PRINTER'S NO. 892
No. 48 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY STOUT, MADIGAN, M. WHITE, BOSCOLA, TARTAGLIONE,
COSTA, HUGHES, KITCHEN, WOZNIAK, LAVALLE, BODACK, O'PAKE,
KUKOVICH, MUSTO, EARLL, RHOADES, KASUNIC, STACK AND SCHWARTZ,
APRIL 12, 2001
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 12, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing that the existing level of interstate and intrastate
2 high-speed and conventional passenger and commuter rail
3 services offered throughout this Commonwealth restricts
4 economic development, hinders the traveling public and
5 degrades Pennsylvania's natural resources; and calling for
6 the cooperative efforts of the Governor, the General
7 Assembly, Amtrak and other rail entities to resolve the
8 problem.
9 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Railroad for over a century was
10 considered to be the "Standard Railroad for the World," and
11 Pennsylvania's rail industry historically has shown itself to be
12 an innovator in providing passenger rail service; and
13 WHEREAS, Existing rail infrastructure throughout this
14 Commonwealth is underutilized and, in some cases, neglected; and
15 WHEREAS, Interstate rail service should link passenger travel
16 with the adjacent states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New
17 York, Ohio and West Virginia; and
18 WHEREAS, As Amtrak deploys its 150 miles per hour "Acela"
19 high-speed service between Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and
20 Boston in late 1999, the Commonwealth must take measures to
1 bring this service to its "Keystone Corridor" where the existing
2 infrastructure has the potential to accommodate this high-speed
3 service; and
4 WHEREAS, It is necessary to expand daily intrastate passenger
5 rail service between Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in
6 order to signal a reemerging spirit of innovation within this
7 Commonwealth; and
8 WHEREAS, Commuter rail linkage to regions within this
9 Commonwealth would improve intercity travel and create an
10 atmosphere conducive to economic development; and
11 WHEREAS, Several existing rail corridors are experiencing a
12 renewed increase in usage, and many corridors are recognized as
13 viable intermodal alternatives; and
14 WHEREAS, Amtrak is scheduled to begin sleeping-car service on
15 its New York to Chicago "Three Rivers" train in the spring 1999,
16 bringing back premium service akin to that offered by the former
17 "Broadway Limited"; and
18 WHEREAS, Northeastern Pennsylvania is creating a rising
19 commuter rail service demand to and from New York City, Long
20 Island and New England destinations; all of these routes
21 traverse sections of northern New Jersey and provide commuters
22 potential access to Amtrak's high-speed services; and
23 WHEREAS, Commuter rail service establishing connections
24 between Harrisburg and Baltimore should be instituted in order
25 to provide alternatives to ease rising congestion; and
26 WHEREAS, SEPTA's and BARTA's collaboration on the Schuylkill
27 Valley Metro should be enhanced by extending service from
28 Reading to Pottsville in order to provide connections to the
29 portion of the Route 422 region that is experiencing notable
30 economic expansion; and
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1 WHEREAS, The National Governors' Association has resolved
2 that as the states continue to assume a greater role in
3 developing and maintaining passenger and commuter rail
4 corridors, they should be given the maximum amount of
5 flexibility to invest Federal funds in rail corridors that
6 relieve congestion and contribute to air quality improvement;
7 support such as this enables the Commonwealth to address
8 passenger rail travel in an aggressive, independent manner; and
9 WHEREAS, Rail lines suitable to high-speed commuter service
10 should be developed between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in order
11 to enhance and enlarge the "Keystone Corridor," sections
12 containing expanses of scenic distinction and nascent economic
13 opportunities; and
14 WHEREAS, Pittsburgh's pursuit of innovative technology in its
15 Maglev project, which is becoming a necessary passenger
16 transport component to consider in this millennium and which has
17 the potential to reassert this Commonwealth's rail approach as a
18 world standard, will galvanize opportunities for economic growth
19 in the Allegheny region; and
20 WHEREAS, It is time to implement intermodal alternatives by
21 improving regional rail commuter corridors in order to provide
22 for responsible stewardship of our scenic Commonwealth by
23 providing citizens an option to the congestion of commuter
24 traffic; therefore be it
25 RESOLVED, That the Senate urge the Governor, in conjunction
26 with the Department of Transportation and Amtrak, to take
27 measures to increase the levels of both interstate and
28 intrastate high-speed and conventional passenger rail service
29 and to foster the implementation of intermodal opportunities
30 within the various regions of this Commonwealth; and be it
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1 further
2 RESOLVED, That steps be taken to develop a comprehensive
3 passenger rail plan that considers high-speed and conventional
4 modes, that uses the existing rail structure and that draws upon
5 the collaborative efforts of national, State and regional rail
6 entities as well as the private sector.
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