Why Fund Amtrak?
Loss of Amtrak trains would harm peoples’ mobility. Many smaller communities served by Amtrak are poorly served by other forms of public transportation – or not served at all. Air travel to smaller places is expensive, and bus lines are disappearing. Many types of people – elderly, disabled, students, those with medical conditions who cannot fly – need trains as a travel option. Federal investment in Amtrak has fallen, but investment in highways and aviation has grown. Considering inflation, from 1982 to 1991, aviation spending is up 97%, highways up 25%, Amtrak down 36%. No mode of transportation can do without federal support. Had other federal government expenditures been reduced correspondingly, there would be no federal budget deficit. Travel on Amtrak rose during nine straight years. In 1991, Amtrak accounted for 6.3 billion passenger-miles, up from 4.2 billion in 1982. After dropping to 6.1 billion in 1992, Amtrak bounced back to 6.2 billion in 1993. Problems directly related to
