger service from Iowa City to Des Moines and on to Omaha. [...]
Following the signing of the eight-state high-speed rail agreement, Iowa and Illinois officials signed a separate agreement that spells out action to be taken by the transportation departments in both states.

Click here and scroll down to find links to the rail agreements signed in Chicago on July 27.
Eastern Iowa News posted a slideshow of Culver's West Liberty stop here. The Quad City Times covered the governor's stops in Walcott and Moline. According to Quad Cities Online, more than 100 people turned out for the event in Moline:

The advocacy for passenger rail service is a non-partisan push, and the event Sunday brought out local Iowa and Illinois aldermen and mayors, county board supervisors and chairmen, state representatives and senators, and federal representatives. [...]
Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack said he and other congressional representatives from Iowa and Illinois are pressing every chance they get to get $22 million in federal stimulus funding in Illinois and $32 million in Iowa for Amtrak.[...]
Gov. Culver said he doesn't know if he's ever been a part in a project where so many people have come together to make it happen. [...]
"We are going to need your continued involvement and participation," Gov. Culver said, adding Amtrak and federal officials have set the bar high when it comes to the application process that will allow Iowa and Illinois secure the funding to build the link.
"It is important as anything I'm working on now as governor. It means huge investment capital in cities between Chicago and Iowa City. It means job creation, economic development. Think about how it will open up this entire corridor. People can work in Moline and live in another part of this area," he said.

At the annual meeting of 1000 Friends of Iowa on Saturday in Iowa City, I heard a presentation about the proposed Amtrak route to Chicago and a commuter rail project linking downtown Iowa City with North Liberty and eventually the Eastern Iowa Airport and Cedar Rapids. The sites proposed for the Amtrak and light rail stations are less than a block apart from each other, very close to major cultural and employment sites in Iowa City. In addition, city planners are working on mixed-use business and residential developments in that neighborhood. If the rail funding comes through, it's going to be a fantastic amenity for Iowa City. The power-point presentation will be available soon on the 1000 Friends of Iowa website. One speaker noted that it's currently hard to purchase train cars for light rail because of high demand nationwide. Even in this tough economy, many metro governments recognize the benefits of expanding commuter rail.

As for federal policy on passenger rail, I wrote last week about the massive demand for stimulus high-speed rail funding, which prompted the House Appropriations Committee to allocate $4 billion toward high-speed rail in the coming year. The Iowa Global Warming Campaign posted this action alert about efforts by Republican Congressman Tom Latham (IA-04) to strip out $3 billion of the high-speed rail funding for more highway funds.

I'm happy to report that Latham was unsuccessful. The House on Thursday passed the fiscal year 2010 Transportation Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill by a vote of 256-168:

The spending bill passed by the House actually sets out $4 billion for high-speed rail, but Democratic officials expect to transfer half of that total to a national infrastructure bank that would give grants and make loans for large-scale transportation projects, another Obama priority.
"That is the most important transportation initiative since the Eisenhower interstate highway system," said Democratic Representative John Olver, chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that wrote the bill.

Speaking of encouraging news, the Obama administration

has appointed Transportation for America Co-Chair Shelley Poticha to be Senior Advisor for Sustainable Housing and Communities at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the department announced today.
Poticha, who is also President and CEO of Reconnecting America, is expected to head a new HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities that would be created under legislation to be sponsored by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT).
"Shelley will help lead HUD's effort to change the way we think about how our communities fit with how Americans live their lives," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Her wealth of experience will help move us forward in creating sustainable, greener and smarter communities."

Poticha will represent HUD in an inter-agency effort to create sustainable communities involving the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation as well. The DOT and HUD announced joint plans to promote livable communities in March, and the EPA joined the effort in June.

Anyone interested in transportation policy should bookmark the Transportation for America coalition's blog.

Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.

Events coming up during the rest of July (updated)

desmoinesdem — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:03:14 GMT

The RAGBRAI riders are enjoying some relatively cool weather this week, although last night's rain may have been unpleasant for campers. If you're riding and have any anecdotes to share, post them here.

Details on other events going on around the state are after the jump. As always, post a comment or send me an e-mail (desmoinesdem AT yahoo.com) if you know of something I've left out.

Occasionally I put a river clean-up on these event calendars, so I wanted to let the Bleeding Heartland community know about this opportunity:

The Iowa Whitewater Coalition today announced the Clean Rivers Team Stewardship Program (CRTSP) -- a mini-grant program to help fund local river clean-up activities across Iowa.
Any community group or organization in Iowa is welcome to apply for a grant from the CRTSP for the purpose of paying expenses related to river clean-up activities. Grants are limited to a maximum of $500.
Details are available at www.iowawhitewater.org and a Letter of Application may be submitted at any time to Iowa Whitewater Coalition, PO Box 65453, West Des Moines, IA 50265. Questions can be addressed by Peter Komendowski at 319-269-8493.

UPDATE: Added details on the Iowa Politics forum for Republican gubernatorial candidates (July 22) after the jump.
Tuesday, July 21:

From I-Renew:

What: Renew America Roadtrip™ Cedar Rapids stop with the All-electric Tesla Roadster
Where: Kirkwood Community College, Auto Technology Building, Main campus
When: 7:00 - 9:00 pm Tuesday, July 21
This event is hosted by Alliant Energy, the Iowa Renewable Energy Association (I-Renew) and Kirkwood Community College.
The Renew America Roadtrip™ is America's first green coast-to-coast trip in an all-electric sports car. The event will help raise awareness of renewable, sustainable, and eco-friendly initiatives and features three electric cars, including the Tesla Roadster. The Tesla Roadster is a $100,000 all-electric sports car. The Roadster is a pure battery-electric vehicle with a range of 240 miles per charge, a 130 mph top speed, and goes from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. In addition to the Tesla roadster, the Renew America Roadtrip team includes Jerry Asher and his "Spirit of DC" plug-in-hybrid Prius and a beautiful new 2009 Nissan Altima hybrid support vehicle provided courtesy of Nissan USA. The stop is a chance to view the all-electric Tesla Roadster and talk with the crew of the Roadtrip project, which is demonstrating the advantages of all-electric vehicles. The team will be visiting the area and charging up the vehicle on their way cross-country from New York City to San Francisco. For more details on RAR check out the Web site: http://www.renewamericaroadtri...
For more information on the event, contact I-Renew http://www.irenew.org/about
or call 319/594-6453.

One Iowa is doing a RAGBRAI canvass in Indianola. Contact One Iowa for more details and to RSVP.

Wednesday, July 22:

From IowaPolitics.com:

Iowa Republicans potentially running for governor in 2010 will talk about the campaign at the next IowaPolitics.com forum, 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 22 at Drake University's Levitt Hall in Old Main, 2507 University Ave. in Des Moines.
Confirmed panelists include:
* State Sen. Jerry Behn, R-Boone
* Christian Fong of Cedar Rapids
* State Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City
* State Rep. Rod Roberts, R-Carroll
* Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City
Additional panelists may be announced in the coming weeks.
IowaPolitics.com Des Moines Bureau Chief Lynn Campbell will moderate the program and questions will be accepted from audience members. The event later will be broadcast on the Mediacom Connections channel statewide and will be available for On Demand viewing on Mediacom Channel 1.
The forum is part of the "Cookies and Conversation" series presented by IowaPolitics.com, Mediacom, Wal-Mart and Drake University. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and taping of the show will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Free parking will be available in Drake lots at 26th & University and 25th & Carpenter.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Registration options:
Online: http://www.esurveycentral.com/...
E-mail: info@Iowapolitics.com
Phone: (515) 309-2941
IowaPolitics.com is an independent, nonpartisan news operation offering a free Web site at http://www.IowaPolitics.com and paid subscriber products. For more information, contact Jim Greer at greer@iowapolitics.com or (515) 309-2941.

The Iowa Initiative, in partnership with Des Moines University Global Health and the Iowa Department of Public Health, is bringing Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, to Des Moines. To view full day's schedule and register online, click here.

From I-Renew:

What: Renew America Roadtrip™ Iowa City stop with the All-electric Telsa Roadster
Where: University of Iowa Madison Street Services Building (MSSB) in Iowa City, on the corner of South Madison and West Prentiss streets.
When: 8:00 - 9:00 am Wednesday, July 22
This event is hosted by The University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Iowa Renewable Energy Association (I-Renew).

One Iowa is organizing a marriage equality house party in Washington. Contact One Iowa for more details and to RSVP.

Senator Chuck Grassley's live, call-in television program will be on Mediacom from 6:30 to 7:00 pm central time. Iowans can phone him by dialing toll-free 800/736-8255. Questions also can be e-mailed in advance to askyoursenator@grassley.senate.gov, or questions can be sent to Grassley using the online micro-blogging site Twitter. Simply add @ChuckGrassley to your twitter message and please include your name and location in Iowa.

Thursday, July 23:

Skip Moore, candidate for Des Moines City Council, is having an open house:

You are invited to meet the candidate at an open house for Skip Moore
Candidate for Des Moines City Council At-Large
Hosted by Susie Burch, Linda Adamson & Karen Shoopman
Thursday, July 23rd
6:00 PM
Food & beverages provided
At the home of Susie Burch
1229 E. 35th St., Des Moines
(Located north of the State Fair grounds, 3 houses north of E. University on the east side of the street)
Please RSVP to Skip Moore or Mitch Henry at 729-2926 or email Moore4council@aol.com

From Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa:

Volunteer this Thursday for a phone bank on health-care reform.
Last month's phone bank was at capacity, let's do it again!
Join us this Thursday in Des Moines for a volunteer phone bank from 6:30-8:30pm.
Volunteers and staff will call fellow supporters to make sure affordable access to reproductive health care is a priority in any national reform of our health-care system.
Where: Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa
Cowles Center
1168 6th Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50314
When: Thursday, July 23rd
6:30 - 8:30pm
Click here to RSVP!

David Adelman, candidate for Des Moines City Council, is holding a fundraiser from 5:00pm-7:30pm at Dos Rios Restuarant on Court Avenue:

www.adelmanDSMcouncil.com
Suggested Contributions $25
Please make checks payable to:
Citizens for Adelman
2841 Gilmore Ave
DSM, IA 50312
Appetizers will be provided
Please RSVP to:
adelmanDSMcouncil@gmail.com or nkapke@gmail.com

One Iowa is doing a RAGBRAI canvass in Ottumwa. Contact One Iowa for more details and to RSVP.

The same day, One Iowa will do a major phone bank. They are asking for 100 volunteers around the state to make 25 calls each within a two-hour span. Sign up here to help from the comfort of your own home:

http://eqfed.org/oneiowa/event...

Friday, July 24:

Homophobic and anti-Semitic bigot Fred Phelps is bringing his freak show back to central Iowa.

Meanwhile, One Iowa is putting on a potluck dinner and phone banking event in Ames (click here to RSVP):

July 24, 2009 6:00-8:30 PM
Fourth Friday LGBT & Ally Potluck & Phonebank
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
1015 N Hyland, Ames, IA 50014
(Just one block west of campus!)

Saturday, July 25:

1000 Friends of Iowa is holding its annual meeting at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center in Iowa City. The theme this year is "Recognizing and Supporting Sustainability: Transportation, Food, Farm and Schools". Click here for complete details and registration information.

From the Iowa Environmental Council newsletter:

EXPERITORS! Final sessions "Bluestem and Blazingstar"
July 25-26, Union Hills WMA, south of Clear Lake
Register now for one of the EXPERITORS! experiential small-group learning opportunities. The next sessions, two July sessions at a prairie, have a "Bluestem and Blazingstar" theme and are for all ages. Each event will provide an encounter with nature, with time to reflect and share. To read more about the programs in July, or download a registration form, go to http://www.inhf.org/experitors... You can also e-mail program leader Cindy Findley. This program is sponsored by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and supported with funds received in memory of long-time INHF member Marcia Connell. For more information, go to http://www.inhf.org/experitors... or contact Cathy Engstrom at cengstrom@inhf.org 1-800-475-1846.

One Iowa is doing a RAGBRAI canvass in Burlington. Contact One Iowa for more details and to RSVP.

Also from One Iowa:

Join Lambda Legal for a gathering for LGBT parents and their kids! We're coming together to celebrate Parents' Day, our families, and the protections we now enjoy in Iowa! Some food and beverages will be provided. This will be a family-friendly event, so bring the kids!
Please RSVP to mfender@lambdalegal.org or call (646) 752-5932. Include the number of adults and children attending.
Co-sponsored with the Family Equality Council and COLAGE.
Iowa City
Saturday, July 25th: 4:00-7:00pm
Creekside Park
1858 7th Ave Ct., Iowa City, IA

Sunday, July 26:

Governor Chet Culver is taking another train tour to promote passenger rail in Iowa:

Governor Chet Culver's Iowa Unlimited is on the move again, this time with stops in Eastern Iowa on Sunday, July 26. Designed to raise awareness of passenger rail, the train will make stops in Iowa City, West Liberty, Durant, and Walcott before crossing the Mississippi and holding an event in Moline at the future site of the Quad Cities' passenger rail depot.
"Restoring passenger rail service is one of the Culver-Judge Administration's top transportation priorities," said Governor Culver. "Reconnecting some of our largest cities to Chicago will add to Iowa's economic success, and as Governor I look forward to working with all Iowans to expand passenger rail throughout the state."
Following the stops on Sunday, the Iowa Unlimited will continue to Chicago where Governor Culver will participate in the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit on Monday. The meeting is designed to further efforts to make Chicago a regional passenger rail hub, with lines radiating from the city to communities in other states. Participants will discuss with the Obama Administration ways to utilize Federal Recovery funds to expand passenger rail service throughout the Midwest.
As part of the sessions with other Governors, Governor Culver is also expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on two proposed passenger rail lines - Chicago to Dubuque and Chicago to Iowa City. Current proposals call for the expansion of the Chicago-to-Iowa City route to Des Moines and points further west.
Traveling with the Governor on Sunday will be state transportation officials, advocates for passenger rail, and community leaders. Congressman David Loebsack will travel from Iowa City to Moline, and Amtrak Board of Directors Chairman Tom Carper will ride with the Governor to the Summit in Chicago from Moline.
Efforts have been taken in recent years to bring passenger rail service back to portions of the state, with current proposals to bring service to Dubuque, the Quad Cities and Iowa City and longer term plans to bring service to other communities such as Des Moines and Council Bluffs.
To help spur efforts, Governor Culver's signature legislative accomplishment - the I-JOBS Initiative -- includes $10 million for multi-modal transportation projects in Iowa, including $3 million for expanded passenger rail service in the state. In addition, the Iowa Department of Transportation will be competing for federal passenger rail funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. All of these steps position Iowa to work with Illinois and Amtrak to bring new passenger rail lines to the state that connect more Iowa communities with Chicago.
Governor Culver's Iowa Unlimited is being provided thanks to the generous efforts of the Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.
Below is the timetable for the Iowa Unlimited.
12:00pm Governor Culver's Iowa Unlimited Send Off Event Old Rock Island Depot, 119 Wright Street, Iowa City
1:26pm Governor Culver's Iowa Unlimited stops in West Liberty, The Depot, 405 North Elm Street
2:26pm Governor Culver's Iowa Unlimited Stops in Durant, Pythian Sisters Park, Main Street
3:06pm Governor Culver's Iowa Unlimited Stops in Walcott, on the tracks (near 103 S. Main)
4:21pm Governor Culver's Iowa Unlimited stops in Moline, Center Station, 1200 River Drive

One Iowa is kicking off its summer canvassing in Des Moines and Muscatine. Contact One Iowa for more details and to RSVP.

Wednesday, July 29:

From the Iowa Bicycle Coalition:

Event: IBC'S Monthly Chat 'n Ride
"Let's talk about bicycling in the Iowa City area"
What: Informational Meeting
Host: Iowa Bicycle Coalition Supporters
Start Time: Wednesday, July 29 at 12:00pm
End Time: Wednesday, July 29 at 3:30pm
Where: Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room B

This sounds like fun:

The main events of the "Khrushchev in Iowa" 50th anniversary aren't until August 27-30, but the fun already starts in Coon Rapids next Wednesday, July29!
Author Peter Carlson, will speak at Whiterock Conservancy about his new book, K Blows Top, a hilarious account of Khrushchev's 1959 US tour.
"Khushchev's two-week journey across America quickly became one of the most outlandish episodes in the annals of Cold War history," wrote Jacob Heilbrunn in The Washington Post. "A deft and amusing writer, Carlson does a marvelous job of recounting it."
Come hear Carlson recount some of Khrushchev's many adventures. The Soviet Premier got stuck in an elevator in New York , and "blew his top" in California over being denied access to Disneyland, but in Iowa , he fared much better. In the Corn State he was provided with a baby blue Cadillac convertible; ate his first hot dog (only after it was checked by a Geiger counter!); and created at press riot at the Garst Farm.
So intense was the media pressure that host Roswell Garst, a self-appointed citizen diplomat promoting "Peace through Corn," ended up fighting off the reporters with handfuls of corn silage. The Khrushchev visit was Iowa's first real exposure in the national-level media.
Peter Carlson, author of K Blows Top
5:30 pm
Wednesday, July 29
The Riverhouse at Whiterock Conservancy
1313 Fig Avenue, Coon Rapids
Come hear Carlson tell all about it, and you can also buy a copy of his book! Just out, K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude, starring Nikita Khrushchev, America's Most Unlikely Tourist, has already won praise in publications ranging from Parade magazine to the Boston Globe to The Onion.
For all lovers of Iowa, Coon Rapids, history, and hilarity, this July 29 event is not to be missed!!
Following Carlson's 5:30 author talk, feel free to stay on for a 6:30 grill-out and live music starting at 8:00. Three bands (Local Natives, Snowblink, and Mac Lethal) will be playing at Whiterock's Riverhouse Barn as the culmination for the first-ever Daytrotter Barnstormer (see www.daytrotter.com for more information).
"Khrushchev in Iowa " commemorative activities will continue in August. Don't miss the Agricultural Progress Festival to be held in Coon Rapids on Saturday August 29th. This will include a ceremony to celebrate the entry of the Garst Farm (now owned by Whiterock Conservancy) into the National Register of Historic Places, historic film clips, performance of an original two-person play on the Garst-Khrushchev relation, a farm machinery parade, speeches by Sergei Khrushchev and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; plantings of corn from different eras; agribusiness displays; family-fun activities; live music; food; and a beer garden. See wwww.creatinggp.com for more details.
DIRECTIONS: Coon Rapids is located on Highway 141, 70 northwest of Des Moines and 100 miles east of Omaha . The Riverhouse is located at 1313 Fig Ave. To get there go 2.3 miles east of Coon Rapids on Hwy 141, then turn south on Fig Ave (gravel) and continue for an additional 2.2 miles. The house and barn are located just before the river bridge, on the right. Parking is on the left side of the road.

A Republican for Transportation Secretary and more reaction to Obama's cabinet picks

desmoinesdem — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:39:17 GMT

President-elect Barack Obama has apparently decided to appoint retiring Republican Congressman Ray LaHood of Illinois as Secretary of Transportation. LaHood was elected to the U.S. House in the 1994 landslide. He decided not to run for re-election this year because "It's not any fun being in the minority." (Are you listening, Tom Latham?)

An Illinois blogger writes that LaHood doesn't have much of a record on transportation issues, although he has voted for more public transit funding and more passenger rail service on Amtrak.

At Grist, Ryan Avent sees three possibilities:

1. Obama doesn't intend the DOT secretary to do the heavy lifting on his transportation policies,
2. Obama doesn't really care about transportation, and
3. It isn't true.

But I agree with the reader who suggested a fourth possibility:

4) Obama knows this guy personally, finds him to be a trustworthy sort.

I am going to hope for number 4 and that Obama will have LaHood implement the transportation priorities Obama and Biden believe in. Expanding passenger rail is one of the biggies.

Incidentally, LaHood was one of the leaders of the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton. Let's hope he won't try to undermine Obama's presidency as well.

Regarding Obama's choice of Senator Ken Salazar for Secretary of Interior, some environmental groups are concerned. He's far from the environmental champion they were hoping for in Congressman Raul Grijalva. Kate Sheppard has more on the environmental community's mixed feelings on Salazar at Grist.

However, the Sierra Club praised Salazar, as well as Tom Vilsack, in this press release.

In this Daily Kos diary, Kula 2316 provides more reaction to Obama's choice of Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture.

Share any relevant thoughts in the comments.

Braley named to conference committee for Amtrak bill

desmoinesdem — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:05:08 GMT

Representative Bruce Braley, who has been working hard to promote passenger rail service to Iowa, has been named to the conference committee on the 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill. A press release quotes Braley as saying, "I'm excited by the opportunity to continue working on the Amtrak bill and to support Iowa's passenger rail needs." The full text of that release is after the jump.

That committee will resolve differences between the Senate and House versions of the Amtrak bill. The House approved a bill last month with language likely to help bring Amtrak service to Dubuque and the Quad Cities.

Speaking of passenger rail, this post from the DCist blog lays out the contrast between Barack Obama and John McCain on transit issues. The whole post is worth reading, but one key point is that McCain says closing down Amtrak would be "a non-negotiable issue" if he became president.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2008
Contact: Nicole Buseman
nicole.buseman@mail.house.gov
(202) 225-2911 (office)
(202) 297-6725 (cell)
Braley Named to Amtrak Bill Conference Committee
Amtrak Bill boosts chances for Dubuque, Quad-Cities to Chicago Routes
Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) announced his appointment as a conference committee member for the 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill. The conference committee will develop a final version of the Amtrak Bill, which provides funding for passenger rail service.
Braley is an original co-sponsor of the Amtrak bill. Braley worked to shepherd the bill through the Transportation Committee, of which he is a member, and he pushed for passage of the bill on the House floor.
"I'm excited by the opportunity to continue working on the Amtrak bill and to support Iowa 's passenger rail needs," Braley said. "With gas prices now over four dollars per gallon, it's time to invest in alternative forms of transportation. The Amtrak bill will help make passenger rail service between Dubuque and the Quad Cities to Chicago a reality. This bill takes the first step to make affordable, efficient passenger rail service available for more Iowans."
The House-passed 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill includes language to create a new, $500 million per year 'State Capital Grant Program,' which would award federal grants to states for the construction of new passenger rail service between US cities. Proposed passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities and Chicago and Dubuque would be eligible to apply for funding under this program.
The bill also includes Braley's provision mandating a Federal Railroad Administration study into the viability of the widespread use of biolubricants in freight and passenger rail as an alternative to petroleum-based lubricants. The University of Northern Iowa 's National Ag-Based Lubricant Center (NABL), the country's leading biolubricant research center, is located in Iowa 's First District.
The Amtrak Reauthorization bill passed the House last month, and the Senate bill passed last October (H.R. 6003/S. 294). The conference committee will meet to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill so that a final version can be brought before both chambers.

Bipartisan caucus to push for new transportation policies

desmoinesdem — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Representatives Ellen Tauscher (D, CA-10) and Tom Petri (R, WI-06), both members of the House Transportation Committee, are forming a "Metropolitan Mobility Caucus" to revamp federal transportation policy.

Here is the "Dear colleague" letter they are circulating among members of Congress:

Dear Colleague,
We invite you to join the Metropolitan Mobility Caucus.
Transportation congestion is a major economic and environmental problem in metropolitan areas. Although the top 100 metropolitan areas represent only 12% of the land in the United States, they contain 65% of our nation's population. They account for more than 90% of traffic congestion, transit ridership, and population exposure to autorelated air pollution. Urban areas handle 95% of the nation's trade, 96% of rail passengers, and 75% of seaport tonnage. Congestion has never been worse. In 2005, urban congestion cost $78.2 billion in wasted time and fuel, which equates to $707 annually per traveler.
We believe that federal transportation policy should take a fresh approach to solving the various metropolitan infrastructure problems. As we continue to examine the structure of the next highway bill, our caucus will advocate for stronger partnerships between federal, state, and local transportation officials; greater use of public transportation, including intercity passenger rail; regional mobility goals; and performance standards.
In the coming months, we plan to hold staff briefings to examine these and other issues. The first briefing will take place on Monday, July 21st at 4:30 PM in 2253 RHOB. Cohosted by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the American Planning Association, this briefing will focus on the role of MPOs in the transportation planning process. If you would like to join the Metropolitan Mobility Caucus, please contact Paul Schmid (Tauscher) or Tyler Schwartz (Petri).
Sincerely,
Ellen O. Tauscher
Tom E. Petri

I hope some of Iowa's representatives in Congress will join this caucus. It's a natural fit for Leonard Boswell and Bruce Braley, who serve on the House Transportation Committee, but others could get behind this initiative as well. The number of Iowans who do not drive or cannot afford a car will grow as our population ages and gasoline becomes more expensive.

We don't think of Iowa as having major metropolitan areas, but most of our medium-sized and larger cities would benefit from better public transit options and intercity rail. Even small towns would benefit from express bus service or vanpools that could get people to jobs, shops, doctors or other facilities in larger cities nearby.

Bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly roads provide alternatives to driving and improve the quality of life in cities and towns of all sizes.

The Smart Growth America website has lots of information on how federal policies could improve our transportation system.

By the way, of all the presidential candidates, Bill Richardson had the best vision on transportation policy. It wasn't just talk, either--as governor, Richardson spent political capital to make intercity rail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe a reality.

People often mention Richardson as a possible vice-president or secretary of state, but in my fantasy cabinet he would be secretary of transportation.

We're already paying for McCain's hostility to Amtrak

desmoinesdem — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Rising gasoline prices are prompting more Americans to seek out transportation alternatives.

In Europe a high-speed rail network links seven countries already. But Amtrak only has 632 usable cars in the whole country.

Unfortunately, John McCain's hostility to Amtrak over the years blew any chance of building a modern, effective passenger rail system before the price of oil hit record highs:

In 2000, when he was chairman of the Senate Science, Commerce and Transportation committee, McCain killed $10 billion in capital funding for Amtrak. He denounced Amtrak as a symbol of government waste, claiming, "There's only two parts of the country that can support a viable rail system - the Northeast and the far West."
He made these claims though Amtrak investment had the support of several notable Republicans. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi warned that Amtrak "is guaranteed and doomed to failure if we don't give it an opportunity to succeed. If you don't have modern equipment, if you don't have the new fast trains, if you don't have a rapid rail system, it will not work."
Tommy Thompson, the secretary of Health and Human Services during President Bush's first term, was Amtrak chairman when McCain blocked the funding. Thompson said, "The traveling public are sending a distress call to escape our nation's endless traffic jams and airport gridlock."

How much better off would we be if we had invested $10 billion in upgrading Amtrak's equipment eight years ago?

Click the link to read the whole column by Derrick Jackson. While Barack Obama has co-sponsored a Senate bill to increase investment in passenger rail, McCain's website has no mention of rail in the transportation section.

We can't afford to let McCain screw up our transportation policy any more than he already has.

If you are interested in passenger rail, I highly recommend these diaries by Daily Kos user BruceMcF:

America, as it turns out, was Made for High Speed Rail.

5 Lessons Learned: America was made for HSR, Pt. 2.

High Speed Rail: The Three Level Program.

Action: Give us more transportation choices

desmoinesdem — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:43:16 GMT

I received this action alert today from Smart Growth America:

Dear [desmoinesdem],
Can you believe the impact rising gas prices are having across the country?
Here in D.C., people are abandoning their cars and taking the Metro in record numbers. But most Americans don't have options like Metro for relief -- they don't have access to convienient public transportation or live in walkable, connected neighborhoods. For years, our leaders have underinvested in these solutions, and now we're paying the price as fuel prices rise by the day.
We need to demand better transportation choices that can help us get where we need to go -- while saving money, conserving oil, and fighting global warming. Urge your Congressional member to support more funding for transit, biking, and smart growth by clicking on the button below to send them a message.
Congressional members Earl Blumenauer and Ellen Tauscher are leading an effort to invest in transit and smart growth -- please ask your Representative to join them!
Thanks for your support.
Steve Davis
Smart Growth America
Please feel free to forward this to any of your friends and colleagues who might be interested in taking action or receiving alerts like this one in the future. If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for news and alerts here.
Keep track of SGA's current advocacy work and get valuable resources to bolster your own efforts on our action page.

You can click here to

write and tell your representative to sign onto a letter from Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Ellen Tauscher urging Congress to increase funding for public transit, biking, public transportation, and walkable neighborhoods in federal climate legislation. Note: you can edit or personalize the text of the email below, which will help strengthen your message. Feel free to personalize it or add a story of your own from your legislator's district.

Two pieces worth reading on transportation policy

desmoinesdem — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:10:23 GMT

At Daily Kos, Devilstower offers five Good Ideas that are Bad Politics. They are:

A five year moratorium on new highway construction
End to single-purpose zoning
Bus Rapid Transit with Dedicated Lanes
Relaxing automotive safety laws
Fifty-five Mile an Hour Speed Limit

Click the link to read the case he makes for each of those. I agree with all of them except relaxing the safety rules. He makes some intriguing points, but I don't think that change would produce the effect he'd like to see.

Yesterday, Daily Kos user bink wrote this diary: Amtrak Has Too Few Usable Train Cars Left. The gist is that demand for passenger rail is skyrocketing because of high gasoline prices, but Amtrak has a limited ability to lay on more trains because it has been starved of adequate funding for so long.

This should concern anyone who wants to see more passenger rail options available to Iowans.

By the way, Barack Obama wants to invest more in rail transportation, while John McCain has opposed funding for Amtrak for many years.

Dubuque and Quad Cities are one step closer to passenger rail

desmoinesdem — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:08:45 GMT

I learned from Congressman Bruce Braley's office that the House approved the 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill on Wednesday. The bill includes funds proposed by Braley that will promote passenger rail links like the ones that may connect Chicago with Dubuque and the Quad Cities.

I appreciate Braley's efforts to invest more in alternative transportation. Many Iowans will one day benefit from his work on the House Transportation Committee.

Now if Congressman Leonard Boswell would pick up the ball, maybe my family will be able to take a train from Des Moines to Chicago five or six years from now.

By the way, John McCain has long opposed Amtrak and would like to shut it down if elected president.

The full text of the press release from Braley's office is after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2008
Contact: Jeff Giertz, Communications Director
jeff.giertz@mail.house.gov
(202) 226-4026 (office)
(202) 297-6745 (cell)
Braley Supported Amtrak Bill Passes House, Boosts Chances for Dubuque , Quad-Cities and Chicago Routes
Braley Language on Biolubricants also included in House-passed bill
Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) announced that the House passed the 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill. Congressman Braley is an original co-sponsor of the Amtrak bill.
The 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill (H.R. 6003) includes language to create a new, $500 million per year "State Capital Grant Program," which would award federal grants to states for the construction of new passenger rail service between US cities. Proposed passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities and Chicago and Dubuque would be eligible to apply for funding under this program.
The bill also includes Braley's provision mandating a Federal Railroad Administration study into the viability of the widespread use of biolubricants in freight and passenger rail as an alternative to petroleum-based lubricants. The University of Northern Iowa 's National Ag-Based Lubricant Center (NABL), the country's leading biolubricant research center, is located in Iowa 's First District.
"I'm pleased that the Amtrak bill passed the House today," Braley said. "With gas prices now over four dollars per gallon, it's time to invest in alternative forms of transportation. The Amtrak bill will help make passenger rail service between Dubuque and the Quad Cities to Chicago a reality. This bill takes the first step to make cheap, efficient passenger rail service available for more Iowans."
The Amtrak Reauthorization Bill passed the House on a vote of 311-104. Congressman Braley supports the bill, but did not cast a vote on the measure as he remains in Iowa to assist with flood recovery.

Braley promoting passenger rail options for Iowans

desmoinesdem — Tue, 13 May 2008 02:44:30 GMT

Not long ago Amtrak released the results of a feasibility study on a passenger rail link between Iowa City, the Quad Cities, and Chicago. (Later this year the next phase of the study will examine extending passenger rail to Des Moines as well.)

A few days ago, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) introduced the 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill, which (according to a press release from Braley's office)

includes language to create a new, $500 million per year "State Capital Grant Program." The program would award federal grants to states to pay for the construction of new passenger rail service between US cities.
Projects that could apply for funding under this program include proposed passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities, the Quad Cities and Des Moines via Iowa City, and Chicago and Dubuque.
The bill also includes a Braley-sponsored provision mandating a Federal Railroad Administration study into the viability of the widespread use of biolubricants in freight and passenger rail as an alternative to petroleum-based lubricants. The University of Northern Iowa's National Ag-Based Lubricant Center (NABL) is located in Iowa's First District.

The full text of the press release is after the jump.

I appreciate Braley's leadership on this issue and wonder why my own Congressman Leonard Boswell hasn't made passenger rail service between Chicago and Des Moines more of a priority in his work on the House Transportation Committee. My family would love to be able to take a train to Chicago. It would be much easier for us than traveling by car or plane with two small children.

Expanding passenger rail will also help us reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and will be more cost-effective as the price of oil continues to rise in the long term.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2008
Contact: Jeff Giertz, Communications Director
jeff.giertz@mail.house.gov
(202) 226-4026 (office)
(202) 297-6745 (cell)
Braley Introduces Bill Boosting Prospects of Rail Connections Between Dubuque, Quad Cities and Chicago
Braley Cosponsor of Amtrak Reauthorization Act with Transportation Committee Leaders
Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) today introduced the 2008 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill with House Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) and other members of the Transportation Committee.
Braley is an original cosponsor of the bill, which includes language to create a new, $500 million per year "State Capital Grant Program." The program would award federal grants to states to pay for the construction of new passenger rail service between US cities. Projects that could
apply for funding under this program include proposed passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities, the Quad Cities and Des
Moines via Iowa City, and Chicago and Dubuque.
The bill also includes a Braley-sponsored provision mandating a Federal Railroad Administration study into the viability of the widespread use of biolubricants in freight and passenger rail as an alternative to petroleum-based lubricants. The University of Northern Iowa's National Ag-Based Lubricant Center (NABL) is located in Iowa's First District.
"With gas prices approaching four dollars per gallon, we need to invest in transportation alternatives that give people alternatives to
driving," Braley said. "Passenger rail has the potential to be a viable alternative in many places, including the Chicago region. The Amtrak
bill will help make frequent, efficient passenger rail service between Dubuque and the Quad Cities to Chicago a reality. The bill will also help advance emerging biotechnology like biolubricants."