The US Senate approved a $13 Billion funding package for Amtrak earlier this month, nearly doubling the previous funding for the National Railway. The move comes amidst an amazing confluence of factors, in a world rapidly changing before our very eyes, chief amongst them the record price of gasoline over the past year and the subsequent increase to record train ridership and decrease in the power of the major automobile manufacturers.

With the House of Representatives having past a similar measure last week, the bill now moves to the Oval Office to await the President’s signature in order to be enacted. Not suprisingly, the Bush Administration had threatened to veto Amtrak funding earlier this year, but with the recent passage of the legislation with near veto-proof majorities in both chambers of Congress it is unlikely, though still possible, that Bush would risk the unnecessary embarrassment of having a veto turned over this late in his term.

It is an economic fact that any viable transportation method needs public subsidies in order to remain accessible to the majority of the population. You pay for your car, but the government pays for the roads, bridges, other infrastructure and traffic law enforcement. You pay for your plane ticket, but the government pays for the airports, flight control and then bails out an airline every decade or so. Where a society chooses to put its transportation subsidies speaks volumes to what its priorities are and this recent piece of legislation goes a long way in showing politicians are finally getting the message about energy efficient transportation.

You can takepart by checking out the National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates to help push for smarter transportation alternatives.

LINKS:

Wall Street Journal: Senate Approves $13 Billion Amtrak Funding Bill

Wired: Uncle Sam Opens Wallet for Amtrak

CNN: House Approves Amtrak Funding