HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-04-12 93-228 RESOLVECOUNCIL ACTION
Date April 6. 1993 Item No. 93-228
Item/Subject: Resolve Appealing CP Rail's Piling to Abandon
Rail Linea in Maine and Atlantic Canada
Responsible Department: Community and Economic Development Dept.
As you may know: Canadian Pacific Railway has filed for
authority to abandon four sections of rail linea operated by
Canadian Atlantic Railway in Maine and Atlantic Canada.
The proposed abandonment is being opposed by many Canadian
interests including our Sister City of Saint John. Maine State
Government is also very concerned and considering official action.
The attached Resolve sets forth several important reasons to
maintain this rail service and states that the City officially
appeals the proposed abandom ent to the National Transportation
Agency of Canada.
Dope lent Nea
Manager's Comments: U
City Manages
Associated Information:
Finance Director
City Solicitor
X Passage
_
First Reading PageX of 2
Referral
93-228
Assigned to councilor Shubert' April 12, 1993
_ CITY OF BANGOR
(TITLE,).BSOISIB;. Appeal of OF Pail Filing.f Authority to Abandon is
Rail Linea in. Maine era Atlantic Canada
_...... ___.. .... ... ......... .......... I-, ... I ... ..... . ....._.._
By Ne City Council Won City ofBaypor.
RESDLFED, THAT, wRBREAS the Canadian Pacific Railway has filed
for authority to abandon the four sections of rail line operated in
Maine and Atlantic Canada by the Canadian Atlantic Railway, and
WHEREAS said filing was made to the Secretary, National
Transportation Agency of Canada. on February 24th, 1993; and
WHEREAS the final date for opposing parties to file an
appeal of CP Mills abandonsent is 60 days from the date of CP Mills
filing, Friday, April 23, 1993; and
WHEREAS it is in the best interest of the City of
Bangor and the State of Maine for said rail line to continue
operating; and
WHEREAS the transportation heads of the citizens and
businesses of the City of Hanger are well served by the operation of
the Canadian Atlantic Railway; and
WHEREAS the abandomaent of the Canadian Atlantic
Railway would create an economic hardship for the economy of Bangor
and Maine; and
WHEREAS the preservation, utilization and expansion of
ail transportation infrastructure in Mein is a high priority of the
citizens of Maine, the Maine Legislature and the Maine Department of
Transportation; and
WHEREAS VIA Rail service on the Canadian Atlantic
Railway is, currently, the only rail passenger service available in
the State of Maine; and
WHEREAS there exists the potential for AMTRAR rail
passenger service to be extended to connect with the existing VIA
Rail service on the Canadian Atlantic Railway in Mine within the
foreseeable future; and
,E
WHEREAS there is expanding commerce and travel between
Maine communities and the Canadian Provinces; and
WHEREAS expanding reasserts and travel between Maine and
Canada are essential to the economic health and social well-being of
our respective regions.
NDN, BE IT 'HEREBY RESDLVED by the City of Bangor City
Council, that the City of Bangor joins with other Maine communities,
the State of Maine, the City of Saint Sohn and other Canadian
commmunitles, and appeals to the National Transportation Agency of
Canada to deny the Canadian Pacific Railway's-abandonnent
applications. The City Manager is hereby authorized and ordered to
file an appeal on behalf of the City of Bangor with the Secretary,
National Transportation Agency of Canada to deny the Canadian Pacific
Railway's request for authority to abandon its rail linea operated by
the Canadian Atlantic Railway in Maine and Atlantic Canada.Maine and
Atlantic Canada.
93-228
EE50LVE
IN CITY COUNCIL
April 12, 1993 Appeal of CP Mills Filing for Authority
Passed to Abandon its Rail Lines in Mine and
Atlantic Canada
CITY LeHH J
fA�CITY OF BANGOR
QITff,)Q$Q�jiQ�Appeel oP CP Ae11'e_Filing. for ,Authority to Atanaon, its
Canelo
B9 Bu City Causal ofSw City ofBaaaor:
RBBOLVBD, TMATs MEMBERS the Canadian Pacific Railway has filed
for authority to abandon the four sections of rail line operated in
Maine and Atlantic Canada by the Canadian Atlantic Railway, and
WHEREAS said filing was made to the Secretary, National
Transportation Agency of Canada on February 24th, 1993; and
HMSBRAS the final date for opposing parties to file an
appeal of CP Rail's abando Bent is 60 days from the date of CP Rail's
filing, Priday, April 23, 1993; andBango-
WHEREAS it is in the beet interest of the City of
operat inq; and and the Brats of Maine for said rail line to continue -
perat
WHEREAS the transportation needs of the citizens and
businesses of the City of Bangor am well Served by the operation of
the Canadian Atlantic Railway; and
WHEREAS the abandcewent of the Canadian Atlantic
Railway would create an economic hardshipfor the economy of Bangor
and Maine; and
WHEREAS the presexvatione utilisation and expansion of
rail transportation Infrastructure in Maine is a high priority of the
citizens of Maine, the Maine. Legislature.. and the Maine 0eparteent of
Trareportation; and
WHEREAS VIA Rail service on the Canadian Atlantic
Railway is, currently, the only rail passenger service available in
the State of Maine; and
MHEREAS there exists the potential for AMTMAS rail
passenger service to be extended to connect with the existing VIA
Rail service on the Canadian Atlantic Railway in liaise within the
foreseeable future; and
93-228 2
WHEREAS there is expanding commerce and travel between
Maine communities and the Canadian Provinces; and
WHEREAS expanding commerce and travel between Maine and
Canada are essential to the economic health and social well-being of
our respective regions.
NOW, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the City of Bangor City
Council, that the City of Bangor joins with other Maine coamiunitieS,
the State of Maine, the City of Saint Sohn and other Canadian
communities, and appeals to the National Transportation Agency Of
Canada to deny the Canadian Pacific Railway's abandonment
applications. The City Manager is hereby authorised and ordered to
file an appeal on behalf of the City of Bangor with the Secretary,
National Transportation Agency Of Canada t0 deny the Canadian Pacific
Railpay's request for authority to abandon its rail lines operated by
the Canadian Atlantic Railway in %acne and Atlantic Canada.Maare and
Atlantic Canada.
C1j; - ei'
MAINE UBANGOR, MAINE SAUDI
LA W.
IY:�OYRCH?1� " INS. aa:re4s 03
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ATIRICIA A. WILUAM7116II R
MARSNE H LLMEARLIERM
WILLIAM M. NUBERT
RICHARD 1. STEENS
CHARLES AN Snurv<x
April 13, 1993
Ma. S. Clement
Secretary
National Transportation Agency
Ottawa, Ontario KlA0N9
Dear Ms. Clement
The City of Bangor, Maine, USA, hereby files this appeal
concerning the proposed abandonment of the Canadian Atlantic Railroad
which crosses Maine between McAdam, N.B. and Lac Megantic, PO.
The subject of this appeal is Canadian Pacific Railway's four
applications filed with NTA on February 24, 1993 regeesting authority
to abandon the following:
(1) The Halifax Subdivision which includes the Aentville,
N.S. Spur, a distance of 4.6 miles, and the Kingsport
Spur, &tlistance of 2.3 miles.
(2) The Bdmondstan Subdivision, a distance of 7.8 miles.
(3) In Quebec, the Sherbrooke, P.O. Subdivision, a distance
of 68.4 miles, a portion of the Tring subdivision, a
distance of 1.4 miles, and a portion of the Moosehead
Subdivision, a distance of 16.4 miles.
(4) The mettawamkeag Subdivision, a distance of 5.6 miles,
the McAdam Subdivision, a distance of 84.23 miles,
McAdam Subdivision to the end of track, a distance of
3.2 miles, the St. Stephen subdivision, a distance of
33.9 miles, the St. Stephen Subdivision to the end of
track, a distance of 4.6 miles, and that portion of the
Fredericton Subdivision, a distance of 1 mile.
The City of Bangor appeals to the National Transportation Agency
to deny the application of the Canadian Pacific Railway to abandon
Maine's moat direct rail connection to the Canadian rail system and
Maine's only rail passenger service.
Bangor is served by the mine Central and Bangor and Aroostook
railroads, which connect with the Canadian Pacific system at
mttawamkeag and Brownville Junction respectively. The Canadian
Pacific system is Bangor's most direct rail connection to the
Maritime Provinces, as well as to the Province of Quebec and central
Canada. At the present time, the VIA Rail service on the Canadian
Atlantic line is the only regularly scheduled year round rail
passenger service in the state of mine. This VIA Nail service
constitutes Maine's sole, regularly scheduled, public land
transportation link with New Brunswick, Province of Quebec and, by
connection at Montreal, the US AMTRAE system.
The State of Maine is, however, experiencing a strong resurgence
of interest and support for trains, especially for passenger trains.
Much of this interest was, initially, nostalgia on the part of
railroad buffs who had never fallen away from the romantic attraction
of the powerful locomotive leading its parade of sleek and
comfortable cars across an unspoiled landscape. However, we are now
Being a new type of support for railroads based on purely practical
and economic grounds.
As the long and steady improvement in our standard of living has
slowed, even declined among some population groups, the cost of
purchasing and operating the personal auto has risen to prohibitive
levels for some families and businesses. Likewise, the cost of
maintaining highway infrastructure has outpaced the availability of
federal, state and local government revenues for this purpose. As
motor vehicle operation has become more efficient in response to
rising costs and government mandates, fuel tax revenues have declined
and governments have had to search for alternatives to ever
accelerating highway maintenance costs. The recent passage of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) is a
response of the US federal government to this growing fiscal crisis
in transportation. At the State of Maine level, the proposal to
widen the mine Turnpike from four to six lanes sparked a successful
citizen initiative to impose extensive consideration of alternative
transportation for all state highway projects which would increase
highway capacity. For the first time, the citizens have said to
state government that new highway capacity is the transportation
option of last resort.
As a result, public and masa transit options are being given
preferential consideration Overand bigger highways for the
private automobile. Highway traffic management methods are being
valuated; road and bridge projects, already in the pipeline, are
being considered for downsizing or elimination. The State of mine
is buying up abandoned railroads in response to bond issues recently
approved by the voters of the state who are forward thinking enough
to realize that this alternative transportation infrastructure should
be preserved as a future transportation option. Short -line railroad
operators are being courted by state transportation planners seeking
to reopen previously abandoned rail lines in order to respond to the
demands of commuters and industry alike who are seeking alternatives
to highway travel.
It is iconic, and we believe short-sighted, that railroads have
chosen this time to abandon rail lines which have played such a
Important historical role in the development and economic well-being
of our region. It is apparent to us that we are ort the verge of an
era of renewed interest in the railroads as an important alternative
to highway and air travel. The deregulation of the US airline
industry in the last decade has resulted in great variances and
fluctuations in air fares which, in turn, has discouraged many former
r travelers. The increased cost of both air and auto travel has
led to the success of a new express bus service between Bangor and
Boston. This bus service compares favorably with auto travel in both
time and costs. Intercity bus transportation, after decades of
decline, like rail passenger travel, is now coming back. This is
very real evidence that the public is reawakening to the viability of
public transit as a cost-effective and convenient alternative to the
private automobile.
Another example of the new popularity of public transportation is
the recent funding of rail upgrade of the Maine Central Railroad into
Maine by the US Dept. of Transportation and the selection of a
location for a new railroad station in the City of Portland. Rail
passenger service between Boston and Portland will, after an absence
of nearly half a century, again be a reality within two years. The
next goal of the effort to revive raipassenger service
in Maine, is
to extend the service to Bangor. From here, it isa simple extension
of rail passenger service over either Bangor and Aroostook track to
Brownville Jct. or over Maine Central track to Mattawamkeag. Such a
connection would provide convenient rail travel into Atlantic Canada
and to Quebec. This future transportation prospect opens up a
greatly increased opportunity for cross-border travel by tourists and
business travelers, of such great importance to economic growth and
stability on both sides of our common border.
It is our understanding that surveys of VIA Rail passengerso n
the Canadian Atlantic route indicate that various US east coast
locations are the destination of a high percentage of those
Passengers. Aneventual connection with AMTRAK service at either
Brownville Jct. or Mattawamkeig would be a convenience and time
saving option for VIA Rail passengers destined for US points south
and west of Maine. With AMTRAK service into Maine new a certainty,
e believe that continued VIA Rail service will prove profitable for
both VIA Rail and AMTRAK and their passengers. Discontinuance of VIA
Rail service across Maine, at this time would close the door on the
possibility of connecting US and Atlantic Canada rail passenger
service. To do so ignores the historically close ties between the
people of Maine and those of Atlantic Canada, and is blind to the
ever increasing a relationships between us. This time of
increasing free trade across our common border is a time for expanded
communications and travel opportunities - not less as the proposed by
Canadian Pacific's rail abandonment request.
The original planners of the Canadian Pacific recognised that the
best and shortest route for a rail connection between Montreal and
Atlantic Canada was across the State of Maine. Geography has not
changed in the past century. The fastest and shortest transportation
route between central Canada and Atlantic Canada is still across
Maine. The Canadian Pacific tracks in Maine have added immeasurably
to economic growth on both sides of the border. its abandonment at
this point in tine would turn its back on the future potential for
continued growth as our cultures and economies become ever more
linked to the world beyond our borders.
We are excited about the future of rail passenger service in
Maine. We ask that you seriously consider the long range impacts of
Canadian Pacific Rail's abandonment request upon our entire region,
before a decision is made. Doing so, we are confident that the
future of VIA Rail service across Maine is, indeed, a bright one.
r
Please don't diminish the future o£ our region's transportation
infrastructure. We prevail upon youtodisapprove Canadian Pacific
Rail's abando:mient request and ensure the future economic well-being
of the Maine/Atlantic Canada region
Please find the enclosed Bangor City Council resolve which orders
the City Manager to file this appeal.
truly,
John Bragg
Mayor
JB/SCM/rp
Enol: AS
C: Mayor Elsie Wayne, City of Saint John
Dana Connors, MDOT