(The following column by Lyle V. Harris appeared on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website on November 5.)
ATLANTA — Amtrak, the national passenger rail service launched nearly four decades ago, had been condemned to a slow death in recent years. Plagued in part by self-inflicted problems and poor management, Amtrak and its passengers were also the targets of short-sighted politicians intent on starving it of needed funding.
Given a growing public awareness of the nation’s dangerously neglected transportation network, that could soon change. Last week, the Senate passed a measure that would provide $10 billion for Amtrak over six years, while thankfully dispensing with the oft-stated, but unattainable, requirement that the railroad become “profitable” enough to cover its annual operating costs. The bill, sponsored by Republican Trent Lott of Mississippi and Democrat Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, better positions Amtrak to keep rolling while catching up on its lengthening maintenance backlog and chronic equipment shortages. If approved by the House and signed by President Bush, the bill would set aside an additional $1.4 billion to be used as a matching fund for states and local communities wishing to sponsor commuter trains.
As the 2008 election approaches, candidates for national office have an opportunity to give voters their detailed explanations for addressing the well-documented deterioration of America’s roads, rails, bridges and highways. Since all modes of public transportation require some subsidy, fixing those problems won’t be easy or cheap.
But a lack of money isn’t the main obstacle. Leadership with a short attention span has led to an under-investment in public infrastructure that has hobbled Amtrak and left other valuable transportation assets in a state of disrepair. The collapse of a Minnesota bridge in August fostered a belated sense of urgency we cannot afford to squander.
America’s roads and airports have become increasingly overcrowded. That’s why Amtrak should be strengthened.
“Do we want a national rail passenger system or not?” Sen. Lott asked during discussion on the bill. “I think we do.”