PRINTER'S NO. 1373
No. 114 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY GEIST, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES,
BELFANTI, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CIVERA, M. COHEN, CURRY,
DAILEY, DALEY, DALLY, DEMPSEY, DeWEESE, FICHTER, FREEMAN,
GIGLIOTTI, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HERMAN, HERSHEY, JAMES,
LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, LEVDANSKY, LYNCH,
MANDERINO, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, MASLAND, McCALL, McILHATTAN,
MELIO, MICOZZIE, S. MILLER, ORIE, PESCI, PETRARCA, PLATTS,
PRESTON, READSHAW, ROONEY, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SAYLOR, SCHULER,
SCRIMENTI, SHANER, STABACK, STEELMAN, STERN, STURLA, SURRA,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRUE, VAN HORNE, WALKO,
WILLIAMS, WILT AND WOJNAROSKI, APRIL 13, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 13, 1999
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 showed itself to be an
12 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
1 York, Ohio and West Virginia; and
2 WHEREAS, As Amtrak deploys its 150 miles per hour "Acela"
3 high-speed service between Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and
4 Boston in late 1999, the Commonwealth must take measures to
5 bring this service to its "Keystone Corridor" where the existing
6 infrastructure has the potential to accommodate this high-speed
7 service; and
8 WHEREAS, It is necessary to expand daily intrastate passenger
9 rail service between Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in
10 order to signal a reemerging spirit of innovation within this
11 Commonwealth; and
12 WHEREAS, Commuter rail linkage to regions within this
13 Commonwealth would improve intercity travel and create an
14 atmosphere conducive to economic development; and
15 WHEREAS, Several existing rail corridors are experiencing a
16 renewed increase in usage, and many corridors are recognized as
17 viable intermodal alternatives; and
18 WHEREAS, Amtrak is scheduled to begin sleeping-car service on
19 its New York to Chicago "Three Rivers" train in the spring 1999,
20 bringing back premium service akin to that offered by the former
21 "Broadway Limited"; and
22 WHEREAS, Northeastern Pennsylvania is creating a rising
23 commuter rail service demand to and from New York City, Long
24 Island and New England destinations; all of these routes
25 traverse sections of northern New Jersey and provide commuters
26 potential access to Amtrak's high-speed services; and
27 WHEREAS, Commuter rail service establishing connections
28 between Harrisburg and Baltimore should be instituted in order
29 to provide alternatives to ease rising congestion; and
30 WHEREAS, SEPTA's and BARTA's collaboration on the Schuylkill
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1 Valley Metro should be enhanced by extending service from
2 Reading to Pottsville in order to provide connections to the
3 portion of the Route 422 region that is experiencing notable
4 economic expansion; and
5 WHEREAS, Intercity rail passenger service should be extended
6 to serve State College in order to meet the growing demand for
7 utilization of the resources of The Pennsylvania State
8 University and facilitate national events such as the National
9 Governor's Association meeting that will be held in State
10 College in July 2000; and
11 WHEREAS, The holding of the Republican National Convention in
12 Philadelphia in July 2000 will provide the Commonwealth an
13 incentive to encourage Amtrak's "Acela" service on its "Keystone
14 Corridor", demonstrating Pennsylvania's innovative responses to
15 the passenger rail challenge; and
16 WHEREAS, The National Governors' Association has resolved
17 that as the states continue to assume a greater role in
18 developing and maintaining passenger and commuter rail
19 corridors, they should be given the maximum amount of
20 flexibility to invest Federal funds in rail corridors that
21 relieve congestion and contribute to air quality improvement;
22 support such as this enables the Commonwealth to address
23 passenger rail travel in an aggressive, independent manner; and
24 WHEREAS, Rail lines suitable to high-speed commuter service
25 should be developed between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in order
26 to enhance and enlarge the "Keystone Corridor", sections
27 containing expanses of scenic distinction and nascent economic
28 opportunities; and
29 WHEREAS, Pittsburgh's pursuit of innovative technology in its
30 Maglev project, which is becoming a necessary passenger
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1 transport component to consider in the next millennium and which
2 has the potential to reassert this Commonwealth's rail approach
3 as a world standard, will galvanize opportunities for economic
4 growth in the Allegheny region; and
5 WHEREAS, It is time to implement intermodal alternatives by
6 improving regional rail commuter corridors in order to provide
7 for responsible stewardship of our scenic Commonwealth by
8 providing citizens an option to the congestion of commuter
9 traffic; therefore be it
10 RESOLVED, That the House or Representatives urge the
11 Governor, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation
12 and Amtrak, to take measures to increase the levels of both
13 interstate and intrastate high-speed and conventional passenger
14 rail service and to foster the implementation of intermodal
15 opportunities within the various regions of this Commonwealth;
16 and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That steps be taken to develop a comprehensive
18 passenger rail plan that considers high-speed and conventional
19 modes, that uses the existing rail structure and that draws upon
20 the collaborative efforts of national, State and regional rail
21 entities as well as the private sector.
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