(The following story by Joel Mathis appeared on the Journal-World website on July 20.)
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Lawrence city officials are lobbying the Kansas congressional delegation to support funding for Amtrak, saying the passenger railroad is a vital link in the city’s transportation system.
“Not everybody has a car,” Mayor Mike Rundle said Monday. “There needs to be a complete transportation system.”
Rundle’s letter to the city’s representatives in Washington comes a week after a House subcommittee recommended a $900 million budget for Amtrak in 2005. That’s a $300 million cut from this year and half of what the railroad requested.
The recommendation is low enough that a spokesman said Monday the service would simply shut down unless Congress comes through with more money.
“It’ll be clearly insufficient to operate the service, maintain the equipment,” said Marc Magliari, a Chicago-based spokesman for Amtrak.
Amtrak’s death would be a blow to the more than 2,200 riders who boarded the train at Lawrence in 2003. Rundle, in his letter to Washington, said the city supported Amtrak’s request for $1.8 billion.
Lawrence is along one of Amtrak’s main east/west lines. The Southwest Chief travels daily from Chicago to Los Angeles via Kansas City. More than 25,000 Kansans used Amtrak in 2003, according to the railroad.
“Providing transportation alternatives such as Amtrak to the Lawrence community is important,” Rundle said in the letter, expected to be approved tonight by the Lawrence City Commission. “Rail transportation provides intercity travel opportunities for Lawrence citizens that can prove affordable and pleasurable and provides an opportunity to take advantage of the scenery.”
Magliari said half of Amtrak’s request would go for long-deferred maintenance and overhauls of aging equipment.
“We frequently do not have enough cars in a state of good repair to well serve the customers who want to ride now,” Magliari said.
The Senate has yet to write its version of the measure. In the past, Amtrak had ended up with more funds by the time House-Senate bargainers wrote compromise legislation.
Sen. Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican, said in a written statement that Amtrak must be reformed to become a viable company. A spokesman said it was too early to know what level of funding the Senate would approve.
Sen. Pat Roberts, the state’s other Republican senator, hadn’t staked out a position on the issue.
“Senator Roberts is still weighing his options,” said Sarah Ross, a spokeswoman.
The Lawrence City Commission meets at 6:35 p.m. today in City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.