Articles in several Missouri newspapers and appearing on the Web attest to the sincerity of Missouri DOT and Amtrak endeavors to bring Passenger Rail Service to Springfield, MO, after a hiatus of almost 40 years. (They've got us doing it now! That's not a hiatus, that's outright termination of service! That's pre-Amtrak era!) See this link.
So what's wrong with bringing service back to Springfield? Nothing if, like us, you want to see Passenger Rail established, re-established and growing in every corner of the United States.
Amtrak, despite it's ever-present financial woes and dependence on taxpayer dollars to support every route mile, has the right idea in trying to establish routes that didn't even exist when Amtrak was born. The demographics have changed mightily since then, and to open only routes that return us to 1971 misses the big picture.
The arguments in favor of establishing this Passenger Rail route are many. The route goes through some beautiful scenic areas. The auto traffic on parallel Interstate 44 is horrendous, so anything should be done to put some of those passengers on the rails is good. Also, Springfield is close to Branson, Missouri. Branson wasn't even thought of in the context of tourism when the last passenger train left Springfield, MO. Now, the music halls of Branson could be a day trip or an overnight destination for thousands of St. Louis Area residents. It makes one question why MoDOT is not also thinking about Kansas City - Springfield. Unfortunately, it looks like the only existing tracks to Branson come up from the south. But maybe some tour operator will see the wisdom in light rail or even Maglev to Branson from Springfield.
Now the bad part. The WTBAW part. (What The Bush Administration Wants) The state would have to foot the full subsidy for the St. Louis - Springfield service. This may or may not happen, but it is politically difficult, nonetheless.
The worst part? The track needed for this service may need significant improvements, though described as "in good shape," by MoDOT. More subsidy.
Let's hope the people of Missouri are serious about Passenger Rail. We would like to ride this one some day.
© 2006 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
6 comments:
Please send comments to The Rolla Paper
http://www.therolladailynews.com/articles/2006/06/23/news/news02.txt
Please see Letter to the Editor in todays News-Leader
http://www.ozarksnow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060620/OPINIONS03/606200321/1006
To all the People who want Rail Passenger Service
Over 15 years I worked to help promote and build support for Passenger Rail Service statewide. Now I ask all the people in the thousands who helped to help one more time. I have boxes of information and contacts but it is impossible to get a hold of all of you.
So I ask you to speak out and call your media, your representatives and they say that AMTAK may need some financial help building new depots. Think about starting a drive in your city to help. With articles in every state paper about MODOT and AMTRAK interest in exploring the possibility of adding one daily round-trip route between the two cities, with stops in Lebanon, Rolla, Sullivan and Kirkwood. The possible expansion would not happen for at least a year, MoDOT said in a news release.
“Population and travel is way up in the Springfield/Branson area, and Fort Leonard Wood is very busy as well,” said Brian Weiler, MoDOT multimodal operations director, in the release. “And with highways becoming more congested and fuel costs going up, more people than ever are looking for other ways to travel.”
So now is the time for the people to speak out as loud as possible. For contacts of suggestions people can e-mail me at stevenlloydreed@hotmail.com
Passenger Service could help: relieve unsafe traffic on I-44, give people another way to get to St. Louis since air travel is gone, be cheaper that cars, and be a major help to the economies of each city. The people have said for years they want the service and our government spends billions a year on transportation. It is a market economy alright and the Missouri citizens are a target market and in a Democracy they get to say where scarce resources are used.
Sincerely
Steven L. Reed
1441 S. Estate Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65804
Happy New Year to all!
MoDOT will soon lobby the state legislature supporting rail passenger service, Amtrak from St. Louis to Springfield, Branson, and Tulsa. Fifteen years of work went into promoting the effort. It's critical people who want such service speak out.
Please speak out if you want such service from Chicago to Tulsa!
http://www.stevenlloydreed.com/news.htm
www.reedforcouncil.com
RAIL BLOG ON THE ABOVE HOME PAGE
Please write letters to the editor---tell others---or what ever you can do to spread the word! THANKS
Letters to the editor---Springfield News-Leader
651 Boonville
Springfield, Mo 65806
Or, call (417)836-1212 or 1-800-695-1779---FAX: (417) 837-1381 or e-mail letters@news-leader.com
St. Louis Business Journal-Old Post Office
815 Olive St., Suite 100
St. Louis, MO 63101
Phone: 314-421-6200---Fax: 314-621-5031---Email: stlouis@bizjournals.com
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Address: 900 N Tucker Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63101
Jamie Riley, the P-D’s letters editor---letters@post-dispatch.com
Phone: (314) 340-8387---Fax: (314) 340-3139
Lebanon Daily Record---Chris Wrinkle--- editor@lebanondailyrecord.com
100 E. Commercial
Lebanon, MO 65536
(417)532-9131
Rolla Daily News
101 West Seventh Street
Rolla, Mo. 65401
Phone: (573) 364-2468 | Email: news@therolladailynews.com
THANKS
I worked for 15 years and had people help from all across the state concerning getting rail service from St. Louis to Springfield and Branson and on the Tulsa. Last year in Missouri the highway department tried to convince the State Legislature to help get funding for Amtrak from Stylus to Branson and on. They say it will help relieve traffic on interstate 44 and help drivers have other options. Rolla, Lebanon, Springfield, Branson and many other cities could benefit from the economic development it could bring
Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden has spent many years promoting the idea that additional routes will increase traffic in general on Amtrak. . What about those gas prices? If Biden becomes vice president he will bring more Rail Passenger Service to Missouri and the United States.
Sincerely,
Steven L. Reed
1441 South Estate Ave.
Springfield, MO 65804
stevenlloydreed@hotmail.com
It would be great to have rails going through Branson. It would definitely help out! They should have some kind of deal with the Branson hotels for passes or run near them!
The rail is great! Especially with all the Branson shows in town! It makes getting around much easier
Springfield(MO) MoDOT held its proposed transportation meeting tonight. Local activist asked why the Rail Passenger Service was not included at any funding level? Steven Reed pointed out that just two years ago the highway department put out a press release supporting it.
http:www.modot.org/othertransportation/rail/documents/MissouriDOT-SpringfieldtoStLouisServiceReport051607WebEdition.pdf
Reed says that over ten years thousands of people have spoke out from Springfield to Branson to St. Louis and even The mayor of Branson, Raeanne Presley recently said she has always supported the Rail Passenger Service. "I say to people ac cross the State Rise up (St. Louis, Rolla, Lebanon, Springfield, Branson), and tell the people who always run the show that we want passenger rail service" Reed said. The people have no say and MODOT does not have any elected position like maybe the state director
Steven Reed also asked why Springfield, St. Louis, and Kansas City were on their maps as being non economically distressed area's which meant they received less funding from the stimulus money. Also asked if mainly the jobs will go to the union workers and they agreed since they are all prevailing wage road projects. MoDOT said wages are high and unemployment low and that is why Springfield in NOT considered a economically distressed area and that all jobs created would be union and pre-veiling wage.
It is sad that Reed pointed out that he was the only member of the public at the meeting and KOLR10, KSPR, and The News-Leader avoided Reed in the room after the meeting and were even told by a MODOT employee to do so. The media does not want to talk to Reed after 20 years voluntary community projects and makes fun of him. Jim Anderson of the Chamber in the past said he supports the rail passenger service ---but said nothing to the media about it---is he about to retire?
Story by World Democracy Project
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