Railing in development

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Feb 27, 2001 by Bill May

Detractors often overlook the fact that subsidized rail passenger service is more than just a mode of transportation -- it's economic development with a capital "E" that fosters inner city cleanup and improvements.

This message of bringing in a clean industry -- tourism -- and opening up small towns across Oklahoma was brought home to the Legislature last week when about 100 supporters showed up for a speakfest and rally at the Capitol.

Even as they urged more financial and moral support for rail passenger service, two railway support measures are making their way through the legislative process.

Senate Joint Resolution 4, introduced by state Sen. Dave Herbert, D-Midwest City, is the third attempt to pass a measure calling for a public vote on raising the gasoline sales tax by 1 cent to pay for railroad infrastructure.

Two previous times, a similar measure has died in the process.

"Since this is not an election year, perhaps we can get the House to go along with it," Herbert said.

The measure calls for raising gasoline sales taxes by 1 cent over a nine-year period. All of the increase would be used to pay for rail improvements, Herbert said.

"We can leverage this to bring in about $1 billion worth of federal funds over a 10-year period," Herbert said. "If we can leverage $265 million into $1 billion, that's good business sense."

House Bill 1173, authored by Rep. Jim Dunegan, D-Calera, dedicates 10 percent of the motor vehicle license and fees income to transportation, including 3 percent to the railroad revolving fund. The bill also provides 4 percent of that money to the state highway construction and maintenance fund.

"If we build roads, we have to maintain them," Dunegan said.

Two percent of the license and fee income is dedicated to the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission revolving fund and one percent goes to the public transit revolving fund.

"These (SJR 4 and HB 1173) are not competing bills," Dunegan said. "They are complementary."

The gasoline tax increase is expected to be heard on the Senate floor next week, while the status of HB 1173 is not known, Dunegan said.

"I haven't had a lot of opposition on this, so I believe it's going to pass," he said.

Rail initiatives in Oklahoma will open the state for out-of-state tourists, as well as allow residents to view other parts of the state, said Marcy Jarrett of the Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"The railroad means the treasures of Oklahoma are more accessible to Oklahomans and out-of-state tourists," she said. "Legislators who support this (expanding rail passenger service in the state) are forward-looking visionaries."

Jarrett was one of about a dozen speakers from Fort Worth to Wichita who took over the House Chamber floor for about an hour, telling legislators in both houses what they feel are the importance of rail service to their communities.

One speaker, Helen Widner, who works to improve Ponca City tourism, threatened legislators with a loss of their jobs.

"If you don't agree with us and won't vote for this," she said. "Then at the next election, we will find someone who will."

Rail passenger proponents were urging legislators to support in the way of financial assistance, extension of the Heartland Flyer, the Amtrak train that runs once daily between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, as well as other passenger initiatives.

Extending the Heartland Flyer to Newton, Kan., is a relatively easy move, Herbert said, but supporters should be urging extending service from Kansas City to San Antonio, through Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

"The track (for extending the service to Newton) is in good condition; it's just a matter of negotiations and a matter of time before that can be done," Herbert said.

Officials of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's Rail Division are negotiating that extension with Amtrak officials now, Herbert said. "In fact, I'm surprised that we didn't have some sort of announcement on this today," he said.

Even though physically, it's easy to extend the track, there are a lot of considerations. "Any time you move on train from one place, you've got to consider the effects it will have on the rest of the system," Herbert said. "When you extend the service to Newton, you've got to make sure that the train arrives and departs in time to make proper connections with other trains and make sure that Oklahoma communities have service at a reasonable time.

"We don't want trains going through Ponca City at 3 a.m."

Even though the corridor from Tulsa to Fort Worth, through Oklahoma City, has been designated as one for high-speed rail service, it will cost a lot of money to bring it in, Herbert said.

Several years ago, when the transportation department purchased the track from Oklahoma City to Sapulpa from Burlington Northern- Santa Fe, it was estimated that it would cost about $90 million to bring that track to current standards. It's not known how much it would cost to rehabilitate that track for high-speed trains.

"If we have this, then we can have railroad (passenger) service all over the state," Herbert said.