(The following article by Marjory Raymer was posted on the Flint Journal website on July 4.)
FLINT, Mich. — Could it be the end of the line for Amtrak?
This year – like most years – it could. The controversial, taxpayer-subsidized passenger train service faces a double whammy of serious funding threats from both the state and federal governments.
Without full funding, the Blue Water line that runs through Flint en route to Chicago would grind to a halt Oct. 1, according to an Amtrak statement.
“We seem to be going through this every year,” said Barb Spaulding-Westcott of Flint, a train fan who takes a rail trip to Chicago about three times a year. “We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The state House and Senate have approved cutting $1 million from the $7.1 million dedicated to keeping the Blue Water and western Michigan’s Pere Marquette line running. It covers about two-thirds of the cost. Federal dollars help with the other third.
“I just felt (that) in difficult budget times, we had to set priorities,” said state Rep. David B. Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Twp., who supported the budget and thought the money better spent on education and other needs.
On the federal level, a House committee tried to reduce Amtrak’s funding to $550 million nationwide, instead of the $1.8 billion it asked for and less than half the $1.2 billion it got last year.
The full House voted Wednesday to restore funding to the $1.2 billion level, but it still must go through the Senate and President Bush – who has proposed getting rid of its operating subsidies altogether.
“I’m still hopeful for Amtrak,” said U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, D-Flint, who said the government supports other modes of transportation, such as building highways and canals. “They perform a service that’s very, very important.”
Amtrak has managed to keep chugging along year after year by stopping proposed funding cuts in their tracks with the help of mass transportation advocates and regional politics. Few state or federal lawmakers want to see their own hometown service dropped.
“All modes of transportation should be there – especially now with the escalating gasoline prices,” said state Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint Twp. “We do have to remember, it’s not just an expenditure – it’s also an investment.”
Amtrak operations generate $9 million a year in salaries and contracts for state businesses, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The potential loss of Amtrak comes as train travel is becoming more popular.
Blue Water ridership has spiked 20 percent over last year with nearly 68,500 riders and another 57,610 onboard the Pere Marquette as of the end of May, two-thirds of the way through this fiscal year.
Spaulding-Westcott said she believes train travel will continue to grow in popularity as more people discover the affordable, family-friendly option.
“It’s really a great way to go. It’s relaxing. It’s fun. I love it,” she said.