One Region, One Voice: The Need for the New England States to Collaborate as a Region to Secure ARRA High-Speed Rail Funds

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1 June 10, 2009 Governor M. Jodi Rell Governor Deval Patrick State of Connecticut Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts State House State Capitol 210 Capitol Avenue Room 280 Hartford, CT Boston, MA Governor John E. Baldacci Governor John Lynch State of Maine State of New Hampshire #1 State House Station 25 Capitol Street Augusta, ME Concord, NH Governor Donald L. Carcieri Governor Jim Douglas State of Rhode Island State of Vermont State House, Room State Street, Pavilion Providence, RI Montpelier, VT Re: Developing and Implementing a Regional Rail Blueprint for New England Dear New England Governors: We, the New England Rail Coalition, write to express our strong hope that you will be an active leader in developing, and taking the steps needed to implement, a blueprint for a vastly improved rail system for New England one that will strengthen each of the New England states individually, and the region as a whole. An Unprecedented Opportunity: The Obama Administration s High-Speed and Intercity Rail Program As you know, President Obama and his administration have made the development of high-speed and intercity rail a top priority for improving our nation s transportation system, and for achieving the many important economic, environmental and social benefits of rail. The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act s (ARRA) allocation of nearly $10 billion for passenger rail ($8 billion for high-speed and intercity rail, and $1.3 billion for Amtrak), accompanied by the Obama administration s recently published Vision for High Speed Rail in America, mark a landmark shift in policy and a much-needed federal commitment to building a transportation system for the 21st century. One Region, One Voice: The Need for the New England States to Collaborate as a Region to Secure ARRA High-Speed Rail Funds To capitalize on this historic opportunity, it is essential that the New England states work cooperatively to develop and implement a blueprint for a rail system (both passenger and freight) that integrates the states with one another, and the New England region with other regions of the country as well as with Canada. The Obama administration s Vision for High Speed Rail in America emphasizes

2 the need for multi-state partnerships and, no doubt, will reward projects that are part of a greater regional plan. Secretary LaHood of the U.S. Department of Transportation similarly has stressed the importance of multi-state cooperation and coordination for rail investments, and even has suggested a joint program administrator, or high-speed rail czar, for the Midwest region which, as discussed below, is at this time better organized as a region than New England. Although we are aware of good examples of interstate cooperation in New England for example, the recent announcement by Governors Rell and Patrick that Connecticut and Massachusetts will work together to implement New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail service it is essential that the New England region as a whole begin to organize, coordinate, and establish a region-wide rail plan. This level of regional organization with the New England region speaking with a single voice on the needs and opportunities for strategic rail investments will be critical for the region to compete for ARRA rail funding. The Midwest Region: Making Strong Regional Advances For more than ten years, numerous states in the Midwest have been working together collaboratively, as a region, through a Midwest Regional Rail Initiative. As a result of this ongoing regional cooperation, the Midwest region is widely regarded to be well-positioned to capitalize on ARRA rail funds. Building on this past work, and heeding the Obama Administration s call for regional cooperation, the governors of eight Midwestern states, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, recently wrote Secretary LaHood to outline a specific, phased plan for investing in and improving rail throughout that region. Calling for even greater regional coordination, last week U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (IL), Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wrote the governors of seven Midwest states urging their support and participation in a Midwest High Speed Rail summit with the goal of ensuring that the Midwest is speaking with one voice when communicating our vision of high speed rail to the Federal Government. A Call to Action: Critical Next Steps for Organizing the New England to Make it Competitive To effectively compete for ARRA rail funds, the New England region must organize, and do so quickly, to develop a common voice and strategic vision. An opportunity to do so is just around the corner. As you know, the Council of State Governments (CSG) is organizing a New England Rail Summit as part of its August 3, 2009 regional meeting in Burlington, Vermont. We view this summit as a critically important step in establishing a coordinated regional blueprint for rail in New England. We urge each of you to attend to demonstrate broad support and active participation from the entire region and to commit to a regional effort in which the states will work closely with one another on an ongoing basis, eventually with the coordination of a joint program administrator, to fully develop, and cooperatively implement, that blueprint. Because the ARRA high-speed/intercity rail program is moving forward quickly, time is of the essence for achieving regional, New England-wide coordination. Accordingly, we urge each of you to direct your respective transportation agency to convene with one another at least once in advance of August 3 to begin multi-state coordination, and to make the CSG summit that much more productive. To ensure efficient progress in this effort and to provide other states, and stakeholders, points of contact we urge you to designate an official from your administration to be the lead staff and liaison for this regional effort. Finally, we urge you to strongly consider and actively engage Canada in upcoming regional rail planning. Strategic rail investments for both high-speed passenger service, and freight could greatly enhance the movement of people and goods between New England and our trading partner to the north, mutually benefiting the New England states and eastern Canadian provinces. Taking the above steps (1) designating lead staff to advance this work on your behalf and to serve as your respective state s liaison; (2) convening those liaisons, and staff, in the coming weeks to begin developing a regional blueprint for rail; (3) ensuring consideration and involvement of Canada for regional rail planning; (4) engaging in the CSG New England Rail Summit; and (4) committing to ongoing regional cooperation, with the eventual designation of a regional joint-program administrator or rail czar to implement that blueprint will better position New England to capitalize on significant new opportunities for federal rail funding, allowing it to better compete with other regions, and enabling it to build the region-wide, integrated rail system New England and its constituent states so desperately need.

3 The New England Rail Coalition would be happy to assist in convening a meeting of designated liaisons and staff to begin the process of developing a regional blueprint for rail in New England. We also will be happy to assist in these efforts during and after the CSG New England Rail Summit. We look forward to supporting and working with you and your state agencies to advance the development and implementation of a regional rail plan for New England. Respectfully, Association for Public Transportation Richard J. Arena, President P.O. Box Boston, MA Fmr. Rep. John A. Businger (MA) Vice Chair, North-South Rail Link Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) 33 St. Paul Street Brookline, MA City of Lebanon, New Hampshire Kenneth Niemczyk, City Planner 51 North Park Street Lebanon, NH Connecticut Public Interest Research Group Ilicia Balaban, Program Associate 198 Park Road, 2nd Floor West Hartford, CT Conservation Law Foundation Thomas F. Irwin, Senior Attorney 27 North Main Street Concord, NH Environment New Hampshire Paul Burns, Regional Program Director 30 South Main Street Concord, NH Environment Maine Paul Burns, Regional Program Director 9 Exchange Street Portland, ME Grow Smart Rhode Island John A. Flaherty, Director of Research & Communications 235 Promenade Street, Suite 550 Providence, RI Maine Association of Planners Maureen O Meara, President P.O. Box 6260 Cape Elizabeth, ME Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group Elizabeth Weyant, MASSPIRG Staff Attorney

4 Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance Andre Leroux, Executive Director 15 Court Street, Suite 600 Molly McKay Transportation Chair, Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club 8 Riverbend Drive Mystic, CT The National Corridors Initiative (founded 1989) James P. RePass, President & CEO 59 Gates Street Boston, MA New England Association of Regional Councils David Danielson, President 9 Darby Lane Bedford, NH New Hampshire Businesses for Transportation and Infrastructure Mark Richardson, President 135 Hitching Post Lane Bedford, NH New Hampshire Railroad Revitalization Association Peter J. Griffin, President 85 West Shore Road Windham, NH Omya Inc. Erik Bohn, Director of Logistics - Region Americas Three PSI Plaza, 61 Main Street Proctor, VT Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail Herbert Singleton, President P.O. Box Springfield, MA Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Timothy W. Brennan, Executive Director 26 Central Street, Suite 34 West Springfield, MA Rail Users Network Richard Rudolph, Chair 55 River Road Steep Falls, ME Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group Phineas Baxandall, Ph.D.

5 Smart Growth Vermont Noelle MacKay, Executive Director 110 Main Street Burlington, VT Trainriders/Northeast Wayne Davis, Chair Box 4869 Downtown Station Portland, ME Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission Peter G. Gregory, AICP, Executive Director 3117 Rose Hill Woodstock, Vermont U.S. PIRG Phineas Baxandall, Ph.D., Senior Analyst for Tax and Budget Policy Vermont Public Interest Research Group Paul Burns, Executive Director 141 Main Street, Suite 6 Montpelier, VT Vermont Rail Action Network Christopher Parker, Executive Director 2121 Kurn Hattin Road Putney, VT Friends of Connecticut Heidi Green, President PO Box Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT cc: Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Department of Transportation Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele, State of Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie, State of Vermont James A. Aloisi, Jr., Secretary of Transportation, MA Executive Office of Transportation George N. Campbell, Jr., Commissioner, NH Department of Transportation David Cole, Commissioner, Maine Department of Transportation David Dill, Secretary of Transportation, Vermont Agency of Transportation Michael Lewis, Director, Rhode Island Department of Transportation Joseph F. Marie, Commissioner, CT Department of Transportation Encls.