Hotline #748

DOT Secretary Andrew Card told Amtrak President Claytor that President Bush plans to fill the four Amtrak board vacancies that don't require Senate confirmation. Together with Wisconsin Governor Thompson, they would create a year-long, Bush-appointed majority on the Amtrak board and might hire Claytor's successor. But first they might have to fire the 80-year-old Claytor, who says he would not resign under such circumstances. House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D.-Mich.) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D.-N.J.) wrote to Bush and Card, respectively, urging them not to proceed.

The Washington Post reported that Claytor would have retired right away if Bush had won, but would wait for Clinton to take office now. The Post quoted Capitol Hill sources saying Claytor has made it known that he favors appointment of the current Amtrak executive vice president, William S. Norman. Other candidates also were mentioned -- Long Island Rail Road President Charles W. Hoppe, Washington Metro General Manager David Gunn, and Federal Transit Administrator Brian Clymer.

Neil Goldschmidt, the former Portland mayor and Oregon governor who was President Carter's last DOT secretary, is heading the Clinton transportation transition effort. We hear that a strong contender for Clinton DOT Secretary is Peter Tufo, chairman of the New York State Thruway Authority, who, this week, visited several Washington transportation leaders.

Rep. Norman Mineta (D.-Cal.), the likely new House Public Works chairman, urged President-elect Clinton to fully fund ISTEA programs. NARP has urged Clinton to include intercity passenger-rail projects in any infrastructure program.

The chairman and ranking member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Senators Lautenberg (D.-N.J.) and D'Amato (R.-N.Y.), both said this week they plan to keep their posts.

This week, DOT Secretary Andrew Card answered NARP's August 20 letter urging him to consider rail improvements rather than a third Chicago airport. He acknowledged naming Chicago to Milwaukee, Detroit, and St. Louis as an ISTEA grade-crossing corridor, but suggested that a new airport was needed anyway. Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar is still reviewing sites for a third airport.

Canada's Royal Commission on Transport has released its final report. It proposes ending all transport subsidies over 10 years -- including VIA's -- but no one thinks air subsidies and mostly provincial road subsidies will end. Although the government is likely to shelve the Commission's report and both opposition parties want nothing to do with it, the report strengthened enemies by claiming that VIA's subsidy is ten times that enjoyed by other modes.

Canadian Pacific has applied to abandon the Sherbrooke-St. John line that crosses northern Maine and is used by VIA's Atlantic.

Voyageur Bus Company has filed another application with Canada's National Transportation Agency to force VIA fares to increase.

Amtrak and Caltrans again are offering Capitol Corridor promotional fares. Last winter, when the fares were offered, ridership soared. Ridership plummeted, however, when the fares were dropped last Easter. Now, the fare is back. Return fares will be $1.00, through April, except for certain holiday black-outs. Children 2-15 get half off that and seniors get 15% off that when traveling Monday-Thursday. NARP has been requesting this as a way to improve the corridor's ridership and revenues.

Harbor commissioners for the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have given approval for an $18-million purchase and improvement of Union Pacific track leading to the port. This is part of a larger intermodal project to eliminate grade crossings and funnel trains of several railroads into the port over one right-of-way.

The European Community will introduce a plan next month for a massive public works program linking eastern and western Europe, including high-speed rail, according to the Washington Post.