Railroad exec: State must crawl before it walks

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Jul 24, 2001 by Bill May

Oklahoma could expand its rail passenger services if state officials would pick up the reins and lead the way.

That's the consensus of an industry group that gathered in Tulsa to discuss the state's infrastructure and innovations in transportation. Although state officials have said for years that the state-owned rail line between Oklahoma City and Tulsa is not up to standards for rail passenger service, at least one railroader disagreed.

"It's true that trains can only go about 35 miles per hour on that track," said David Donoley, president and chief executive of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad, based in Wilburton. "That would be fast enough to get service started.

"Most of the people who ride a train are not so much interested in speed. They would rather spend the time working or reading or something than fighting traffic.

"After a ridership base has been established, then the state would have the money to straighten out that line. You've got to crawl before you can walk."

At least one state senator, Dave Herbert, D-Midwest City, tends to agree. Herbert, though, wants to go further than extending the Amtrak service from Oklahoma City to Tulsa. He wants to develop a web of commuter lines around the state's two major metropolitan areas.

"I would like to see passenger lines going into both cities to help those who would like to travel, but don't have any other means," he said in a speech.

"Oklahoma is one of the worst states in caring for the elderly. When someone in this state loses their license because they are too old to drive, we just warehouse."

Using the issue of elderly transportation, Herbert called for the state to improve the quality of life.

"When you are talking about economic development, forget incentives," Herbert said. "Quality of life is the only issue.

"If a CEO and board chairman tells the board that he's decided to move the company somewhere, the board and others in the company go along with him," Herbert said. "But when he gets home and tells his wife about the move, if she says no, then there's no deal."

Herbert also called upon the governor and legislative leaders to develop a transportation plan and for voters to "elect those with a vision."

The Federal Railroad Administration has designated a route from Tulsa, through Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, as a high-speed corridor for passenger trains.

This means there's federal money available to pay for infrastructure improvements. A state match, though, is required.

"We can receive 75 percent of a project's cost from the federal government, and we would pay only 25 percent," Herbert said during a speech to the Oklahoma Good Roads and Transportation Association's 7th annual Transportation Summit. "That's getting back four dollars for every dollar we spend.

"If I told you that I would give you four dollars for ever dollar you gave me, you'd be breaking into the bank to borrow money."

Herbert and Donoley both used ridership figures from Amtrak's Heartland Flyer -- which connects Oklahoma City to Fort Worth once daily -- as justification for expanding the service to Newton, Kan., and into Tulsa.

Through May 31, there have been 128,714 passengers on board that train, which started service June 14, 1999, according to Judi Elmore of Ardmore, speaking for the Heartland Flyer Coalition.

That means that an average of 5,506 passengers have ridden the train monthly and 181 daily. That far exceeds estimates.

Even with these numbers, though, the train is in danger of being shut down in June.

Oklahoma is using a federal subsidy to pay for Amtrak service for three years. After that, the state and passengers must foot the bill.

Because of the large number of passengers, and the amount of food and beverages consumed, Oklahoma has been putting about $1 million per year into a special fund to pay for the train. This could mean that the service could continue one year past the federal deadline.

Since it has been operating, the Heartland Flyer has been good for tourism in all the communities served, Elmore said.

Gainesville, Texas, has been the biggest recipient among the smaller communities of the largesse brought about by the train service, followed by Norman and Ardmore, according to statistics Elmore distributed.

In the nearly two years covered by the statistics, there were 31,719 passengers to Gainesville, 21,697 to Norman and 20,836 to Ardmore, the statistics showed.

Purcell had only 4,922, while Pauls Valley had 13,481 passengers.

Oklahoma City had 76,254, while Fort Worth had 88,906.

All these communities have used the train to enhance tourism in their cities, primarily tourists, Elmore said.

None of the Oklahoma or Texas towns that make up the Heartland Flyer Coalition, though, is taking steps to continue to draw tourists when the service ends, Elmore said.

"We are taking the position that the train will continue," she said. "We are looking at this positively and we feel that it will continue. No one that I know of has started preparing for the time when the train service stops, if it ever happens."