The American Passenger Rail Agreement

In order to ensure the safety, quality, reliability and efficiency of our
countryâs vital transportation network and to preserve our national
defense, America needs a balanced, integrated transportation system
and the American people need diverse transportation choices.
Passenger rail is a critical component of a modern, multi-modal
transportation system, and needs to have financial support, unified
policy development and oversight similar to that afforded to our air,
highway and mass transit modes.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, do urge Congress and the President of
the United States to fully institute the following passenger rail
components, which are critical to the future of passenger rail in the
United States, within the upcoming reauthorization of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21
st Century (TEA-21) and/or
Amtrak Reauthorization legislation:

1. Establish a dedicated, multi-year federal capital-funding
program for intercity passenger rail, patterned after the
existing federal highway, airport and mass transit
programs.

2. Establish, as federal policy, a preserved and improved
national passenger rail system ö a nationwide,
interconnected passenger rail system that stimulates
higher levels of efficiency, innovation and responsiveness.
Direct the Federal Railroad Administration, or another
agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation, to ö
with state and local input ö develop, fund and oversee this
federal policy.

3. Provide full federal funding of Amtrak to maintain the
national network during the period that the new federal
plans and policies are being developed. Then, fully fund
implementation of the national passenger rail system ö
with its new efficiencies, innovation and responsiveness ö
in subsequent years.


--

American Passenger Rail Agreement
(signatories as of June 26, 2003)

Alliance (Ohio) Area Development Foundation
Andrew Nemeth Properties, LLC
Alt-Trans Cleveland
American Association of Private Railroad Car
Owners, Inc.
Association of Rail Travel in the U.S.
Arkansas Association of Railroad Passengers
Association of Oregon Rail and Transit
Advocates
Bombardier Transportation
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers /
I.S.L.B.
Carolinas Association for Passenger Trains
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Citizens for Modern Transit
City of Akron, Ohio
City of Alliance, Ohio
City of Aurora, Indiana
City of Centralia, Washington
City of Chicago, Illinois
City of Devils Lake, North Dakota
City of Emeryville, California
City of Fredricksburg, Virginia
City of Erie, Pennsylvania
City of Fort Morgan, Colorado
City of Gary, Indiana
City of Gilroy, California
City of Greensburg, Pennsylvania
City of Jackson, Michigan
City of Kannapolis, North Carolina
City of Kelso, Washington
City of Lafayette, Indiana
City of Macomb, Illinois
City of Niles, Michigan
City of Rockford, Illinois
City of Rochester, New York
City of Rugby, North Dakota
City of Santa Cruz, California
City of Shelby, Montana
City of Stamford, Connecticut
City of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Coalition for Appropriate Transportation
Colorado Rail Passenger Association
Corporation of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Coston & Lichtman
Emeryville (California) Chamber of Commerce
Environmental Law and Policy Center of the
Midwest
Evansville, Indiana Urban Transportation Area
Fayetteville City Council, North Carolina
Friends of the Earth
Greater Lafayette (Indiana) Chamber of
Commerce
Hoosier Environmental Council
Illinois Rail
Indiana High Speed Rail Association
Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers
Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce
Johnson County, Iowa
Kentucky Indiana Rail Advocates
Lackawanna Coalition
League of Michigan Bicyclists
Lorain (Ohio) Port Authority
Louisiana Association of Railroad Passengers
Metro RTA, Akron, Ohio
Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers
Michigan Environmental Council
Michigan Land Use Institute
Midwest High Speed Rail Coalition
Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission
Missouri-Kansas Rail Passenger Coalition
Montana-Wyoming Association of
Railroad Passengers
National Association of Railroad
Passengers
National Conference of State Legislatures
National League of Cities
Northwest Indiana Initiative
Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers
Ohio Rail Development Commission
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Passenger Rail Oklahoma
Portland Cement Association
ProRail Nebraska
ProRail (WisARP)
Railroad Passenger Association of Alabama
Railway Supply Institute
Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc.
Rail Usersâ Network
Rhode Island Association of Railroad
Passengers
Schlosser and Schlosser, PC
Sierra Club
Shreiner Sole Company
Siemens Transportation Systems
State of Illinois House of Representatives
State of Illinois Senate
States for Passenger Rail Coalition
TALGO
Tennessee Association of Railroad Passengers
Texas Association of Rail Passengers
Texas Rail Advocates
Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of
Governments
The Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments, Eastern
Regional Conference
The National Corridors Initiative
The Ward-Dennis Hodges Corporation
Train Riders Association of California
TrainRiders/Northeast
TransDominion Express
Transportation Riders United
Transystems
United Transportation Union
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Village of Essex Junction, Vermont
Village of Homewood, Illinois
Virginia Association of Railway Patrons
Virginians for High Speed Rail
Washington Association of Railroad Passengers
Wilbur Smith Associates
Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers



Other governmental units and organizations which adopt this agreement should advise:

Laura Kliewer
Senior Policy Analyst
Midwestern Office
Council of State Governments
641 East Butterfield Road, Suite 401
Lombard, Illinois 60148-5651

630-810-0210    Voice
630-810-0145    Fax
lkliewer@csg.org