HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 203-05
RESOLUTION NO. 2 0 3 - 0 5
A RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
BAKERSFIELD IN SUPPORT OF AMTRAK PASSENGER
RAIL SERVICE.
WHEREAS, the voters of the State of California adopted certain bond measures
to implement passenger rail service across our state and those passenger rail systems
have now largely been constructed and services operating as defined in the voter-
approved ballot measures; and
WHEREAS, key elements of the State's transportation system are the three
intercity passenger rail corridor services (the Pacific Surfliner, the Capitol Corridor and
the San Joaquin routes) and these three intercity rail services now transport some 4.5
million passengers annually within California in large part due to the successful
partnership with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Corridor rail service is the fifth busiest Amtrak
route, in the nation, carrying 700,000 passengers annually and the partnership with
Amtrak brings certain significant operating, financial and liability benefits to the State of
California; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak has undergone a major reform of its business during the last
two-and-one-half years, resulting in substantial progress in renewing its assets and
stabilizing its costs; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak is the only entity in the nation with a statutory right-of-access
to the private freight railroads for the purpose of providing passenger rail services; and
WHEREAS, the State of California's capital investments to date for intercity
passenger rail services, based upon the voter approved bonds, are approximately $1.7
billion, with most of these funds providing new rolling stock, stations and track capacity
improvements; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City of Bakersfield to protect these public
investments for their intended purpose as expressed by the voters who approved the
bond measures which provided the initial funding for these investments; and
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WHEREAS, it is the express will of the Council of the City of Bakersfield to
continue to provide, improve and expand our intercity passenger rail program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of
Bakersfield does hereby call upon Congress to provide adequate operating and capital
funding for Amtrak in the FY2006 federal budget to allow uninterrupted continuation of
California's Amtrak operated services at the levels proposed to Congress (Amtrak
determined that $1.8 billion was needed); and furthermore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Bakersfield calls upon
Congress to preserve and improve the four National Network Amtrak trains currently
serving California (California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief and Sunset
Limited) as these trains stretch across America, uniting California and our state-
supported trains with the rest of the nation; and furthermore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Bakersfield calls upon
Congress to establish a multi-year capital funding program available to the states on a
matching basis to initiate, improve or expand passenger rail services and to provide
adequate level of capital funding for Amtrak to sustain the mandated rail passenger
services; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be provided to the
President of the United States, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, the
Governor, all members of the California Congressional delegation, and Chairs of all
Congressional Committees having jurisdiction over Amtrak and the national rail system.
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I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by
the Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on 'tf'p '1 (0015,
by the following vote:
~
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
,/ ,/ ...-.,/ V' V
COUNCILMEMBER COUCH. CARSON. BENHAM. MAGGARD. HANSON. SULLIVAN. SCRIVNER
COUNCILMEMBER
COUNCILMEMBER
COUNCILMEMBER
./
CITY CLERK and Ex Officio lerk of the
Council of the City of Bakers' Id
APPROVED t-£P '1 ~~
B
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
VIRGINIA GENNARO
City Attorney
By
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September 2, 2005
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