ARPA's Regional Rail Plan, Arizona Rail, has received considerable attention and wide praise since its public distribution which began on April 4. By Wednesday, April 8, House Transportation Committee Chairman Lela Steffey (R Mesa) had called us and requested a meeting. By the end of that week, Mrs. Steffey had introduced a "strike everything" amendment to an existing bill and inserted the language to establish a Joint Legislative Study Committee on Rail Transportation.
The amendment was passed by the Senate Transportation Committee with a unanimous "do-pass" recommendation to the full senate. At this writing, the bill is under consideration by the full senate, where it is expected to pass. Following that action, the bill must return to the house, which has recessed, however, passage of the bill is expected by the end of this year. The governor is expected to sign it.
The make-up of the committee will be:
The size of this committee is quite workable at 21 members, compared to over 50 members on the Governors Regional Airport Advisory Committee. ARPA will of course provide a member to represent rail passengers.
The name of the committee clearly allows consideration of rail passenger service throughout the state. In fact, this was discussed at the senate transportation committee hearing. Northern Arizona members need not worry that they will be left out, in fact, Northern Arizona Regional Rail is already on the the drawing boards at the ARPA "Planning Department!"
The opportunity exists for establishing some early incremental improvements such as establishing station standards similar to California's for all existing Amtrak stations in the state, and then bringing them up to those standards in cooperation with local governments. Northern Arizona can benefit from this possibility as well.
Follow the progress of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Rail Transportation.
With the impending establishment of a legislative committee to study rail passenger service throughout Arizona, and with ARPA participating in the activities of that committee, it is more important than ever for anyone interested in rail passenger service
to maintain current membership in ARPA. In a sense, ARPA has finally "arrived," and is now recognized by the state (certainly by the chairman of the House Transportation Committee!) as the authority on rail passenger service issues in Arizona. By maintaining your membership, we will be able to provide you with progress reports from the state rail committee, and tell you when its meetings will be held.
Much work remains to be done, however. Additional copies of Arizona Rail need to be sent out; we need to establish a phone number with an answering service or voice mailbox for ARPA so we can be listed with directory information and in future issues of the phone book. To raise quick cash, each ARPA member who sends a donation of $5.00 will receive a copy of Arizona Rail. Of course, larger donations will be greatly appreciated. Find a friend or neighbor who is interested in rail passenger service and give them a gift membership. Send $10.00, and, if you ask we'll send a copy of Arizona Rail to both of you.
But something everyone can do right now is to contact your state legislators and urge them to pass H.B. 2280. Tell them you ride passenger trains and you want to see improved services and facilities.
At an executive meeting in Yuma on April 25th, members of ARPA, the Rail Passenger Association of California, and the United Rail Passenger Alliance developed a policy for improved service between Arizona and Los Angeles on the Sunset Route.
The policy states what we believe should be the minimum level of service between Los Angeles and Phoenix. It is believed that Amtrak will be operating a daytime train between L.A. and Phoenix in the next couple of years. The train will not operate through
to Tucson (at least initially) since Phoenix is an existing crew change point and L.A. - Phoenix is about an 8-hour run.
The policy calls for a daily Sunset Limited and the new daily daytime train. It also calls for certain new station stops to be added in California and Arizona, and Thruway bus service (such as Phoenix- Tempe-Coolidge-Tucson for the day train).
The full policy is still being drafted by RailPAC and will be more fully detailed in a future issue of TIMETABLE.
May 9 - Board Meeting, Tempe. Tempe Station 7:40AM
May 12- Phoenix Union Station Days Committee. Call Nancy Crosby or Mike Garey for info.
A special Calendar Flyer and update will be set about June 1 with further dates.
TIMETABLE is published bi-monthly by A R P A, INC., a not-for-profit corporation, dba Arizona Rail Passenger Association.
This issue printed May 7, 1992
(c) Copyright 1992, A R P A, INC.
Permission is granted to quote items in other publications provided appropriate credit is given.