With one councilman calling Amtrak a ‘joy ride for the affluent,’ Mobile, Ala., delays vote on station study
Resistance to Amtrak service has resurfaced among some Mobile, Ala., political leaders, with one calling the prospect a “joy ride for the affluent.” AL.com reports the comment from Councilman Joel Daves came during discussion on spending $80,1000 of city funds to match a federal grant to study a possible site for Mobile’s station. The city ended up postponing the decision for a week. Daves said Amtrak has not yet met several conditions set out when the city voted last year to provide $3.048 million in funding over three years to support the launch of service from New Orleans. The council voted 6-1 for that funding, with Daves the only no vote. Among the conditions: a study of the impact of passenger service on freight activity to the point of Mobile, a prior area of resistance to Amtrak operations [see “Mobile city council to vote …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 18, 2019]. That study was supposed to be completed in 2020 but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Weekend rail shut down set between San Diego, Oceanside
Rail service between Oceanside and San Diego will be halted this weekend for a scheduled closure of the coastal route for maintenance work. The San Diego Association of Governments said the closure, from just after midnight on Saturday, Feb. 20, through the early morning of Monday, Feb. 22, will allow work on two SANDAG projects — the El Portal Undercrossing in Encinitas, where crews will install foundations for a future rail bridge, and the Mid-Coast Corridor trolley project in San Diego. Amtrak, North County Transit District, Metrolink, and BNSF freight service will be affected. More information on the projects is here; Amtrak schedule information is here. Similar closures are scheduled for March 13-14 and March 20-21.
Bill seeks to restructure board for San Jose-area transit agency
A California state assemblyman has introduced a bill which would replace the elected board for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which serves the San Jose area, in the wake of a report calling the agency “one of the most expensive and least efficient transit systems in the country. the legislation by Marc Berman (D-Los Altos) would replace the 18-member board with an appointed group with expertise in transportation, finance, and related field. Current state law requires the board to be made up of area mayors, county supervisors, and other elected officials, and a critical grand jury report found most regard the transit agency as a lower priority than their primary elected position.
I resent the comment that Amtrak is a joy ride for rich people. I am certainly not rich but enjoy riding trains and always have. It is a joy for people who like to relax and see the scenery on the trip and not have to deal with the hassles of flying. James Simms I agree with your comment not the brightest bulbs around.
Mobile, AL politicians aren’t the brightest bulbs in the house or packaging.