Solutionary Rail, as part of the Rail Can't Wait Campaign, is thrilled to announce that our bill, Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities, has passed the Washington State House! Check out our Press Release celebrating how the bill will implement long-awaited improvements (that are affordable and achievable!) to Amtrak Cascades intercity passenger rail service.
Take Action Update for Week of March 18, 2025
All Washingtonians are encouraged to contact their Senator, asking for their support of ESHB 1837.
(Please uncheck the boxes for your Reps - they've already passed the bill).
Ask your Senator to:
*request of Senate Transportation Committee (STC) Chair Sen. Liias that he schedule ESHB 1837 for a hearing in the Transportation Committee;
*support ESHB 1837 in the Transportation Committee (if a STC member)
*support ESHB 1837 in the full Senate once the bill is referred to Senate Rules from STC.
The Urbanist published a piece on the bill being passed by the House.
TALKING POINTS:
When communicating with lawmakers on the bill, add a couple reasons that are important to you, such as:
*I value making excellent improvements to our passenger train service because it would be so much better if it was on time, faster, and more frequent. My family travels to xyx and cutting off an hour of that travel time would be wonderful.
*My kids would like to meet their grandparents on time and not late. This bill sets a goal for on-time reliability.
*Our region expects 3-4 million more people by 2050, and we need our rail alternative to help take the pressure off our highways.
*For the 25% of Washingtonians who don’t drive, this is an important bill for mobility justice.
*This bill is very popular - with over 1000 people signing in Pro in the House Transportation committee and 1200 in the Senate Transportation committee.
*The bill carries no fiscal note - it reaffirms goals set by the legislature in the past for great service which we badly need. We can fund projects in phases over time.
*This policy bill establishes improvement goals for the Amtrak Cascades passenger train service which will help our state in the coming years as we expect millions more people.
*More people choosing the train will help decongest our highways.
*This bill will help us meet our goals for reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
*ESHB 1837 will be good for local economies along the corridor and for the whole state.
An easy way to Take Action is on the Take Action website. Click the Link and scroll down the left hand column to find Actions for ESHB 1837
Learn More
Check out the Rail Can't Wait Campaign's video explaining the vision and background for the bill, comparing current and planned Amtrak Cascades service levels with those that the bill would require, and identifying some of the infrastructure improvements that could help Cascades service meet the criteria established by the bill.
Read our Q+A on the bill HERE.
Thank you to Rep. Reed and others for their leadership!
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