State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



92_HR1013

 
                                               LRB9217292BHbh

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, Amtrak was  established  in  1971  by  the  Rail
 3    Passenger Service Act of 1970; and

 4        WHEREAS, The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act, passed
 5    unanimously    in   1997,   requires   that   Amtrak   become
 6    operationally self-sufficient by December 2, 2002; and

 7        WHEREAS, A combination of accumulated operating deficits,
 8    cash shortages, management inefficiencies, and delay in  full
 9    implementation of Acela Express service have created a fiscal
10    emergency  at  Amtrak,  with  growing  and  substantial  debt
11    obligations totaling over $3.3 billion; and

12        WHEREAS,  The Amtrak Reform Council has found that Amtrak
13    will not be  operationally  self-sufficient  by  December  2,
14    2002,  as  required  by  law, citing major inherent flaws and
15    weaknesses in Amtrak's institutional design; and

16        WHEREAS,  The  Department  of  Transportation   Inspector
17    General  Report  on the 2001 Assessment of Amtrak's Financial
18    Performance  and  Requirements  found  that  Amtrak  suffered
19    operating losses of $1.1 billion,  the  largest  in  Amtrak's
20    history,   and   that   Amtrak  is  no  closer  to  operating
21    self-sufficiency now than it was in 1997; and

22        WHEREAS, The nation should be afforded the opportunity to
23    receive safe, efficient  and  cost-effective  rail  passenger
24    service; and

25        WHEREAS,  The  current federal formula for transportation
26    funding is heavily skewed towards highways and airports  with
27    less  than  1%  directed  at rail passenger service, creating
28    highway and airport congestion and perpetuating an unbalanced
29    transportation system that is vulnerable to emergencies, high
30    traffic volumes, and temporary disruptions; and
 
                            -2-                LRB9217292BHbh
 1        WHEREAS, Amtrak currently  serves  over  500  communities
 2    across  the country, provides energy-efficient mobility, uses
 3    38% less energy per passenger mile than travel by  commercial
 4    airlines,  can  reduce  congestion  which currently costs the
 5    U.S. economy $100 billion annually, and  can  further  reduce
 6    U.S. dependence on imported foreign oil; therefore be it

 7        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
 8    NINETY-SECOND GENERAL  ASSEMBLY OF  THE  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,
 9    that  we  urge  the  Congress  of  the  United States to pass
10    S.1958,  the  Rail  Passenger  Service  Improvement  Act,  to
11    eliminate  budget  deficits  and  cash  shortages  of  Amtrak
12    through  visionary  financial  planning,   sound   budgeting,
13    accurate  revenue  forecasts,  and  careful  spending and  to
14    ensure the most efficient and cost effective  rail  passenger
15    service by Amtrak during a period of fiscal emergency; and be
16    it further

17        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this Resolution be
18    presented to each member of the U.S.  Illinois  Congressional
19    delegation.

[ Top ]