John Mica: “I would like to insert in the Record a letter by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials…”

“I would like to insert in the Record a letter by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, commonly known as AASHTO, in support of the measure and also a letter from the Association of American Railroads in support of this measure. On behalf of the Standing Committee on Rail Transportation and the Intercity Passenger Rail Leadership Group of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), I am writing to support House passage of H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. The States have been leading the way in developing rail corridors through investment in capital projects to increase capacity, reduce travel times and improve on-time performance. In addition, 14 states support intercity passenger rail through payment of operating costs on additional frequencies on routes. According to a survey by AASHTO, at least 35 states are developing intercity passenger rail plans for additional future service. I would like to thank you for including funding for the intercity passenger rail capital grant program to assist states in improving infrastructure on intercity passenger rail routes.”