Tell Legislators that we need common sense rail transportation solutions.  Scroll down for ways to take action THIS WEEK (Feb 19-22) with the Washington State Legislature.

• Watch the House Hearing on Monday, 2/19 at 4pm HERE (Click View Video on the right)
• Watch the Senate Hearing on Wednesday, 2/21 at 3pm HERE (Click View Video on the right)
• Let us know the action(s) you took and any response from Legislators by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.

Background:

Microsoft’s recent paid piece in The Seattle Times plugging Ultra-High-Speed Ground Transportation (UHSGT) is NOT real journalism, and their project is NOT the “visionary” solution it pretends to be. It’s just the latest in a longstanding campaign by WA billionaires to bury common sense rail transportation solutions beneath a greenwashed, overhyped, and overpriced bullet-train boondoggle. Their ultraHSR boondoggle wouldn’t be finished for DECADES - if ever - far more time than we can afford in our fight against climate change. 

The WA House Transportation Committee released their budget for 2024, and though it eliminates a matching fund for “UltraHSR,” it does nothing to advance the Rail Can’t Wait Priorities to invest in common sense higher speed rail and other rail solutions around the state.

We predict that the Senate budget will continue to include tens of millions of dollars for UltraHSR and also ignore our Rail Can’t Wait amendments, which would have funded the development of the existing Amtrak Cascades line into a higher-speed, higher-frequency system that could be operational by 2030 and other rail solutions across the state. 

By submitting comments on the budgets (see below for suggestions on what to say), you can help our legislators see the urgent solution that’s been right in front of them for decades and give them the backbone they need to stand up to Governor Inslee, Microsoft, and the other powerful interest groups that are corrupting Washington state’s rail transportation future.

Easy Take Action

Will you help advocate for common sense rail at important budget hearings this week, in both the House and the Senate? 

Action in the House

On Monday, the House Transportation Committee holds its hearing on its 2024 Budget, HB 2134.  You can offer written testimony to the House between now and Tuesday HERE.

1. On the HB2134 Page, click the green button on the right, Submit Written Testimony.

2. On the next page,

• In the Field Committee, select Transportation
• In the Field Meetings, choose 2/19 at 4pm
• Click the radio button for PSHB 2134
• Then select, "I would like to submit written testimony."

3. For Position, we encourage you to select OTHER.

4. See below for Talking Points.

Action in the Senate

On Wednesday, the Senate Transportation Committee holds its hearing on its 2024 Budget, SB 5947. You can offer written testimony to the Senate TC between now and Thursday at 4 HERE.

1. On the SB5947 Page, click the Green button on the right, Submit Written Testimony.

2. On the next page,

• In the Field Committee, select Transportation
• In the Field Meetings, choose 2/21 at 3pm
• Click the radio button for SB 5947
• Then select, "I would like to submit written testimony."

3. For Position, we encourage you to select OTHER.

4. See below for Talking Points.

Talking Points

Talking points for Testimony (written or oral) at Senate and House Transportation Committee hearings; feel free to copy and paste, edit, add personalization:

Railyard Electrification Study:

As a climate justice advocate, I strongly urge you to include the Rail Can’t Wait priorities in the 2024 Supplemental Transportation Budget bill. They can all be paid for with Climate Commitment Act dollars, and Washingtonians will experience their benefits in the next 5-10 years. These are absolutely crucial years for slashing energy use and emissions, and mode shift to rail for freight and passengers is key. One of the priorities that is especially important to me is $250,000 for a benefit-cost study for rail yard electrification of all the major rail yards in Washington state. Money is already set aside in the current biennium for electrification of two locomotives in Tacoma Rail. For the sake of trackside communities and rail yard workers across the state, it’s time to take the next step by amending the 2024 Supplemental Transportation Bill, Section 308, to include $250,000 for a complete rail yard electrification study. Please see the Rail Can’t Wait campaign’s proposed amendments for specific language.

Rural Rail Renaissance for SE Washington:

As a climate justice advocate, I strongly urge you to include the Rail Can’t Wait priorities in the 2024 Supplemental Transportation Budget bill. They can all be paid for with Climate Commitment Act dollars, and Washingtonians will experience their benefits in the next 5-10 years. A priority that is especially important to me is the $400,000 for a study of a “Shortline Access Corridor” between Rosalia and Pasco near the Lower Snake River. The Governor’s 3-year study will provide big-picture information. But the Shortline Access Corridor is a more specific study that would be completed by the end of this year, with implementation starting in 2025. It will give farmers a competitive alternative to barging and trucking sooner, and it will allow the dams to be breached sooner. Salmon and orcas are on life support. Tribes are clear about their Treaty Rights and their crucial connection to salmon and orcas. We need this $400,000 Shortline Access Corridor study to shorten the timeline for barge replacement.

Passenger Rail Infrastructure - E-W, N-S:

Isn’t it obvious by now that we will not be able to meet our transportation challenges with more highway lanes and runways? To slash emissions and energy use, we need to choose more trains, not more lanes and planes.  Rail Can’t Wait - a campaign led by rail advocacy groups - has given committee members specific amendment language for six priorities, and we citizens need you to incorporate those amendments into the supplemental transportation budget bill. For instance, $950,000 for a benefit cost analysis of fast, frequent, reliable Amtrak service from Seattle and Auburn to Cle Elum, Ellensburg, Yakima, Toppenish, Pasco, and Spokane - where there is no passenger rail currently. And $40 million for two major rail infrastructure projects to increase the speed and reliability of trains between Seattle and Portland. These projects will benefit Washingtonians and the environment in the next 5 to 10 years. Climate Commitment Act dollars could easily pay for these projects. 

Rail by 2030 (not 2050!) can help us solve the climate crisis:

Don’t wait on WSDOT to tell you what it’s going to do for Amtrak Cascades service or East-West service through Ellensberg and Yakima to Spokane. You are our transportation legislators and when it comes to rail, we need you to give WSDOT clear goals regarding how many round trips per day, trip times between destinations, and timelines for completion of rail projects. This is an urgent matter. We are in a climate crisis and we need trains to help us reduce our energy use and get cars and trucks off the road by 2030. We are asking you to implement the six legislative priorities of the Rail Can’t Wait campaign. You have all received suggested amendment language to this end. Please: Use Climate Commitment Act dollars to fund these projects this session and give WSDOT clear instructions as to how to spend those dollars.

Thank you for communicating these important demands to our Legislators this week. Again, the deadline for commenting on the House Bill is Tuesday at 4pm; deadline for commenting on the Senate Bill is Thursday at 3pm.