Category Archives: Announcements

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Announcements, FYI, News, Press Releases

Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman’s contract extended through 2013

Amtrak Press Release

WASHINGTON – At the July 29 Amtrak board of directors meeting, the board voted unanimously to extend the contract of current President and CEO Joseph Boardman through 2013. Amtrak board chairman Tom Carper made the following statement:

“I am extremely pleased that the Amtrak board of directors has unanimously agreed to retain President and CEO Joe Boardman through 2013. Since he was tapped for the job in November of 2008, Joe has been a strong and visible leader dedicated to providing Amtrak the vision and stability needed to guide the railroad into this new era of passenger rail.

“Joe’s focus on a safer, greener and healthier Amtrak will enhance safety, improve the reliability of our services, reduce trip times and increase speeds, yield targeted and effective infrastructure investments, and ensure the delivery of quality customer service. And as we near the end of the fiscal year, it appears Amtrak will rival our all-time high ridership and ticket revenue record.

“Joe is also strengthening our relationships with state, commuter and other partners to add frequencies to current routes and develop service in new markets. In addition, he is setting the stage for Amtrak to be a competitive force as we expand our role in new markets as America’s only high-speed rail operator.

“He is an active part of the Amtrak family and is committed to building and strengthening relationships, from states to labor organizations.

“On behalf of the entire board, I thank Joe for his commitment and service to Amtrak and look forward to working with him in the coming years.”

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Source: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249212839294&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_ATK-10-104_Amtrak_Statement_Boardman_Contract_Extension_(07-30-10).pdf

Announcements

Amtrak’s Fleet Expansion in Danger

Take Action

Fight to expand America’s passenger train network

It has been a banner year for passenger trains in America, with unprecedented funding for high speed rail and a number of reports linking train investment with job creation.  However, that momentum is threatened by early budget numbers coming out of Congress that, if passed, would lead to the stagnation of Amtrak service and delay the development of high speed trains across the country.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development met on July 1 to mark up a 2011 spending bill which would cut Amtrak funding $833 million—or 32%—below Amtrak’s request, and reduces state grants for high speed and intercity passenger rail to $1.4 billion, almost halving what high speed trains received in 2010.

Yet at the same time, the committee chose to actually increase highway spending $4.1 billion above what the Obama Administration requested!

All this comes when Amtrak is seeing record ridership, and is central in the push to create a national high speed rail network that would transform the way Americans travel.

The good news is it is still early in the budgeting process, and there is time to increase those figures.  But we need your help to make sure we can expand train service and purchase enough equipment to meet soaring demand!

Tell your elected official that the country needs more trains!

From
Ross Capon, president
NARP

Announcements, News, Press Releases

MDOT, Amtrak and Greyhound to host groundbreaking for new Pontiac Transportation Center

MDOT Press Release

Contact:  Janet Foran, MDOT Office of Communications,
foranj@michigan.gov 
517-335-7176
Agency: Transportation
WHAT: The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Amtrak, Greyhound and the city of Pontiac will host a groundbreaking for the new Pontiac Transportation Center, which will serve both passenger rail and intercity bus passengers. The intermodal station is expected to be finished by summer 2011. Located at 51000 Woodward Ave., the facility will serve as a hub for mass transit, including Amtrak’s Wolverine service to Chicago.WHO: State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle
Thomas Carper, Amtrak Board Chairman
Pontiac Mayor Leon Jukowski
Heather Carmona, Executive Director, Woodward Avenue Action Association
State, county and local officials
Business and community
representatives Interested public

WHEN: Friday, July 16, 2010
10 a.m.

WHERE: 51000 Woodward Ave., southbound
Pontiac

BACKGROUND: Pontiac’s central location is an important asset to the community. It is at a transportation crossroads, serving passenger rail, intercity bus and local transit customers, with easy access to I-75 and M-59, and Oakland County International Airport. SMART, which serves local transit passengers in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties, stops within sight of the facility on Woodward Avenue.

The previous transportation center was demolished in 2008. The new energy-efficient, fully accessible facility will be built with 100 percent state funds.

During construction, tickets must be purchased online from Amtrak or Greyhound, or from a kiosk or agent in another facility. When the new facility opens, a Greyhound ticketing agent will assist bus passengers.

Greyhound has eight daily schedules that go through Pontiac. The top five destinations of travelers from Pontiac are Chicago, Indianapolis, Saginaw, Lansing and New York. Greyhound has 160 locations throughout the state of Michigan.

As the nation’s intercity passenger rail operator, Amtrak connects America in safer, greener and healthier ways. Amtrak also is the partner of choice for state-supported corridor services in 15 states, including Michigan. Amtrak has three routes in Michigan, including the Blue Water to East Lansing and Port Huron, the Pere Marquette to St. Joseph and Grand Rapids and the Wolverine to Detroit and Pontiac. Ridership on Amtrak services in Michigan is up over last year, with more than 300,000 passengers on the Wolverine so far this year.
Announcements, News

MDOT Honors Indian Trails

From Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau

100 Years of Service Recognized

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan State Transportation Commission has honored Indian Trails, an Owosso-based motor coach company, for its 100th anniversary.

“Indian Trails is an important part of the transportation network in our state,” MDOT Chief Deputy Director Jacqueline Shinn said during the brief ceremony in which Indian Trails President Gordon Mackay was presented with a plaque recognizing the company’s service.

Shinn noted the third-generation family-owned motorcoach business carries one million passengers and travels four million miles annually. She also singled out the company’s Michigan Flyer service serving East Lansing, Jackson and Ann Arbor to and from Detroit Metro Airport.

“Since it began in 2006, Michigan Flyer has continued to grow with 270,000 riders utilizing the unique service,” Shinn said.

“We are proud of the relationship Indian Trails has and continues to have with MDOT,” Mackay said, commenting on the recognition. He accepted the plaque “on behalf of our 135 dedicated employees.”

Founded in 1910 by Cora and Wayne Taylor of Owosso, Michigan, Indian Trails was originally known as the Phillips-Taylor Livery Service and specialized in moving passengers and freight from the local Durand Union Train Depot to points around Shiawassee County. True pioneers in their field, the Taylors actually built some of their first autobuses.

A picture of Cora Taylor hangs in the Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor as one of the leaders in transportation in Michigan.

Today, Indian Trails operates some 54 state-of-the-art coaches from three modern facilities in Owosso, Kalamazoo, and Metro Detroit with daily services between Bay City and Chicago, as well as routes between Grand Rapids and St. Ignace, Bay City and St. Ignace, Lansing and St. Ignace, and all of the Upper Peninsula. For more information, visit www.indiantrails.com.

Indian Trails President Gordon Mackay (left) accepts a plaque honoring Indian Trails for 100 years of service from Michigan Department of Transportation Chief Deputy Director Jacqueline Shinn (center) and Michigan Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Wahby (right)

Announcements, FYI, Meetings

Michigan By Rail Forum scheduled for July 22 in Traverse City

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The Michigan By Rail Public Forum in Traverse City will be held on July 22, 2010 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The forum will be held at the Civic Center which is located at 121 West Civic Center Driver, Travese City, MI 49686.

Hosts for the Traverse City Michigan By Rail forum will include Michigan State Senator Jason Allen, State Reps. Wayne Schmidt, Dan Scripps, Darwin Booher and Traverse City Mayor Chris Bdzok.

The Great Lakes Central Railroad is offering an invite only train trip from Cadillac to Traverse City as part of the Michigan By Rail Public Forum in Traverse City. If you are interested in riding the train to Traverse City, contact Hanah Clark by July 16, 2010 at (231) 941-6684.

The federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) requires states to prepare state rail plans in order to receive federal rail grants.  The Michigan Department of Transportation is in the early stages of putting Michigan ’s rail plan together.  Public participation and input is a requirement of a successful state rail plan.   

In the summer and fall, 2010, the Michigan Environmental Council, the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers and partner organizations will convene a series of public forums throughout the state in an effort to engage Michigan citizens in a discussion about their vision for the state’s passenger and freight rail system.    

For more information, visit our previous post at http://www.marp.org/?p=1985.
or the Michigan By Rail website at http://www.michiganbyrail.org.