Ask Governors to Save the Southwest Chief

A citizen from Illinois has started a petition to maintain the Southwest Chief on its current route through Colorado, New Mexico, and Illinois. If the train is moved, Colorado will lose one of its two remaining interstate railways. Train riders would lose a connection to the Rail Runner in New Mexico along with connections to New Mexico's most visited cites.

Colorado is particular is behind other states in its support for both passenger and freight rail. Kansas is better about freight, we just need to get that support extended to passenger rail. New Mexico is sometimes good, sometimes bad in its support for rail.

How much would it cost to Colorado to save the Southwest Chief? Around 5 to 10% of what Boulder County's transportation budget. Colorado spends billions on our roads, mostly through city and county budgets. Every county and city in our state could save money through better support for rail.

Please click on the link and sign: Change.org Petition to Save the Southwest Chief

Thanks

Take action to put more buses and trains on our streets

A previous post mentioned the Public Transportation Preservation Act (S 3412 and HR 5418) which would provide federal money to restore bus and train service that has been cut throughout the nation.

Cars get a subsidy from every tax that we pay. We pay for cars through property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, and miscellaneous fees. Buses and trains deserve the same level of support. Some car people who want to widen a single highway in my state are looking for $20 billion in subsidies. The Public Transportation Preservation Act would restore bus and train service throughout the country for only $2 billion.

Also, to show that people in the US will ride trains, we need to actually run them. Cuts create declining ridership which gives a weapon to train opponents.

I hope that you will all send letters to your Representatives and Senators through the online petition at Change.org.

Tell Congress to pass the Public Transportation Preservation Act