Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and nine of their mayoral colleagues have sent a letter to the Arizona Congressional Delegation, asking them to support a proposed Amtrak railway expansion plan in Congress that would connect Tucson to Phoenix.
Regional Mayors Letter of Support – Amtrak Corridor Development Program FINAL (1)
It would also provide a route for people from both cities to take a train to Las Vegas and the coastal parts of California.
In the letter, the mayors expressed support for the Amtrak expansion by noting:
“Frequent and reliable passenger rail service will expand economic opportunities and provide important regional connections between our cities and towns.”
In a joint press release between both Tucson and Phoenix Mayors, Ms. Romero stated:
“I am pleased to join my fellow Mayors from both Pima and Maricopa County in supporting a new passenger rail line between the Tucson and Phoenix metropolitan areas. This new service will yield important economic benefits throughout the region, increase travel options for millions of Arizonans, and help us reduce our carbon footprint. Importantly, funding for passenger rail is included in the proposed bi-partisan infrastructure bill, which will help Arizona catch up to other states when it comes to passenger rail service availability.”
Ms. Gallego relayed:
“Phoenix continues to grow at a remarkable rate. These new residents rightly expect to have more options for moving throughout the state for business and for recreation. Expanded rail service is a big step toward meeting that need, as well as relieving traffic congestion on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson in a sustainable, cost-effective way.”
Mayor Gallego, along with other mayors and governors from across the country, also met with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and other Administration members to discuss infrastructure needs across the nation.
Afterward, Ms. Gallego issued a statement which read:
“I strongly support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework. This partnership with the federal government is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on our success and to regain our footing in the wake of the pandemic. It is important for Congress to act now, so we can continue to move toward our shared vision of what Phoenix can be: an equitable, green city where families and businesses thrive, knowing their future is safe and secure.”
If fully constructed, this Amtrak railway expansion, according to their estimates, would have a $1.9 billion positive economic impact from one-time capital investments and generate just under $78 million in annual activity.
Amtrak-2021-Corridor-Vision-May27_2021-1 (3) (2)
In an Arizona Democratic Party Press Release, Hannah Goss noted that investments in infrastructure such as the Amtrak Railway expansion along with “repairing our roads and bridges, connecting every family to reliable high-speed internet, delivering clean drinking water” are supported by the great majority of Americans including sixty percent of Republicans.
This should not be hard.
Hopefully, Congress will pass all these needed infrastructure priorities that will move the country forward and lift up the American People before the summer is over.
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