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February 28, 2005
BTA Board of Advisors Meeting March 22 As previously announced, the BTA Board of Advisors will meet March 22 from 8 to 10 AM at GBC's offices, 111 S. Calvert Street. Board members will receive an agenda in early March.
Administration Budget Eliminates Amtrak Subsidy; Would Mean Bankruptcy by September The FY 2006 budget submitted to Congress by the White House contains no funding for Amtrak's operating subsidy, without which the company would be forced to enter bankruptcy and begin the liquidation of its assets as soon as this fall. Amtrak has been receiving a $1.2 billion annual appropriation from the federal government of which about $300 million is an operating subsidy. The balance is used for capital projects, including rolling stock and track upgrades, as well as debt service on mortgaged assets and significant retired railroad worker pension liabilities. Without Amtrak or an equivalent organization to oversee dispatching, maintain the rolling stock, and provide train crews, MTA's MARC Penn Line could not operate. The administration's assertion that Amtrak is "dying" is disputed by Amtrak's CEO who, in a presentation last week to the BWI Business Partnership, said the railroad is carrying record numbers of riders and aggressively improving the condition of its infrastructure. As work on the budget moves to Congress, both short and long term funding for Amtrak will be debated. The Greater Baltimore Committee is active in the Business Coalition for the Northeast Corridor, an organization of business groups that support a continued federal funding role for continued and improved rail service in the corridor.
GBC Supports Federal Transit Funding in Letter to Delegation Greater Baltimore Committee President Donald C. Fry has sent a letter to the Baltimore region's Congressional delegation expressing support for additional federal funding for transit. The letter also asks for the delegation's support for continuation of the traditional 80 percent / 20 percent split in funding between highways and transit; guaranteed funding for both highways and transit; and the restoration of operating funding to Amtrak. The letter thanks the delegation for its past support, and acknowledges the difficulty of reaching a consensus on the total funding level between the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
Federal Budget Includes Funding Commitment for Projects in New York, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh FTA's FY 2006 budget includes funding commitments for four "New Starts" projects that have advanced through the evaluation process and are ready for "Full Funding Grant Agreements." Proposed funding commitments include:
The budget also provides $158 million for preliminary work on six additional projects in Dallas, Denver, New York, San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Portland, Oregon. For more information, click here.
CPHA's Citizens for the Region Day in Annapolis Highlights Transit as a Regional Issue Last week the Citizens Planning and Housing Association held a "Citizens for the Region Day" in Annapolis. The legislative agenda includes support for implementation of the Baltimore Region Rail System Plan, opposition to cuts in funding for transit, and a request for reporting by MTA on its efforts to fix bus destination signs. The event, attended by citizens from around the region and legislators, serves to focus attention on regional policy issues such as transportation, housing, and drug treatment.
Albuquerque Initiates Route 66 BRT Service In December Albuquerque, New Mexico's ABQ RIDE initiated a new bus rapid transit line along historic Route 66 between downtown, the University of New Mexico, and several shopping malls. The 11-mile line will operate every 10 minutes using new articulated buses powered by clean hybrid diesel-electric engines. Stations are located every half-mile and feature lighting, windscreens, seating, and digital signs indicating when the next bus will arrive. The service will also benefit from a signal priority system that allows buses to avoid long delays at intersections. For more information, click here.
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