PETITION SEEKS NEW RAIL SERVICE IN STATE

An attempt to revive passenger railway service in Missouri through a statewide fuel tax would give travelers much needed alternatives, said a Springfield, Mo., man who is leading an effort to put the idea on the ballot.

"We need to preserve this type of transportation for the next generation," said Steven Reed, who has been seeking to create rail routes in his area for over 10 years.

Reed got approval from the secretary of state's office last week to begin collecting the 120,000 signatures needed to place the petition on the ballot. The petition would create a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax on fuel. An estimated $4 million in annual revenue generated by the tax would help pay for passenger rail service between St. Louis and Joplin, Mo.

The petition lists 11 other communities that would be part of the railway line, including Rolla, Lebanon and Branson. Although none of the towns are in Southeast Missouri, Reed believes he can find support in the region.

"If people support this, there's a chance that rail service could be expanded to Southeast Missouri," he said. "At least we'd be at a starting point."

The head of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association doubts Reed's idea will work.

"With the demands right now on the state budget, I just don't think it would find much support, if any," said Mitch Robinson.

Although St. Louis' Metrolink experiment with citywide rail travel has had some success, Reed's proposal would not allow access to many people in the state, Robinson said.

A high-speed rail corridor between Kansas City and St. Louis has been given support by the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, which unites nine states and Amtrak in looking at ways to improve and expand passenger rail services.

However, the plan doesn't expand rail service in the state. It envisions feeder bus routes bringing passengers to railway hubs in Jefferson City and Kansas City to catch a train.

Reed is not put off by opposition to his idea. His visions for rail travel have met with similar roadblocks ever since his father wrote a letter to Union Pacific Railroad in 1989 suggesting the company start a passenger railway between Springfield and Branson.

Reed hopes people will realize the bigger possibilities. In Oklahoma, supporters of increased passenger railways are better organized. If they succeed, it could lead to links stretching from Chicago through Missouri and into Texas.

But with a year to gather approximately 300 signatures a day, Reed's main focus is in Missouri.

His plan has no big donors' support, so he plans to solicit funding from the public.

Reed has not found a person to champion his cause in Southeast Missouri yet, but he said he is looking.

"What we're saying is that with gas prices getting so high, everyone will be looking for alternative travel," Reed said.