Some good news for passenger trains. Help us make more!

Some good news for passenger trains. Help us make more!

Grants have been awarded for projects to expand rail in Vermont and New Mexico, and for public transit in Milwaukee and Tacoma. Many people worked hard behind the scenes to make them happen, in their home communities, and in Washington, DC.

The success of state organizations like the Vermont Rail Action Network and the Amtrak Southwest Chief Coalition, and of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, depends on the volunteer time and financial support of people like us.

One way you can help coordinate national and local rail advocacy efforts is to join the NARP Council. The deadline to apply is December 1. Please consider applying!

I think I still don't have enough time. If I had enough time, I'd volunteer to fix ESPA's broken website.

I talked to Bruce Becker last weekend on the Autumn Excursion. ESPA has contracted with a web site outfit to revamp their web site and we should hear about it in the near future.

BTW, how do the Council elections work? Are all seats elected in the same two eyar cycle or are they staggered two year cycle? How many at large seats are up for election in 2016? How does one tell which state ones are up for election 2016? Or are they all?

jis said:

BTW, how do the Council elections work? Are all seats elected in the same two eyar cycle or are they staggered two year cycle? How many at large seats are up for election in 2016? How does one tell which state ones are up for election 2016? Or are they all?

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All Council seats are elected for two-year terms, so everyone is up for re-election who files to run. State reps are elected first, then at-large seats are elected at the spring meeting. The complete list of current Council members and vacancies is here, but it appears that there will be about 25 vacancies (some folks are retiring, others have moved, and others are ineligible to run again). There will be at least two at-large vacancies, as one current member is ineligible to run again, and I plan to run for a Washington state seat.

Frankly, I think that the system is confusing, and should be changed. Some of us are working on that.

If anyone is interested in running and has questions, please feel free to message me privately.