(The following article by James McCurtis Jr. appeared in the Lansing State Journal on March 27.)
LANSING, Mich. — The House Transportation Committee is expected to vote on a bill today that would lift a cap on the amount of state money Amtrak receives.
The state gives Amtrak $5.7 million a year to run two of its three Michigan routes, including the Chicago-to-Toronto line, which runs through East Lansing and Port Huron. The Legislature set the $5.7 million cap in 2001, but Amtrak now says it needs $7.1 million from the state to keep the trains operating.
Without the additional money from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Amtrak officials say they will shut down the two state-funded routes after the contract expires on Monday.
The vote on the bill would be the first step in preventing the rail service from shutting down the lines officially on Tuesday.
“I still think (the bill) is a very positive sign,” said Ray Lang, director of government affairs for Amtrak.
But the process to remove the cap likely will not happen fast enough to avoid Monday’s deadline.
If the bill passes the transportation committee today, the entire House would then vote
on the bill, which would have to pass by a simple majority, said Peter Wills, legisla tive director for Rep. Gene DeRossett, R-Washtenaw, chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
The bill then would be sent to the Senate and a committee there would vote on it. If it passes the Senate committee, the entire Senate would vote on the bill.
If a simple majority of the Senate passes the bill, Gov. Jennifer Granholm would have 14 days after she receives it to either sign it into law or veto it, Wills said.
“Realistically, it would not be enough time to get this signed and turned into law with the March 31 deadline,” Wills said.
That would mean two of Amtrak’s three state lines would be closed.
“I would hate to see the lines shut down, but if there’s no game plan or a plan to increase ridership, then maybe the best decision is to shut them down,” DeRossett said.
That’s bad news for people like East Lansing’s JeAnne Ingersol. She said she sent e-mail messages to every member in the House Transportation Committee to express her support for Amtrak.
“It would be terrible,” she said. “It’s just downright scary. I’ve only taken the train a couple of times in this past year but as far as I’m concerned, it’s the only way to go.”
Ridership on the Chicago-to-Toronto route fell from 105,114 riders in fiscal 2001 to 91,714 in fiscal 2002, Amtrak spokeswoman Karina VanVeen said.
The East Lansing station served 26,719 customers in 2001, about 5 percent of Amtrak’s Michigan travelers, railway officials said.
To avoid Monday’s contract expiration, MDOT offered Amtrak a six-month contract for half of $5.7 million, or $2.85 million.
Amtrak, which has been operating the rail lines under a six-month contract for $2.85 million since October, turned down the offer.
And two weeks ago, Amtrak offered to extend its services 45 days, until May 15, to give the Legislature time to lift the cap, but MDOT officials turned down that offer.
“We’re coming up to the summer travel season and we’re trying to provide some continuity with customers,” said Stephanie Litaker, acting director of communications for MDOT. “Once the 45 days are up, we’ll be back where we started. It’s time to give customers something solid.”