WASHINGTON — U.S. mayors urged approval of Amtrak’s $1.2 billion budget request on Friday, saying that a proposal in Congress to reduce spending on unprofitable long-distance routes would devastate service to dozens of cities and hurt regional transportation investment.
In a letter to congressional leaders, the U.S. Conference of Mayors criticized the plan moving through the House of Representatives that would cut long-distance funding to $150 million this fiscal year. Amtrak says that amount is wholly insufficient, according to Reuters.
The spending plan approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week would provide $762 million in subsidies. That is $66 million less than Amtrak received last year and more than $400 million less than it requested in its fiscal 2003 budget.
Whatever figure is passed by the House as part of a larger transportation spending bill would have to be reconciled with Senate legislation. Appropriators in that chamber have approved Amtrak’s full budget request.
The 2003 fiscal year began on Tuesday but Congress has yet to approve any of the 13 spending bills that fund the government. Lawmakers have passed one temporary spending resolution to fund government operations that expires Oct. 11.
The House funding plan for Amtrak includes $150 million for long-distance trains, which rail proponents say will cripple service through out the Midwest and West. The mayor’s group said a requirement that states pay more for certain long-distance trains is unfair in light of serious budget problems facing state and local governments nationwide.
Democratic Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, the ranking member of the Republican-led House Transportation Committee, says the House budget plan for Amtrak would eliminate up to 13 of the nation’s 18 long distance trains.
“If that happens, we will not have a national passenger rail system. That’s unacceptable,” Oberstar told a news conference on Friday during which several mayors outlined their recommendation to House and Senate leaders.
“An appropriation below $1.2 billion will jeopardize Amtrak’s national network and create major uncertainties for all of the commuter and freight rail services across the country that depend on Amtrak,” Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, president of the mayor’s group, wrote in the letter to Congress.
Patrick McCrory, mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, said many cities, like his, have invested heavily in regional transportation hubs that link into Amtrak long-distance and commuter lines.
Fort Worth, Texas, has a $2 billion transit system that will connect with Amtrak trains. Both Charlotte and Fort Worth could lose long-distance service if the House figures are approved by Congress.
But Chicago would be hit exceptionally hard. Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat, said 10 long-distance trains that would likely be eliminated if the House budget language is adopted originate or end in Chicago.