Iowa needs to invest in infrastructure. This is one of the best ways to create not only
short-term but also long-term jobs. One project that can have positive impact upon
Iowa's economy is the proposed passenger train service between Iowa City and Chicago.
Here are some of the reasons which I believe support an investment by the state of Iowa in the
plan to create more passenger train service:
1. This is a business development tool. The Iowa City Chicago train is something that
business thinks will be very helpful. It will inaugurate additional public
transportation in the most populated corridor of the state. Business people do not put
their support behind things that are pie in the sky. The supporters of additional
passenger train service for Iowa are not a bunch of folks who just want to play trains or
who yearn for the olden days. Passenger train service to
Chicago provides an excellent alternative to driving, especially from eastern Iowa (Iowa
City and the Quad Cities). With gasoline prices expected to be between $3.00 and $5.00
over the next several years, getting additional passenger train service for the state
makes good economic sense, especially for business travelers.
The Iowa City-Chicago train can tie in with plans to develop passenger train service in
the Iowa City Cedar Rapids corridor.
The state of Iowa can become a model for integrated transportation services.
2. This is a jobs tool. It will create good paying construction jobs to rehabilitate
the tracks of IAIS between Iowa City and the Wyanet connection in Illinois. It will
result in additional jobs to keep the tracks in good shape. Iowa Interstate Railroad is
based in Iowa. As a state, we can "keep our eye" on it to assure that it does
maintain a quality right of way.
3. Investment in rehabilitating the Iowa Interstate tracks will make the railroad more
efficient. Improved track and elimination of bottle necks will allow Iowa Interstate to
move the products of Iowa to east coast markets more efficiently. This will be
especially true of ethanol. There are a number of ethanol/bio-fuels plants along the
Iowa Interstate right of way. At present, rail is the most efficient way to move the
products of these plants to the east coast.
4. Over twenty-five years ago, the state of Iowa (in the midst of another recession and
the bankruptcies of two major railroad carriers) made a significant investment in keeping
rail service in the central (Rock Island) corridor. I respectfully submit that there has
been good return on this investment in terms of jobs and improved transportation. An
addition of passenger train service along the Iowa Interstate corridor is a logical step
to assure that Iowa has a viable rail transportation system.
5. The service will make the University of Iowa, and other Iowa colleges and
universities more attractive to students from Illinois and other points to the east. It
will allow students to travel to their homes in the Chicago area with fewer hassles. It
will allow parents to travel to see their children. Passenger trains on the new route
are expected to stop in the western Chicago suburbs. Again, this makes the Iowa City to
Chicago service a very attractive alternative.
6. All forms of transportation in the state and nation are subsidized in one way or
another. The planned passenger train service is a prudent investment in the state'
transportation future. More people (more goods) can be move more miles with less fuel by
train. Improvements to the track and removal of bottle necks will significantly increase
that efficiency.
7. Prior to the highway revolution, Iowa had an excellent passenger train network.
Iowans used passenger trains. Indeed, there was great opposition to building highways
because of the quality of the state's passenger train network. Over the past 80 years,
Iowans have move to the state's excellent network of paved and improved highways as their
travel option. With the anticipated increases in the cost of gasoline, the ability to
travel in a private vehicle may become cost prohibitive. As the amount of gasoline
purchased decreases, the funds available for road construction and maintenance can be
expected to decline. There will need to be alternatives.
8. Reality is that we need a balanced transportation system. Passenger trains in the
state of Iowa can and should pay an important part in that effort. Given the projected
energy cost increases we can no longer afford to rely upon the automobile and the
airplane. Iowa needs fast, frequent and dependable passenger
train service. Now is the time to make what is a very reasonable investment.
9. Iowans will ride passenger trains. The best example of this is the Hawkeye Express
between Coralville and Iowa City. The Hawkeye Express operates during the football
season between Coralville and Iowa City. The Express delivers football fans to the
Stadium, and then, returns them to parking lots away from the Stadium. The service is
fast, it is frequent, and it is dependable. It helps to reduce congestion and pollution
from automobiles and other vehicles in and around the Stadium on football game days.
10. Iowans do use the existing passenger train service along with BNSF Railway route in
southern Iowa. This past summer I took the California Zephyr to Chicago. The
convenience of the train was that I did not have to worry about where to park my car when
I arrived. I could do work on board the train. I could get up and walk around. At each
stop, there were a number of persons who got on and off the train. It was well
patronized.
11. More passenger train service for the state of Iowa will allow each mode of
transportation to do what it does best. (1) Air is best on long-hauls. It moves folks
from major terminals to major terminals at a fast speed. The problems with air develop
in the short haul markets (350 to 500 miles). Then, because of the hub-and-spoke system
of air travel in this country, it becomes a hassle to travel by air, and airplanes are no
longer fuel efficient; (2) Bus is a good short haul way to get people among and between
intermediate terminals. Again, at one time Iowa had an excellent system of bus service
that served a number of the smaller towns. The system has been replaced by one of long
hauls focused on the interstate highway system. A bus is flexible, but it does not
afford the amenities of a passenger train; (3) Private vehicle is convenient, but the
cost of operating is going to continue to increase as the price of gasoline rises to
between $4.00 and $5.00. When you get to a destination, you have to determine what to do
with the vehicle. In the downtown areas of major cities the price to park a vehicle for
a day is significant.
There are significant budget issues facing the state, but as a people we cannot afford to
be short sighted with our transportation system. As was the case in the late 1920s and
1930s when Iowa embarked upon its "get out of the mud" campaign, the people
faced an important challenge. The challenge for the transportation system of Iowa today
is similar. Are we going to put all of our transportation dollars into a highway system,
with ancillary service by air, or are we going to develop a balanced transportation
system that features several modes which can provide fast, efficient and dependable
service? Iowa needs to invest in a balanced transportation system that includes fast,
frequent passenger trains.
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