Supporters Like You

“My interest in passenger rail travel began in 1960, following my initial long-distance train ride to Georgia, with my mother, to visit family. My next long-distance train trip occurred in 1967, when our family journeyed west, on the California Zephyr. In the early 1990’s, I became aware of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers and joined the organization. I attended the organization’s meetings, on a regular basis. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the members’ advocacy efforts, on behalf of passenger rail.

At some point, I became aware of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, a national passenger rail organization, and decided to join it too. Based upon the contents of the newsletters, I saw that the organization had an excellent vision of what the passenger rail system should be in America.

In early 2006, I was approached, by a couple of members of M.A.R.P., who were also members of N.A.R.P., and solicited to run for a position of what was then the board of directors of N.A.R.P. I agreed to do so and, fortunately, I was elected. I have been on what is now known as the Council of Representatives, ever since then.

I have always viewed intercity passenger rail as a very integral part of the nation’s transportation system. While passenger rail will never again attain the status of being the primary mover of people, from one location to another, it still provides a very clean and efficient means of traveling from one place to another in this country. Most importantly, for many people, it is their only means of traveling long distances. Even for those who do have the ability to travel by other means of transportation, passenger trains still offer a viable alternative to spending hours behind the wheel of a car or sitting in a cramped seat on an airplane.

I see the RPA as a much-needed advocate on behalf of the many people who use and need a viable and, hopefully, expanding passenger rail system. It is extremely important for the organization to continue to educate the members of both the national and state legislative bodies about important issues concerning passenger rail.”