| February 6, 2010 | ||
| 9:00 am | to | 11:00 am |
First Saturday morning of each month…
Join fellow ARPA members and friends for informal train talk and fun.
Cooked-to-order American breakfasts available at great prices.
At the Athenian Express — http://www.athenianexpressaz.com
814 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004-2003
One block south of the Roosevelt METRO station.
| February 20, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 pm |
Join us at the Aste ramada in Scottsdale’s McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park for a cookout picnic! Free for members and guests.
Please confirm at 480.947.5710 so we have an estimate of attendance. See you there!
Enough people would board a train in the Valley’s suburbs that a future commuter-rail system would be as popular as some of the busiest lines in the West, new studies have found.
A trio of yearlong rail studies, in nearly final form, indicates commuter rail could carry almost 18,000 passengers a day by 2030. Planners at the Maricopa Association of Governments say, based on the findings, they favor a 105-mile, X-shaped system that could feature 33 stations and cost roughly $1.5 billion. That’s a little more than the Valley’s 20-mile, light-rail starter line.
The commuter-rail network would use existing freight track through downtown Phoenix
, with lines from Queen Creek to Buckeye and from Chandler to Wittmann…
(Sent November 2009)
The Honorable Thomas C. Carper
Chairman, Board of Directors
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Re: Restructuring of Sunset Limited service
Dear Sir:
Since our inception in 1984, the Arizona Rail Passenger Association has recognized the need for daily Sunset Limited operation and has worked to educate Arizona government and business leaders and other regional stakeholders on the importance of improved intercity passenger rail service. We understand that the restructuring of the Sunset may be on the agenda for this month’s Amtrak Board meeting and we urge the implementation of daily operation as soon as is practicable.
This past year, there has been some discussion—both within Amtrak and among passenger rail advocates—of restructuring the Sunset Limited by combining it with the Texas Eagle and operating a through Chicago-Los Angeles train via Texas and Southern Arizona. We support this concept. Historically, leisure travel between Arizona and the Midwest has far out-paced that between Arizona and the Southeast, and current highway and airline data suggest that this trend continues.
Of course, we would also like to see the train re-routed back through Phoenix. Phoenix-Los Angeles is the 15th most heavily traveled airline corridor in North America. Moreover, returning the Sunset to Phoenix would set the stage for future Phoenix-Tucson regional rail service—fulfilling another vital unmet need.
We are eager to provide you with any additional input you may need as you plan the restructuring of the Sunset Limited and appreciate your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
/s/
Robert H. Bohannan, AICP, President
Now available 2009-10 Newsletter (PDF)
Southwest Rail News RailLife (Phx. Light Rail)
