FTA proposal for New Starts grants in 2015

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by electricron

Whenever government subsidizes anything by an average ratio of 85%, politics is involved. Whenever politics is involved, partisanship should be expected. Why is that bad?

Eliminate that 85% subsidy is the easiest way to eliminate partisanship politics over it.

The federal 18.4 cent per gallon gas tax that hasn't been raised in 22 years covers well less than half of the costs of building and maintaining our roads and highways but roads don't seem to be a partisan issue like funding transit is.

[Gantz]

Originally Posted by Doug

Built 100% with private capital

Like those highways and airports.... oh wait.

[Jasonhouse]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

It's really too bad that transit has become such a partisan issue.

It's not really the transit that's the partisan issue. It's urban living itself that rightwingers attack.

[C.]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

This is relevant, no?

http://tbo.com/ap/world/house-passes...0dbe87bdfdcbdd

Good news? I think so - it should help pay for service improvements and keep the system in a state of good repair between Boston and Washington.

Anyone know what's the subsidy per rider on Amtrak compared to other transit systems.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by CIA

Good news? I think so - it should help pay for service improvements and keep the system in a state of good repair between Boston and Washington.

Anyone know what's the subsidy per rider on Amtrak compared to other transit systems.

I agree. The House's funding for Amtrak could have certainly been much worse.

[Jasonhouse]

I was wondering more about the other portion of funding out of the overall $7.2 billion.

The bill, approved by a vote of 316 to 101, authorizes $7.2 billion in federal subsidies for passenger rail, including about $1.4 billion a year over four years in subsidies for Amtrak.

Amtrak gets $1.4B a year for 4 years (so $5.6B), leaving about $1.6B for everything else being funded by this bill. That's only $400 million a year over the 4 years being funded...

Anyone know what it was hoped to be?


Also, what do people think of the move to break Amtrak into two divisions, the NE corridor, and everywhere else, and let the NE corridor keep its own operating profits to plow back into capital improvements?

[Hatman]

From an operating standpoint, I like separating services into self-sustaining or self-contained service types. It makes sense, especially NE corridor vs everywhere else.
As a passenger, I hate separated services and want my trips to be as seamless as possible.

If there was a good way to separate operations and finances but keep an integrated network from a passenger's point of view (ticketing, train changes, etc) then I'd be all for it.

BTW, if Amtrak gets to put the $300 million it makes in profits form the NE corridor back into the NE corridor instead of using it to subsidize other services, what happens to the other services? Does their service or quality go down, or does Amtrak have access to another $300 million?

[Jasonhouse]

Damn, the local article I had available to me was terrible...

Other articles out there are much more informative.

It's all Amtrak funding... From The Hill...

The measure would authorize about $982 million per year for the company's national network and another $470 million annually for its popular Northeast U.S. routes.

The bill, which would expire in 2019, sets another $300 million per year for construction on Amtrak routes in the rest of country and about $24 million per year for the company's inspector general.

[fflint]

Hatman, is your avatar Louie Gohmert by any chance?

[Hatman]

His head is pretty shiny, but he's still got me beat!

[electricron]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

The federal 18.4 cent per gallon gas tax that hasn't been raised in 22 years covers well less than half of the costs of building and maintaining our roads and highways but roads don't seem to be a partisan issue like funding transit is.

I believe that is the result that there are roads everywhere, which is not as true for transit.

Additionally, the only roads fully funded by the federal government is on government property, like military bases and national parks. The roads most of us drive on daily are owned, built, and maintained by local governments; city, county, and state; with the federal government pitching in its share on federal designated highways only.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by fflint

Hatman, is your avatar Louie Gohmert by any chance?

I thought it was Ricky Scott