ALERT: Ask U.S. House to support bicycle roll-on on Amtrak

UPDATE 4 March 2015: The Lipinski Amendment passed!  It passed via voice vote, which appeared unanimous or very close to it.  A big step forward, was gaining the support of Chairman Shuster for the amendment.  Lipinski, Shuster, and Blumenauer spoke in favor on the House floor.

The Amtrak funding bill now goes to the Senate.  Now that the bicycle roll-on provision has passed the House, it is almost certain to survive in the final bill--support for issues like this is greater in the Senate than in the House.

Easy roll-on of bicycles--as shown in this photo--could soon become standard on Amtrak in Missouri and across the U.S.

What the bill does, is require Amtrak to come back to Congress with a report for dealing with bicycle and wheelchair roll-on at Amtrak stations.  The practical result will be a solidification of the movement towards providing for bicycle roll-on on all Amtrak trains across the country.

We are very pleased that our positive experience in Missouri with bicycle roll-on on the Missouri River Runner Amtrak route has helped to shape the national conversation about the importance of bicycle roll-on access on Amtrak trains.

Thanks to everyone who contacted your member of Congress on this issue!

[ADVOCACY ALERT - PLEASE SHARE WIDELY THROUGH END-OF-DAY WEDNESDAY MARCH 4TH 2015]

Please contact Congress to support roll-on bicycle access on Amtrak. Vote is planned for Wednesday, March 4th, 2015. Ask your representative to support the Lipinski Amendment. 

Spending 5 minutes email or calling your representative will make a difference on this amendment!

• Use the League's online Congressional Response Form here - it's easy and only takes 5 minutes or so
   

SUGGESTED MESSAGE:

Subject: Please support the Lipinski Amendment to HR 749

Dear Congressman/woman X,

Please support the Lipinski Amendment to H.R. 749, the PASSENGER RAIL REFORM AND INVESTMENT ACT OF 2015.

The amendment will standardize train roll-on service for bicycles, wheelchairs and other devices used for transportation by people with disabilities.

In Missouri, we have had roll-on bicycle service on the Missouri River Runner for over 15 years.  It has been a very successful and popular service, with both Amtrak passengers and staff alike.

[Tell a brief story about why this is important to you; perhaps a time when you traveled via Amtrak with your bike--or would have liked to, but couldn't.]

We would like to see this roll-on service that has been so successful in Missouri taken nationwide.

Standardizing roll-on service for people with disabilities and bicyclists will make the service ADA compliant and more accessible. The amendment will make Amtrak more accessible, increase ridership and give riders more transportation options once they get to their destination.

Please support the Lipinski Amendment to standardize roll-on service. 

Sincerely yours,

XXX

 

• Send a message using the League's online Congressional Response Form here - it's easy and only takes 5 minutes or so

More information about the Amtrak Roll-on Amendment

The vote on the Lipinsky Amendment is scheduled for Wed, March 4th.  Votes are often delayed, so it may be helpful to contact your representative even if it is past that time.

MoBikeFed has been part of a nationwide group working on this issue--Missouri's positive experience with allowing bicycles to roll-on Amtrak's Missouri River Runner has been one of the models we have been looking at in the effort to take bicycle roll-on capability to Amtrak trains nationwide.

New Amtrak cars with greatly improved bicycle roll-on capabilities coming to Missouri soon

MoDOT is in the process of purchasing new train cars for the Missouri River Runner and other Amtrak routes in Missouri, that will greatly improve bicycle roll-on capability.

The new Amtrak cars will hold many more bicycles, and they will also allow bicycles to be rolled on very easily--a big improvement over the current system which requires carrying your bicycle up several steep steps and around a sharp corner.

More information about bicycles on Amtrak in Missouri:

• Using bicycles on Amtrak in Missouri
• News items & updates about Amtrak & bicycles 
• Send a message in support of bicycle roll-on using the League's online Congressional Response Form here - it's easy and only takes 5 minutes or so

Thanks for taking the time to contact your elected representative--it really does make a difference!

Building a world-class transportation system for bicycling and walking in Missouri is one of the four primary goals in MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. Allowing easy intermodal use of our national transportation system--like bicycle roll-on for Amtrak--is one way we can reach that goal.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support helps turn out Vision into reality!