Why Washington state should invest in passenger rail
[Washington] successfully competed for $750 million in new federal rail funds for projects with BNSF Railway from Vancouver, Washington to Blaine. These projects have multiple benefits from more passenger service to better freight access to ports and safer highway/rail grade crossings. ... The state should encourage public private partnerships for new and expanded train/bus ferry centers linked by more passenger rail. ... [M]ore trains requires more public investments in the BNSF line. Since they carry millions passengers every day, the state should explore new revenue options with them as partners. The highly successful Victoria Clipper derives only 31 percent of its revenues from ferry operations - the rest is through vacation packages with their 80 "Two-Nation Vacation" partners.
Read the full guest post -- and the rest of the blog's great transportation coverage -- here.
