Here is a letter my Mom wrote to Sen Johnson.
Dear Senator Johnson,
I am writing to you as a citizen of Michigan concerned about the erosion of funding for alternative means of public transportation available to those in areas not convenient to airports, those without automobiles, the disabled, those who do not wish to travel on clogged highways that are in disrepair, and those citizens who do not wish to tackle treacherous winter driving conditions, which as you know lasts for many months here in Michigan. I am referring specifically to the funding for the Blue Water and Pere Marquette Amtrak lines that are proposed to be funded at $6.1 million dollars, which amounts to a short fall of $1 million dollars needed to keep these two lines in operation.
Certainly, as the chairperson of the Senate Appropriations Committee you are concerned with fiscal situation that Michigan is facing at this time, which is significant. The Blue Water and Pere Marquette Amtrak lines are solely dependent on the state to provide funding for its continuation, unlike the Amtrak line which runs through your district, and receives funding from federal government. Public rail transportation is an important, viable alternative to other means of transportation and is safe, economical, and efficient. The ridership on both of these lines have increased substantially, and more people are turning to rail travel in light of increased gasoline costs, and the ease and worry free mode of travel it provides. In my area of East Lansing/Lansing, the Blue Water line provides much needed transportation for students at MSU, as well as students at WMU and Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, and residents along the route of this line. The Pere Marquette line serves western Michigan, and provides much needed transportation to citizens in this area as well as to the university students of Grand Valley State, Hope College, Calvin College and Aquainis College. Rail travel is much less costly than airline travel and more convenient for many citizens in areas served by the Blue Water and Pere Marquette lines. The Blue Water line runs from the Canadian border in Port Huron to Chicago, and is a life line to many residents along its route. My family frequently takes the train to Chicago to visit our son who lives there. It is hassle free travel, relaxing, less expensive than driving, and much more convenient and less time consuming than traveling by bus. When we reach our destination we don't worry about parking our car and paying costly parking fees in Chicago.
In the event of a catastrophic situation such as 9/11, rail travel is absolutely essential. The plane on which I was traveling on 9/11 was forced to land in St. Louis, and I was stranded there with no hotel room, no possibility of renting a car, and no way to get home in a timely manner since no planes were allowed in the air for three days. Later that evening I was able to take a train to Chicago, and the next morning continue by train to East Lansing. The Blue Water line (formerly the International) provided me safe passage home.
I urge you to seriously consider reinstating the $7.1 million dollars needed to continue the Blue Water and Pere Marquette lines to operate in Michigan. Rail travel is an essential part of the transportation system in Michigan and in the United States.
