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Fall 2004 General Membership Meeting

The next WisARP Membership meeting will be Saturday, October 30, 2004.  The location will be the Hudson House(Best Western) in Hudson, WI.  This will be a joint meeting with Minnesota passenger rail supporters.

Registration begins at 9:30 am.  The cost will be $30(includes lunch) at the door.  The meeting begins at 10:30 am.  Lunch will be served at noon.  The meeting resumes at 1:00 pm and concludes at 3:00 pm.  

If you pre-register by Wednesday, October 17 the cost will be $25.  Please send to:

Please make checks payable to Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers

Directions to Hudson House:  Take I-90 to Hudson, WI.

Spring 2004 General Membership Meeting

Fall 2003 General Membership Meeting

Proceedings from the WisARP Fall Membership Meeting

October 25, 2003

President John Parkyn called the meeting to order and welcomed those in attendance. John stated the two main issues confronting rail passenger service were the annual Amtrak appropriation, and the status of several bills aimed at providing capital funding for rail passenger initiatives. He said that there is hope for a good outcome on the annual appropriation, given Amtrak President Gunn's willingness to be very honest in his dealings with Congress. John said that his hope was that $1.3 billion in funding would be the final number, a level that would provide for more than just base survival.  In terms of capital spending, John said it has paid the price in the past when Amtrak barely had enough funds for operation. Current capital funding bills may help to reverse that trend.

 Robert Cook, Executive Director of Wisconsin's Transportation Development Association, was the first guest speaker.  Mr. Cook stressed the importance to the state's economy of investments in transportation programs. Those investments, however, have been undermined by Gov. Doyle's transfer of $675 million from the Transportation Fund to the General Fund, replaced by $565 million in replacement bonding with short term debt service paid from the Transportation Fund (a hit of $41 million through 2005). An additional $120 million would be transferred to schools on an ongoing basis as part of this plan, even though transportation projects have to prove a need for funding while the school funding would be automatic. Mr. Cook concluded that debt service may undermine all future transportation investments; that transportation revenues must be spent on transportation; and that a wider transportation revenue base is necessary to address current needs and stimulate the state's economy.  The TDA's web site is: www.tdawisconsin.org

 The next speaker was Rosemary Potter, Executive Director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Coalition for Transit NOW, who related her group's successes in gathering political and business support for extending Chicago METRA commuter rail service from Kenosha to Racine and Milwaukee. The KRM project has gone far in a relatively short time because proponents have done their homework: the population density in the corridor can support the service, additional businesses may be lured to locate on the commuter line bringing jobs to the area, and capital funding is falling into place. She said that her organization has been able to put forth a credible message on the need for commuter rail, has identified the audience for the message, and has approached the stakeholders on the issue, keys to any successful public campaign. She then split up the audience into small groups to work through the process of identifying messages, audiences and stakeholders on a variety of topics.  Transit NOW's web site is: www.transitnow.org

 After lunch, Ron Adams, Director of the Bureau of Railroads and Harbors at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, spoke on behalf of DOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi, who was unable to attend the meeting. He said that Busalacchi has gotten interested in all modes of transportation since his appointment, and supports, along with Governor Doyle, the growth of Amtrak. He said that that message had been consistent at DOT, even though the bosses may have changed. Growing the economy is vital to getting out of the state deficit, and we need to have good services available, including transportation, in order to support business growth. Pushing rail, he added, gets a little easier when you have a high quality product, such as the Hiawatha Corridor, which continues to post On Time Performance numbers that are the envy of the Amtrak system. Reliability is key when you are selling transportation.  But, he added, resources continue to be a challenge. The state's initial focus has been on positive incremental steps, such as: Planning money to continue KRM development; additional funding for the Hiawatha in this biennium; and a public/private partnership to renovate the Milwaukee Amtrak Station, which is owned by the state, as an intermodal hub. In addition, federal funds have been identified for a new depot at Sturtevant, with possible construction within the next two years, as well as the new station at General Mitchell International Airport.  Adams said to do more would necessitate additional funding from Washington.  Secretary Busalacchi has given Congressional testimony in support of federal funding for Amtrak toward that end.

Next, Mike Mooney, Vice-President for Planning and Pricing for Midwest Airlines, presented his company's views on the attractiveness of a Milwaukee airport stop on the Hiawatha corridor. He indicated that Midwest has been interested in coordinating services with Amtrak at Milwaukee for more than a decade, and that his company was excited that groundbreaking on the station was so close. General Mitchell International Airport, customer-friendly and with a low cost of operation and room for growth, is convenient for the Chicago-North market, and will be more so when the GMIA stop is in operation.  The potential of the stop could be huge for Amtrak, as it could unlock the Chicago local market: diverting just 1 percent of non-stop Mitchell-O'Hare passengers would add 140,000 riders to Hiawatha trains. In so doing, GMIA would truly become the third Chicago airport.  Mooney proposed some changes that would have to take place to fully capture the advantages of the stop. First, he said that Midwest's studies show that Glenview, IL should be abandoned in favor of Lake Forest, IL as a station stop. Secondly, Sturtevant should be served by fewer trains in order to speed up service to the airport. Third, the Hiawatha needs to be "branded," a process including marketing, variable pricing and schedule optimization. Fourth, Midwest would list Amtrak trains on the corridor as connecting services to its airplanes on its reservations system ("Codesharing"), making the ticketing process as seamless as possible. He said it will probably take years to alter travel behavior to get air travelers onto the Hiawatha, and that other issues such as baggage checking still need to be worked out. However, Midwest Airlines is eager to promote their plan and become a private partner of Amtrak in the Hiawatha Corridor.

 In the brief business meeting that followed, John Parkyn (President), Nona Hill (Vice President), Andrew Sihler (Vice President-Membership), David Rasmussen (Vice President-Public Relations), James Sponholz (Secretary), Mark Weitenbeck (Treasurer), Robert Fisher (Director), and Keith Plasterer (Director) were elected to their positions by unanimous ballot.

 Keith Plasterer and John Parkyn next spoke on the status of Fox Valley service.  They indicated that there needs to be a groundswell of support for such service, as costs of capital improvements can be considerable depending on the route used. Keith said he had met with local political leaders along the route to offer our assistance in getting things going, but the main support has to come from the local area.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

Spring 2003 General Membership Meeting

President John Parkyn called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. After welcoming the members present, he turned the podium over to Kevin Chesnik, the new administrator of WisDOT's Division of Transportation Infrastructure Development (DTID).  Mr. Chesnik presented comments on behalf of Gov. Jim Doyle and DOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi.

Chesnik said that Doyle supports passenger rail and the continuing partnership with Amtrak. His budget contains funding to support the current service levels on the Hiawatha Corridor. Chesnik listed the many positive initiatives that are moving forward, such as: the Milwaukee Depot renovation project; the GMIA station, which may be open by the end of 2004; the new Sturtevant station, which is still being negotiated with CP Rail; and the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail study. He said that Busalacchi and Doyle recently spent time in Milwaukee to discuss rail issues and view the area depot projects. Budget realities, however, are of austerity. Expansion of passenger rail, such as contained in the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, is not a priority in this budget, and will not become a reality until budget issues are well in hand, he said.

Chesnik said that rail proponents can keep the momentum of rail issues going by:

1.                  Continuing to call on the federal government to support funding for conventional and high speed passenger rail.

2.                  Continuing to market the success of the Hiawatha and to show the need for more and better service (he stated that an on-board survey of passenger satisfaction had been performed by WisDOT with results to be released shortly).  He further stated that usage will help to determine where the budget priorities should be.

Chesnik reiterated that resolving budget issues are the priority of the Department and the Governor.

An additional view of passenger rail from the State's perspective was provided by WisDOT's Randy Wade, a familiar face to WisARP meeting attendees. Mr. Wade stated that federal funding was the key to expansion of rail passenger service, much as it drove the building of the interstate highway system. Just as interstate highways cross state lines, interstate long distance passenger trains should also be a federal responsibility. He said that federal policy needs to be examined in light of multi-modal spending - rail should be receiving proportionately more dollars than it has. The global changes that have taken place in the transportation system over the last two years point to the need for rail as an option. Wade stated that coalitions have formed and existing groups have formed rail committees to promote this view, such as the States for Passenger Rail Coalition (State DOTs); the National Governors Association; AASHTO; the Midwest HSR Coalition of Mayors; and the Midwest Business Coalition for HSR.

Wade reviewed a number of funding proposals and resolutions that had been presented or were being reviewed for introduction into Congress. He said that the reauthorization of TEA21 was the focus, and that additional measures were needed for rail passenger funding. He advised that proponents not get into a battle of modes, pitting one against the other; rather, the strategy should be to include among the current support level for other modes a dedicated funding source for passenger rail. One such funding component could be the use of tax credits as a way to raise money without taking funds away from other modes. Tax credit bonding at the state level would provide investors with tax credits in lieu of interest.

After lunch, Rick Harnish from the Midwest High Speed Rail Coalition spoke on strategies for gathering additional funding support. He stated that rail advocates do not have to make do with scraps from the funding table, that we need to prioritize our projects and start demanding the rail service we need now. He reviewed the components of successful passenger service , the options for funding, and the levels at which most decisions are made. Finally, he urged members: to help promote the American Passenger Rail Agreement at the local level (mayors); to help increase the numbers of rail supporters; and to keep writing letters on the variety of funding measures as they are brought forth.

Keith Plasterer next spoke briefly on the Transportation Development Association's Washington conference. He stated that while the group's focus is still primarily on highways, rail does receive attention as well. He was able to make contact with Congressional staff members while there. He said that our presence is important at this meeting, and urged that WisARP continue to dialogue with TDA.

Dave Randall, Vice President of NARP, was also present, as our meeting also served as the meeting for NARP Region VII. He said that rail service presents a real option for travelers among the various modes, and that rail needs to continue to be available to give riders their choice of modes.  He commented that Congress is seeing Amtrak as being more credible now since David Gunn took over, and much of that change in viewpoint can be attributed to the work of Amtrak, NARP and others. The proof of this has been what he termed the miraculous support Amtrak has received so far this year for funding.

Randall said he hoped NARP would change focus somewhat to: focus on the public use of trains and ridership successes; measure financial success of trains in terms of Short Term Avoidable Costs, rather than Fully Allocated Costs; and to urge Amtrak to set fares at a reasonable level to increase ridership.

President John Parkyn tied the meeting together in his closing comments. He said that a major issue at the state level is the proposed diversion in Doyle's budget of $500 million from the transportation fund into the general revenue fund. He termed this move a regressive tax policy which serves to decrease the overall funding pie for transportation. Rather than wait for possible ways to increase funding, Parkyn urged that rail service be stressed as a priority over several wasteful highway projects currently on the books.

In regard to national policies, Parkyn stressed the positive nature of the funding environment in Washington, especially considering that Amtrak was supposed to be at a $0 funding level this year. Rail, however, has not been a major focus nationally, with Congress's attention taken up with other crises. He urged members to continue to pressure Congress to support Amtrak.

Parkyn also listed some changes that he felt should be made at NARP to develop a more effective organization: hold a one-day Board of Directors business session instead of the multi-day business and social gatherings; involve Directors in budget development; have strong, measurable annual goals; elect officers directly; have a few functional committees, with Directors picking their own (one) assignment; use Directors, as individuals, to directly lobby politicians in their home districts.

Fall 2002 General Membership Meeting

Spring 2002 General Membership Meeting

April 13, 2002; Saturday 10:00 AM in Hudson, WI

Fall 2001 General Membership Meeting

October 27, 2001; Saturday 10:00 AM

Madison, WI—WisARP’s October 27 meeting offered speakers from different parts of the passenger train situation.

After an introduction from WisARP President John Parkyn, who reviewed the current status of high-speed rail, and election of officers, presided over by Andrew Sihler, (Current officers were reelected), Amtrak Director of Transportation Planning Bill O’Dea, spoke.

He talked about the lateness problem on several long-distance trains and said that service has improved on the Capitol Limited. Improvements are being made at Albany to speed up the Lake Shore Limited. Amtrak is trying to work carefully with the freight railroads on whose tracks it operates. Amtrak is selling some of its cars that would be too expensive to repair.

Rick Harnish of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association contended we need a special Federal railroad fund (comparable to the highway fund). He also said it is crucial that trains serve O’Hare Airport and that the track between Madison and Watertown needs to be completely rebuilt. He believes that trains are competitive to the automobile. He also passed out cards to send to our Senators, urging action on the Congressional front.

Julian Rogers of Talgo showed us slides of Talgo trains and emphasized all their desirable features.

Spring 2001 General Membership Meeting

The Spring 2001 WisARP membership meeting was held on Saturday, March 31, 2001 in Milwaukee at the Best Western Inn Towne Hotel. Meeting attendance was 92, a record.

Before the meeting, Rob Kennedy hosted a workshop on "How to Build Local Support". He stressed the importance of forging alliances with local business groups and getting local government support by passing resolutions and making sure copies of those resolutions are sent to our elected state and federal officials.

WisARP President John Parkyn started the meeting by pointing out that some of our smaller cities, such as La Crosse, have very expensive commercial airline service. This increases the cost of travel expenses for businesses. High speed rail is a cheaper way of travel for businesses in the smaller cities.

Randy Wade from WisDOT gave an update on the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative. Mr. Wade is also the chairperson of the MWRRI steering committee. Indiana has expressed more interest in the project which is good news.

Mayor John Norquist of Milwaukee stressed the importance of rail transit for cities. Mayor Norquist is a member of the Amtrak Reform Council which contains several passenger rail critics who point out that passenger rail service is only used for 2% of trips in the U.S. Mayor Norquist pointed out that as a whole, rail service is not available in many areas of the U.S. In areas where it is available, rail transit is used in a 1/3 of trips. He favors 10 trains a day on the Milwaukee-Chicago route, and deplored that it took ten years to get food service on that route.

Wisconsin State Senator Margaret Farrow said that MWRRI will not happen without federal support. Wisconsin ranks dead last in receiving federal aid and we need to do a better job of getting back our federal taxes. MWRRI would help Wisconsin attain that goal. Gov. McCallum is very supportive of passenger rail. She recommended instituting the intercity rail first, before tackling other forms of passenger rail. We have to find ways to make this a winner.

Philip Martin of Amtrak briefed us on the Chicago Union Station Facilities Study. MWRRI would increase the number of trains through Union Station. 90% of trains passing through are Metra commuter trains. Metra also wants to expand. Trains do not have the option of circling Union Station waiting for a platform. Platform facilities need to expand.

Fall 2000 General Membership Meeting

WisARP’s fall statewide meeting in La Crosse on Nov. 4 had two excellent speakers - Ed Ellis of Amtrak and Terry Mulcahy, Secretary of WisDOT. WisARP Pres. John Parkyn began the meeting with noting that the next 60 days are critical, that the time is very close to the beginning of the conclusion of some of the issues, and that we must all put time into it - write letters to the editor, and so forth.

In a wide-ranging talk, Ed Ellis said that mail and express are key factors in Amtrak’s attainment of self-sufficiency. He said Amtrak is heavily involved in the MWRRI. He told us about Amtrak’s satisfaction guaranteed program and the train-ing program that all employees have been undergoing. For example, they are shown a training film that emphasizes listening to the complaints of the customers, apologiz-ing, and solving the problem. Anent this subject, he noted that 24% of passenger train delays are Amtrak’s fault and 76%, the freight railroads’ fault.

Terry Mulcahy talked about the impor-tance of intermodalism. He was optimistic about passage by Congress of the Lautenberg bill before the end of the year. We either need it or something like it. Not more than 30% of the funds in it could be used for the Northeast Corridor. Dec. 2003 is still the goal for Milwaukee-Madison service.

Spring 2000 General Membership Meeting

A SIGNIFICANT EVENT. WisARP's March 25 spring meeting in Fond du Lac had an interesting trio of speakers. Significant nuggets of information learned included: State Rep. John Townsend, although favoring the MWRRI, thought that passenger rail transportation is not a high priority among many of his colleagues. Amtrak's Midwest Corridor Manager Dennis Hale spoke of concern about developing business travel and noted that some airlines, such as Continental, were not interested in short-distance routes, thus leaving an opening for rail. Cong. Tom Petri thought that the passenger rail legislation we want will not be achieved in the current session of Congress. Such statements show clearly how much work lies before us.

Fall 1999 General Membership Meeting

The statewide WisARP Fall meeting was held on Saturday, October 30 at the Holiday Inn in the Wisconsin Dells. WisARP President John Parkyn began the meeting with a review of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Passenger Rail Service. He talked about the recent events at the state and federal level. Wisconsin's proposed share of MWRRI will be $100-125 m. spread over 6-8 years. $50 m. already has been bonded. The proposed rebuild of the Marquette I-94 Interchange in Milwaukee will cost $350 m.

Tom Till of the Amtrak Reform Council then gave a morning presentation. The Amtrak Reform Council was created in order to make Amtrak operate subsidy free. He talked about what Congress is doing concerning transportation funding. There is talk increasing aviation construction funds due to expansion needs. This would mean smaller amounts of money for Amtrak. Members of Congress are proposing allocating $10 b. for passenger rail service corridors. Of that, $7 b. has been earmarked for the Northeast Corridor. That means all of the other corridors would have to share the remaining $3 b. which is not much. Mr. Till is pleased that the states are coming together on passenger rail service.

He is concerned about the level of the cost of service Amtrak provides. He showed a chart showing Amtrak's cost compared to other providers for commuter service in Massachusetts. The personnel per maintenance units is very high for Amtrak. Amtrak must reduce its costs so it can offer corridor services for the states. Amtrak's accountability is also an issue. At times, Amtrak is unable to explain its costs. Amtrak's passenger revenues are behind expectations. Only 1 of 2 Amtrak customers return and ride again. Labor relations must get better for the entire railroad industry. Relations have been poisonous throughout its 100+ history.

Mark Nordling of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) then gave the afternoon presentation. Mr. Nordling is also a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission. He talked about CPR's business history and scope of operations. There needs to be an effort to convince top CPR officials that MWRRI can be good for them. MWRRI can lead to track upgrades, access to advanced train control, and more operating income.

Mr. Nordling noted that railroads are handling more freight than they did during WWII. By the year 2020, that amount of freight hauled by the railroads will double. This will definitely lead to more congestion. During the 1930's when 100 mph was considered normal speed for passenger rail service, there were fewer trucks and less chance for accidents. Safety standards were more lax then and America was not as litigious.

Railroads should not be concern competing with each other for the railroad share of the freight business. They should market themselves more to capture more of the total freight business. Pipelines are a big competitor.

Amtrak needs to offer CPR more money to uses its tracks. Currently, Amtrak offers $4 per train mile. That amount should be $8-9 per train mile. Amtrak trains riding on CPR tracks have the best on time performance. However, Amtrak's on time performance incentives is not that great.

Mr. Nordling noted the proposed federal/state funding share of 80/20 for MWRRI is unrealistic. He suspects it may be 60/40 or perhaps 50/50. The proposed speed of 100 mph was picked because FRA rule state that any speeds above that require that no grade crossing be allowed. Grade crossing closings are very controversial. This could really slow down MWRRI. In order for MWRRI to operate on CPR tracks, there must be more aggressive closing of crossings and the sealing off of the corridors.

Spring 1999 General Membership Meeting

WE WENT TO RACINE

WisARP had one of its highest attendance ever at the semiannual state meeting in Racine on March 27. More than 80 members and nonmembers came, including about a dozen from Illinois and others from Missouri, Minnesota and Michigan. The morning session was devoted primarily to the extension of metra commuter service from Chicago-Kenosha to Racine and Milwaukee. John Diers of Belle Urban System spoke of Racine being a part of a growing metropolitan community, but with no way to get from one to another. They need a regional system. Highways do not stop at boundaries and neither should transit. Andrea Bumpras (substituting for Racine Co. Exec. Jean Jacobson), said that the mayors of Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee have budgeted funds for further study of commuter rail. Former Cong. Peter Barca spoke of the economic advantages of rail service in attracting business to the area and saving on energy. He urged WisDOT to lead the charge. Teresa Venegas of S.C. Johnson & Son told us that her company strongly endorses commuter rail and sent a letter (signed by various important people) to Gov. Thompson expressing this. Chris Pawlak of the Cudahy Chamber of Commerce told us about the major redevelopment project being initiated there, including a transportation center. We were warned that commuter rail would not replace cars, but that there is a huge market for transit in southeastern Wisconsin. One speaker said that commuter rail was not in competition with Amtrak, but would be complementary to it. It was also pointed out that currently no regional transit authority exists.

In the afternoon session, Amtrak senior advisor Ron Fiedler began by saying that Gov. Thompson has stated that we will get high speed rail in the Midwest and a self-sufficient Amtrak. Fiedler said the Northeast corridor will serve as a model for the rest of the country. The 110-MPH called for in MWRRI represents an incremental approach. He is refining the study at present. He believes that passenger rail is poised for a national resurgence. We need a long-term federal commitment, and we need a "coalition of coalitions". We should not compete with other corridors, but, rather, be a strong voice when we go to Congress. The first need from Congress is $7 ½ million for initial work on the three priority corridors (Detroit, Madison, and St. Louis). This would be matched by the states. We were warned not to bash the highway system. Rail needs to take its proper role. All the speakers spoke of the necessity of contacting our Congressmen and community leaders.

Judy Siegfried's Report

PART I. WELCOME TO THE COMMUTER SCENE

Yearning for improved intercity passenger rail services and extension of commuter rail, seventy-five rail advocates and speakers converged on Infusino's Banquet Hall in Racine on Saturday, March 27, for a joint meeting of the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers (WisARP) and Region 7 of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP).

Speakers told the audience (with registrants from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin) that now is the time to get up and get going if we are to take advantage of the current favorable climate for expanding regional passenger rail.

WisARP President John Parkyn introduced John Diers of Belle Urban System; Andrea Bumpers, of Racine County; Peter Barca, former State Senator; and N. Owen Davies.

Holding up a 4-inch thick passenger train timetable of the past, and the current Amtrak anorectic version, John Diers graphically contrasted former passenger rail availability with that of today. He strongly advocates transit and commuter rail, emphasizing the dire need for a regional system.

Transit systems, he says, should not stop at city boundaries; highways don't. Among current initiatives in creating regional travel alternatives, Diers notes the Minnesota plans to connect the airport and Twin Cities by light rail, and BNSF rail between Minneapolis' northern suburbs and the downtown. Also, he notes Indiana's good bus system.

Andrea Bumpers, a New York City native, never had a car. What a surprise to find no trains in the mid-west! Racine County, in favor of bringing commuter rail to the Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee area, has approved SEWRPC studies, and budgeted money for more in-depth study. Bumpers says the State is holding things up waiting for a task force to release its study. What's needed is a simultaneous study to determine the cost to extend rail as a viable alternative.

Peter Barca, Small Business Administration, insists that passenger rail is an absolute necessity. Anytime you sit in a traffic jam, you waste time, money and energy. Barca says a strong network of leaders desire reliant rail services; businesses need that. Barca calls for action:

1. The DOT should lead the charge for transportation improvements!
2. Create a Rail Commission or Rail Services Committee.
3. Citizen should be vocal at hearings and meetings.

N. Owen Davies, last of the first round of speakers, says that to get commuter rail back to Milwaukee, all must work together at all levels of government and with local groups such as Rotarians and other civic organizations.

PART II. A CLOSER LOOK AT COMMUTER RAIL TO RACINE AND MILWAUKEE

Panel: John Diers, Belle Urban System; Frederick J. Patrie, Kenosha County Public Works; Christopher Pawlak, Cudahy Chamber of Commerce; Teresa Venegas, S. C. Johnson and Son

Advocacy is one thing; it is another to put money on the table, says Kenosha's Fred Patrie, calling for a Major Investment Study (MIS) as the next step on commuter rail from Kenosha to Milwaukee. The MIS will be used in funding; it is a very critical step in the process. Kenosha is sending a letter to the joint finance committee. When something is not in the proposed budget, you go to joint finance for consideration.

The MIS will need something like an RTA to contract with METRA. He ephasizes that passenger rail and commuter rail are not competitors. Commuter rail exists between people and jobs in high density areas. Its availability can enhance use of Amtrak and planes. Thus it is important to invest in both commuter and intercity passenger rail.

Three mayors and three cities already have "stepped up to the plate and put money in." What will be the role of DOT in all these areas and proposals?

John Diers asked each panel member to consider what the area would look like 10 years from now if commuter rail were there today. With the area growing together even more than it is now, we'll see the emergence of a transit system that will provide an alternative to, but not replace, the car. Many potential workers without cars cannot get to jobs.

Transit will serve a small segment, as an important adjunct to the bus infrastructure which itself will grow and may be the first step in the regional system, and a prelude to light rail. Diers sees a need for simultaneous planning and developing the systems themselves, like carpools and express buses. He insists that more regional collaboration on common needs is critical. Without a regional transportation authority there is no way for systems to work together. We need a system. "We can do better…"

Teresa Venegas insists that commuter rail is a need, not just a want. She held up a letter to Governor Thompson signed by many business leaders and organizations that Racine needs commuter rail. They are speaking loud and clear and encouraging release of funds.

Christopher Pawlak says Cudahy is starting to create what needs to be in place. Chamber members are putting in a transportation center with a shuttle bus. Pawlak sees 160 acres around Cudahy fully developed with small industries in the next ten years. Illinois has Page 3, Racine meeting, 3/27/99 options not available in southeast Wisconsin. "Just look at the kind of infill development near the Illinois stations."

PART III. THE MIDWEST REGIONAL RAIL INITIATIVE (MWRRI)

Jon Parkyn set the tone for the afternoon sessions with a few common sense reminders and the imperative to act now. Passenger rail is the safest means of transportation per 1000 passenger miles. After a financial boost, it will operate on its own. We can duplicate the highway system, particularly needed in dense areas where we cannot add road miles. The interstate highway system was set up with 90-10 federal-state funding, and we expect the rail system to go with 80-20. The time is now.

Ron Fiedler, a consulting engineer since 1991, and senior adviser for Amtrak on the MWRRI, has long envisioned a mid-west system almost identical to the current vision. "We need a balanced transportation system in Wisconsin, including intercity rail passenger service."

Nine states are paying for the next phase of the study to be completed in the Fall. The MWRRI must be financially reasonable, and created incrementally.

Currently this region, which includes 67 metro centers, houses 58.5 million people with 70 million expected by 2020. A 37% increase in cars will inundate a 20% increase in highways and carry eight million passenger miles annually. The new plan addresses interconnectivity. The point is to travel throughout the region.

The MWRRI will produce many spin-off benefits, including freight rail improvements, community development around stations, and many new jobs. With funding approval, construction could start in 2001. Currently allocated money provides for demonstration of new equipment, preliminary studies for determining scope of services and preliminary engineering, and the station location in Madison.

For rail to take its rightful place, we'll need more than a mid-west coalition, but a "coalition of coalitions" with a very strong voice. The DOTs will go for funds in 2000 for a program, not just for bits of funding over and over.

Comment during Q&A period. Wisconsin & Southern RR Co. is about to release a very detailed study on the Chicago-Madison rail corridors and funding. Governor Thompson will announce the Blue Ribbon Committee soon.

Fall 1998 General Membership Meeting

The WisARP statewide meeting in Wisconsin Dells on Oct. 31 featured DONOVAN PEPPER from Amtrak and TERRY MULCAHY from WisDOT as speakers. Mr. Pepper was the bearer of good news. The year has been one of progress at Amtrak. Congress passed the reauthorization bill and released the $2.2 billion funding for capital improvements. Agreement was reached with labor unions. Ridership and revenue are up. Customer satisfaction is up. Fiscal year '98 revenue on the "Empire Builder" was up over 21 percent. Amtrak is doing extensive market-based analysis. It is striving to achieve operational self-sufficiency by 2002. Hoever, states without train service are bieng given priority under the Taxpayers Relief Act (which provided the $2.2 b.). There is very little extra equipment for additional service. Horizon equipment is being refurbished. Although Amtrak has looked at Chicago-Madison service through Janesville, it is not planning such service now.

Terry Mulcahy gave a slide presentation, "Passenger Rail in Wisconsin: Past, Present and Future." He said that between 1987-94, solid progress had been made. The Hiawatha Service was expanded, a constitutional amendment was adopted, studies of service to Madison and Green Bay were made and high-speed rail was studied. Between 1994-97, the Hiwawatha Service, thanks to Gov. Thompson, was saved, TRANSLINKS 21 was issued, but Amtrak was having it's struggles in Congress. Regarding the MWRRI, he said that Illinois has got to help us. It will take 6 to 9 years to have the system in place. Further, it makes "incredible sense" that Amtrak should be the operator. Questions that need answering include: Is the time right? How much? Who pays? Who benefits? What is it? He said that the states involved would work together but proceed at their own pace.

The WisARP meeting adopted a new rail plan, which will be included in BADGER RAILS. The present members of the WisARP Board were reelected with the following changes: Dave Rasmussen replaced Richard Schreiner as Vice Pres.-Public Relations, while the latter became a board member. connie Smalley, of ProRail was elected secretary. The March 27 statewide meeting will be in Racine.

Spring 1998 General Membership Meeting

About 39 people attended WisARP's March 28, statewide spring meeting in Waukesha. Jim wolfe of Amtrak Intercity updated us on the the status of Amtrak. Good news - Amtrak came through one of it's most difficult years, the bottom line has improved, ridership is up(including a 2.6% increase on the Hiawatha Service), the $2.2 billion was secured, and the President's budget included $621 million for next year's capital. The bad news - They need fund allocation before July, and they don't have an uninterrupted stream of capital. ISTEA is critical. 28% of this year's allotment of the $2.2 billion is to go to Amtrak Intercity. Part of the allotment goes for refurbishing cars, including the Heritage fleet. This primarily seems to mean new upholstery. It does not include such items as food service, telephones, computer outlets. He noted that CONEG(conf. of Northeast Governors), made a point of acting as a group; they work incocnert to obtain their objectives.

Terry Mulcahy of WisDOT would give priority to regional passenger rail over long distance rail. Regarding the Watertown trains, he said that there will be an invitational, inaugural(shakedown) run on April 13. Regular service will begin on April 14. He emphasized that this is strictly a 90-day service. Under agreement with CP, it cannot go longer than the 90 days, but can set the stage for "honest discourse" for extended service. Tickets mayb be purchased from the conductor or from travel agents in the area. Speaking of the Midwest Rail Coalition, he said all nine states have contributed to the study. to carry out the project will take about $3 billion between 1998-2005. Funds would be federal, state and local, with some private funds invlolved. There are also four commuter rail studies going on in the state.

State Senator Margaret Farrow noted that considerable attention was paid in this legislative session to rail issues: tougher penalties on those crossing railroad tracks as trains approach, better signals in rural aras, and 2-man crew requirements. The Legislature is becoming more honed in on rail, but needs to make it a priority. She emphasized that we need to be creative, demonstrate new thinking, and think intermodally. Offer positive reasons for riding a train. Raise priority level of funding. Legislators need to be educated; many have never ridden a train.