IMMEDIATE ADOPTION
Number
180324
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
050592, 050794
Sponsor
ALD. BAUMAN
Title
Resolution expressing the City of Milwaukee’s opposition to any reduction of Amtrak’s long-distance passenger train services and support for maintaining and expanding those services.
Analysis
This resolution expresses the City of Milwaukee’s opposition to any reductions to Amtrak’s long-distance passenger rail services and the City’s support for maintaining current long-distance services and expanding long-distance services where beneficial to the serve the public need. The City further urges the Amtrak Board of Directors, with the necessary review and approval of the U.S. Congress, to reverse the recent downgrading and reduction of Amtrak’s long-distance services.
Body
Whereas, The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as “Amtrak,” was created in 1971 as a quasi-public, federally-chartered corporation responsible for providing medium- and long-distance passenger rail service across the United States; and
Whereas, Amtrak operates a nationwide rail network, serving more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and 3 Canadian provinces on more than 21,400 route-miles; and
Whereas, Nearly half of Amtrak’s trains operate at top speeds of over 100 miles per hour, with some traveling at up to 150 miles per hour; and
Whereas, In fiscal year 2017, Amtrak set another ridership record, with customers taking 31.7 million trips; and
Whereas, Amtrak’s services in Wisconsin include the Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha Service (with 7 trains daily) and the long-distance Empire Builder, which traverses the state on its route from Chicago, through Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse, to the Twin Cities and Seattle; and
Whereas, In fiscal year 2017, the Hiawatha Service had ridership totaling 829,109, making it the 6th busiest Amtrak route outside the Northeast Corridor; and
Whereas, Amtrak operates 1...
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