STATE GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVES ON LIGHT DENSITY RAIL OPERATIONS

With the growth of our economy, service by complementary and sometimes competing modes of transport--highway and air--has also come about. However, recent applications filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission leave no doubt that the desire exists to reduce substantially the mileage of rail track and thin that network of service in Wisconsin. A look at the statistics shows that momentum is just gathering on track abandoment proceedings in Wisconsin. Not only will the abandonment process accelerate, but the facilities and areas impacted will be of greater import than ever before in the state's transportation history. What approach can a state such as Wisconsin take to the threat of large-scale abandonments? What actions are possible; what tools are at hand: In recognition of the variety of interests and conflicts in the entire situation, three basic factors stand out--the present carriers; the current shippers; and the rather formless shape bearing the mask of future generations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented before the Symposium on Economic and Public Policy Factors Influencing Light Density Rail Line Operations, Boulder, Colorado, January 10-11, 1973.
• Corporate Authors:

  Surface Transportation Policy Project

  1100 17th Street NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Clapp, N M
• Publication Date: 1973-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 4 p.
• Serial:
  • American Highways
  • Volume: 52
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: American Highway Users Alliance

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abandonment; Branch lines; Businesses; Economic conditions; Highway planning; Operations; Policy; Population; Railroad transportation; Regional planning; Regulations; State departments of transportation; States; Statistics; Traffic managers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Shippers
• Old TRIS Terms: Government policies; Government regulations; State planning
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Economics; Law; Policy; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00048301
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 11 1974 12:00AM