Arizona Rail Passenger Association

(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 15^th 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

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Dear Friends,

Every time you sit, stuck in traffic on congested streets and highways, you are paying a hidden price – it’s something I call the “time tax.”  It is an especially ugly tax, because it pulls time away from the things you value most: your family, your home, your community.

We now know that Arizona is the fastest growing state in the nation, and no county in this state is untouched by that growth.  Keeping up with this demand and developing smart alternatives is a challenge we face together.

Over the past four years, we’ve done a lot.  We added more than 500 additional lane miles of freeway throughout Arizona and directed millions of dollars to improve road safety and increase capacity.  Last year, with the help of the legislature, an additional $307 million went towards accelerating highway construction and this year, one of my budget proposals generates $400 million for transportation projects throughout the state.  We’ve made progress, but we can’t stop there.

Earlier this year, I issued an Executive Order directing the Arizona Department of Transportation to look at transportation alternatives besides freeways.  Can we add light rail at the state level?  What about commuter rail?  Are there other new ideas to explore?  What will it take to make those ideas work?

Those are the kinds of questions that will be answered when the ADOT report is presented to me in just a few weeks.  I look forward to sharing that information with you, and to begin working with our communities toward a comprehensive, statewide transportation plan that makes sense.

As Arizona continues to flourish and grow, we will need to ‘play it smart,’ and invest our precious dollars where they will count the most.  Together, we will build an Arizona that acknowledges growth, coordinates between government and the private sector and embodies an exceptional quality of life.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact my office at 1-800-253-0883 and ask to speak to Constituent Services.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Governor

As of March 2007. From Amtrak timetables and from Open Road Tours ( www.openroadtours.com )

from the The Business Journal of Phoenix – March 16, 2007; by Mike Sunnucks.

Gov. Janet Napolitano’s pursuit of a possible commuter rail line between Phoenix and Tucson is facing skepticism about its financial and practical viability.

Napolitano ordered the Arizona Department of Transportation to study possible rail and transit lines throughout the state, including routes between Phoenix and Tucson as well as one between Phoenix and its West Valley suburbs…

The idea of a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson has been proposed before, facing similar questions about viability and cost…

“If passenger rail was cost effective, private businesses already would have done it. If we look at the Amtrak boondoggle, this really gives us food for thought,” said state Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Ron Gould…

Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett said he is open to looking at rail links between Phoenix and the West Valley, as well as Phoenix and Tucson…

“What would you do when you get there?” said Barrett, pointing out that Phoenix and Tucson do not have large downtown areas or existing mass transit like older cities such as Boston, Washington, D.C., or San Francisco…

A rail link to Phoenix has some support from business and political leaders in Tucson… John Dougherty, vice president of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, said a rail line could link to downtown Tucson and offer commuter service to Pinal and other suburbs south of Phoenix…

“We are very much in favor of rail, especially as an alternative to building ever more and ever wider freeways,” said Sandy Bahr, state director for the Sierra Club…

Rest of the story at the Business Journal

Editorial, Tucson Daily Star, 14 March 2007

Arizona needs to move aggressively to create a commuter rail line between Tucson and Phoenix and to beef up mass transit throughout the state.

The sooner we build these transportation improvements, the better… we think it is essential for Arizona to get moving with plans for a modern transportation system that includes a high-speed commuter rail line between Tucson and Phoenix, light-rail systems for intracity transportation, modern electric streetcars and energy-efficient buses…

We look for strong advocacy, especially from Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, who have risen to positions of prominence in both the Republican Party and the Senate. Aggressive advocacy is essential to meet the growth needs of Arizona, and we look to our governor and our delegation in Washington to exert leadership in this area.

Rest of the story in the Tucson Daily Star