TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

RENEWING RAIL IN AMERICA

WHEREAS, subsequent to the enactment of ISTEA in 1991 and TEA-21 in 1998, there has been a resurgence of support and growth in public transportation use; and

WHEREAS, with ridership growing by 4.5 percent in 1999, public transit ridership topped 9 billion trips, a rate of public transportation use that was last seen in 1960; and

WHEREAS, this growth of public transit use is being driven by increasing traffic congestion and the strong growth in rail services, particularly heavy rail, which last year grew by more than six percent, more than double the rate of car and truck use; and

WHEREAS, across America today, there are nearly 200 rail and other fixed guide-way projects now being planned, engineered, or constructed, projects that will enhance local and regional transportation system performance, while advancing important economic development, regional growth strategies, air quality and overall community-building efforts; and

WHEREAS, in just the top 50 metropolitan areas, 48 of these areas are now planning, engineering or constructing major new rail investments, including extensions of existing systems, projects which will serve more than 125 million people in these regions or about 45 percent of the nation's population; and

WHEREAS, demand for federal partnership funds for constructing these systems are well outpacing the capital funds which have been provided under TEA-21, with demand for these capital funds escalating rapidly; and

WHEREAS, in addition to growing demand for commuter, regional and local rail system investment, there is also a growing demand for increased investment in intercity passenger rail services of the National Passenger Rail Corporation, particularly with the emergence of intercity high-speed rail projects; and

WHEREAS, in a number of regions, states are joining together to develop and operate high-speed rail systems in multi-state regions; and

WHEREAS, one of the new technologies that could make an enormous contribution to advancing high-speed, intercity rail service is magnetic levitation train systems linking metropolitan areas; and

WHEREAS, beyond making dramatic improvements in transportation system performance, the introduction of the magnetic levitation technology can materially contribute to the economic growth of cities and regions through increased jobs, economic redevelopment, and new industry; and

WHEREAS, as traffic congestion increases, the U.S. economy continues to lose productivity, costing travelers in just 68 urban an estimated $72 billion in 1997,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls upon the Congress and the Administration, including the U.S. Department of Transportation and its modal agencies, to undertake a specific assessment of the range of measures and resources that could be called upon to increase investment in intercity and intracity rail systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls upon the Congress and the Administration to fully fund existing program authorizations (i.e. new start program and mag lev program) under TEA-21 to increase regional and local rail investment by 50 percent and fund the $950 million provided to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the magnetic levitation demonstration project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls upon the Congress and the Administration to make the necessary changes to TEA-21 and any successor reauthorization to make intercity and intracity rail investments eligible under TEA-21 core programs (i.e. NHS and STP).