If there is any good to come out of the horrific crash of
the Amtrak commuter train in Philadelphia, it will start a conversation and
lead to a long needed overhaul and expansion of our passenger rail transit
system.
Riding a train is as American as apple pie. Or it used to be. Over the past decades, passenger rail transportation in this
country has been dying a slow death.
It’s not because we don’t need it, quite the contrary. Few would argue that freight rail is still
essential to our economic health and growth.
But passenger rail service, thus Amtrak, is just as important.
Thirty years ago, George and I took our children to New York
City via Amtrak. Aside from my son and
I suffering from motion sickness from all the jerking and rocking, it was an
overall good experience for our family.
The trains were very clean and the dining car was a real dining
experience complete with white table linen and tasseled menus. This past year George and I went to
Washington, D. C. on Amtrak. I had
expected a lot of improvements in thirty years, both electronically and
aesthetically. It appeared no upgrades
had been made to the cars in all that passage of time. The dining car was my biggest
disappointment. I’ve seen better “food
trucks.” And the ride itself was even
more shaky and jerky than I had remembered.
I felt I was endangering my life to journey to the bathroom.
So who is responsible for the neglect of Amtrak? First, we should point to the politicians in
Washington. They control the funding of
this entity. A prime example is the GOP House Appropriations Committee voted the
very next day after the horrific derailment to cut funding for Amtrak by
15%. I’m not saying that the
Republicans are more to blame than the Democrats. The Republican lawmakers aren’t motivated to make passenger rail
service priority because their constituents don’t generally live in cities
serviced by Amtrak. Democrats have long
touted infrastructure improvement but have failed to make the case for paying
for it to the American people.
Second, all Americans are responsible by not recognizing and
demanding that high-speed rail be added to our infrastructure. This is the cheapest, most efficient way to
get polluting cars off the road, open up more job market areas, and to increase
our economy by adding jobs and development.
Our lack of infrastructure improvement in this country is embarrassing
and unseemly for a country that prides itself on being the “best in the world.” Our country has budgeted 1.7 billion for
Amtrak this year. The Chinese budget is
128 billion this year.
Imagine. A
bullet-train from coast to coast. At
the very least, imagine a high-speed rail from Savannah, to Macon, to
Atlanta. Let’s don’t say we can’t do
it. Let’s don’t say it will take too
long to build. Back in 1863, our forefathers sought a way to move goods and
make transportation quicker, more flexible, and cheaper. They built the 1,907- mile Transcontinental
Railway in FIVE YEARS!
If you’re looking for a fun way to enjoy Memorial Day weekend,
come to High Falls. The High Falls
Volunteer Fire Department will be holding it’s annual yard sale and BBQ cookout
on Saturday, May 23rd. This
is a great way to support this organization that is crucial to our
community. Also, High Falls State Park
has lots of activities planned for Memorial Day weekend. One that sounds like an adventure for the
entire family is the Twilight Paddle on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
night. It is a three-mile guided canoe
trip to Buck Creek for adults and children 8 and over. $15 includes boat and gear. Call High Falls
State Park for more info and to make reservations at 478-993-3053.
Marilyn Langford
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