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Letter from eight Senators to Sen. Chafee and Sen. Baucus (organized by the Massachusetts Sierra Club) urging reauthorization of ISTEA funding.

May 20, 1998
United States Senate - Washington, DC 20510

Honorable John H. Chafee
Chairman ,
Environment and Public Works Committee
410 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510

Honorable Max Baucus
Ranking Democrat
Environment and Public Works Committee
458 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Gentlemen:

As the conference committee moves toward completion of its work on the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), we want you to be aware of our support for a project authorized in the House-enacted bill (BESTEA, Sec. 332(a) #98) -- the North-South Rail Link. We hope the conferees will support this project by incorporating the following provision into the final legislation.

"Completion of the North-South Rail Link between North Station and South Station in Boston, Massachusetts will close the only gap in the East Coast intercity rail passenger system. This Rail Link will greatly enhance the federal investment in the Northeast Corridor by providing continuous interstate rail service along the entire Northeast Corridor from Washington, DC, to Portland, Maine, serving many communities in between. Similarly, the Link will enhance public investment in the regional commuter rail network by dramatically increasing the distribution capability and accessibility of the rail lines that radiate from North Station. The benefits of this intermodal project will extend to regional international airports, thus increasing efficiencies at these facilities, reducing the need for expansion and land acquisition, and maximizing high-speed rail throughout the entire region. The Rail Link project provides an opportunity for innovative financing initiatives, including public-private partnerships. $60 million is authorized to complete the final design, engineering and environmental permitting necessary for the Rail Link, and to begin preliminary construction."

The 1994 Final Report of the National Commission on Intermodal Transportation, established by the ISTEA legislation of 1991, cites the North-South Rail Link as a project of "regional and national- significance" that deserves federal funding (p. 16). We look forward to working with you to obtain funds needed to close the only gap in intercity passenger rail service along the Eastern Seaboard. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sen. Olympia J. Snowe
Sen. Susan M. Collins
Sen. James M. Jeffords
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
Sen. John F. Kerry
Sen. Jack Reed
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.