INDIANAPOLIS - Supporters of passenger rail service are making a last-ditch attempt to save the Hoosier State train.
The four-day, Indianapolis-to-Chicago line will end operations on July 1 unless state lawmakers restore $3 million in annual funding that was cut from the upcoming biennium state budget. While ridership fell nearly 18% between 2014 and 2018, Steve Coxhead, presidnt of the Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance, said the state hasn't invested in improving the service.
"It is kind of a Catch-22," she said. "The governor says ridership has been disappointing, and we make the case that you have to have at least two trains in each direction each day, possibly three, in order to have a realistic chance of generating enough ridership to cover an operating cost."
Without the 196-mile Hoosier State train, the three-day-a-week, long-distance Cardinal train is the only other route option. Officials with Amtrak Midwest, Indianapolis and Beech Grove will make a plea to save the service today at a 2:30 p.m. event at the Amtrak Beech Grove Shops. A state budget must be approved by April 29.
If the service ends, Amtrak estimates 59% of passengers would drive instead. Coxhead said that would collectively amount to more than 4 million miles by car annually.
"If you monetize the cost of putting all those extra cars on, like, I-65 for instance, it's actually quite a significant cost," he said. "The train actually would save the state about $3,154,000 in road maintenance and congestion costs."
Indiana began funding the Hoosier State train in 2015 after federal funding ceased for Amtrak routes shorter than 750 miles. Coxhead contended that $3 billion annually is a relatively small part of a $34 billion budget.
"The governor is planning to spend something like $80 million on hiking and bike trails in the state," he said, "and while there's certainly nothing wrong with that and they're probably needed, it seems disproportionate when you talk about what's potentially the most important passenger rail corridor in the state."
Amtrak recently shaved 15 minutes off the route, which it said saves the state $72,000 each year. Supporters have said the route generates about $10 million annually for local communities.
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Traffic deaths are trending higher in Minnesota this year after a decline the previous year.
Groups pushing for safer roads are convinced a small policy adjustment for older drivers could make a big difference. Current Minnesota law requires licensed drivers age 55 and older to take an eight-hour safety course to qualify for a 10% discount on their car insurance.
Cathy McLeer, state director of AARP Minnesota, which helps carry out the training, noted course participation has been waning. She is joining the call for state lawmakers to consider a bill to reduce the mandatory threshold to four hours.
"An independent study found that drivers were just as likely to improve their driving behaviors with a four-hour course as eight-hour courses," McLeer reported.
McLeer pointed out through a shorter schedule, it is important to convince more people to stay up to date with traffic laws and learn about new technology in cars. Nearly 20 other states allow a course length of four hours, and nine of them mandate insurance discounts for the training.
The Minnesota bill is bipartisan but faces a cutoff later this week to advance in the current session. It is uncertain if it will get enough hearings.
Cheryl Salo, driver safety program coordinator for AARP Minnesota, said older drivers tend to be more cautious but noted they are sharing the roads with plenty of bigger trucks and SUVs these days.
"Those drivers sometimes don't realize how limited their ability to see around them is," Salo emphasized. "We as drivers need to take the responsibility to give those large vehicle drivers that extra space that they need."
Large vehicles are among the topics covered in the training courses, along with information about the emergence of roundabouts in intersections across the state. Like other states, Minnesota saw a pandemic-era spike in traffic fatalities, before numbers stabilized. However, the percentage of crash fatalities rose for the 55+ age group, while overall totals declined.
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Kristopher Dahir, Ward 5 city councilor in Sparks, is one of more than 2,800 city leaders in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss city topics and issues.
The National League of Cities Congressional City Conference brought local leaders from Nevada and the country to meet with federal officials and learn of infrastructure, transportation, public safety, clean energy and digital equity federal funding opportunities.
Dahir said while cities in the Silver State are different sizes and have separate needs, the issues are the same.
"We get to do it in one voice for Nevada," Dahir explained. "It really is important we work together and it doesn't mean we don't meet with them separately; we do for City of Sparks needs and things that we are going through. But when it comes to landfills or it comes to some of the rail safety things that are right now being talked about, those are real crucial to all cities."
Dahir pointed out digital equity is another issue affecting rural and urban Nevada communities. About 28 million of the almost 123 million households in the U.S. do not have high-speed broadband, according to Education Superhighway, which is why many conference attendees want Congress to pass the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, ensuring low-income households stay connected.
Dahir added the Congressional City Conference provides local leaders with the chance to network, exchange ideas, and learn about what other places are doing.
"We get to share ideas and we get to say 'how did that work for you?' from zoning policies to everything from HUB check stuff, workforce development," Dahir outlined. "We really get to see the ideas and then also the pathways to grant money, or the pathways to avoid."
Dahir wants Americans to have a sense of hope as local leaders work to bring awareness to issues affecting their communities and they are in search of solutions. He stressed many of the issues city leaders discussed are not what he considers partisan but things most federal officials support.
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A coalition of Utah stakeholders is launching the "Campaign for Public Transit in the 435," which will aim to bring better forms of transit to those who live in rural areas and engage legislators in the process.
Scott Mershon, Cache County resident and one of the organizers of the 435 Transit Campaign, said 435 is the phone area code for many who reside in the more rural parts of the state and are typically found outside the Wasatch Front. The 10 county coalition will be advocating for $47 million in new state funding to realize public transit projects of different kinds.
"It is looking to get either some sort of train extension on the FrontRunner or on existing railroad tracks or a bus to just be able to get out of the valley, and then there are other projects as well in Washington County, and expanding bus services and making them more reliable," Mershon said.
Mershon added lack of transportation can mean Utahns can experience challenges in securing a job because they can't get to work, to not being able to attend medical appointments as well as not seeing family and friends. A survey from Guiding our Growth found those in rural Utah strongly supported implementing public transportation, and investing in passenger rail came in a close second.
Carolyn Heaton, a researcher for the 435 Transit Action Campaign, said the current funding formulas don't equitably address rural parts of the state. She argues a bigger budget would lead to better planning. Heaton and others will be heading to the state Capitol tomorrow to educate decision makers about transportation challenges and invite them to also visit their respective communities to learn about barriers.
"Some communities do have bussing situations, but there are not enough buses, not enough people who are willing to drive the bus, and not enough funding to fund those departments to provide more buses and jobs for people to drive," she explained.
Heaton added for many Utahns who don't have a car, that means they're stuck. She added there are many people across the Beehive State with disabilities who can't drive but still need to get around. Others would prefer alternative, more green modes of transit to create less of a carbon footprint, and added that investing in better public transit would do just that.
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