Federal Nationalization of Subways and light rail???

Trains Magazine Transit
1

Link to article in Washington Post (via a Drudge Report item)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/14/AR2009111402459_pf.htm

Headline: "Federal oversight of subways proposed"
“Red Line crash spurred safety plan Obama administration to push for Congress to change law”
By Joe Stephens and Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, November 15, 2009

Article, in part, reads:

"The Obama administration will propose that the federal government take over safety regulation of the nation’s subway and light-rail systems, responding to what it says is haphazard and ineffective oversight by state agencies.

Under the proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation would do for transit what it does for airlines and Amtrak: set and enforce federal regulations to ensure that millions of passengers get to their destinations safely. Administration officials said the plan will be presented in coming weeks to Congress, which must approve a change in the law.

The proposal would affect every subway and light-rail system in the country, including large systems in Washington, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco… "

I thouight we already had enough Federal oversight agencies? I guess Sec. of Transportation feels we need MORE ! I thought this might get some conversations going here! ( Read the article linked above)

2

Well we have a Czar for everything. Why not a oversight agency for everything? Seriously this si getting annoying.

3

Gotta find cushy, meaningless jobs for all those party hacks who got out the vote, mate.

I’m sure that some political appointee in Washington will know more about accident investigation and prevention than the credentialed engineers (civil, mechanical, electrical) already employed by the subway and light rail operators - many of which are local, state or interstate governmental agencies.

It would make just about as much sense to nationalize taxicabs (which suffer far more accidents.)

Chuck

4

With respect, your thread title (“Federal Nationalization of Subways and light rail???”) is very misleading. The article you mention doesn’t say anyone wants the federal government to “nationalize” anything. It says there is a proposal to put “local” rail safety issues under the federal government’s safety regulations the way interstate rail operations are…

Also note that, in case you’re not aware of it, the Drudge Report is written by an extreme right-wing conservative who isn’t really reporting facts but is trying to skew and mislead people to further his/their radical political beliefs. As with any blog, you always have to take it with a grain of salty skepticism.

[:)]

5

You do understand the difference between Federal oversight of subways and Federal Nationalization, don’t you? Did you misrepresent the headline intentionally?

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Sometimes odd things tend to muddle things up—one of them being a kind of tinfoil hat.

One could oversee those who claim to be overseers—so that it does not become another way to ‘nationalize’ something

I’m only suggesting----[swg]

7

Stix:

You are absolutely correct.

My point in the posting was regardless of source there is a level of truth, whatever side you come at that resource. As interested individuals whose interest lies in what takes place in our Country regarding the Railroad industry, there is as well a real interest in the area of public transportation; Local and national, and many of us are out here in the ‘hinterlands’, have limited resources, so getting infromation from wherever and what ever source, can provide each of us with a perspective that we might normally not be exposed to.

To that individual who is interested, I posted a sourced story (Washington Post). Each individual is welcome to read it, and digest it in whatever political or individual venue they might choose. Right,Left or Center.

With the political climate in a state of “Change”, and some individuals concerned with either a loss of local influence, potential loss (or gain) in a level of Federal funding. I thought that posting this article would be thought provoking, and conversationally interesting to those who come by this FOURM to see what’s happening in our areas of interest.

Your perspective is always welcome!

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The proposal would put subway and light-rail in the same position as railroads, and commuter agencies such as VRE, except that they would be regulated by the FTA (Federal Transit Agency) rather than the FRA. The FTA already exists but it hasn’t been charged to do safety related monitoring previously, and so it would need to hire and train people for this work.

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So how does this action in any way threaten a federal takeover of local transit anymore than the relevant federal agencies (FSTB, etc.) threaten Amtrak, UP, NS, the airlines. etc. with nationalization?

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Given the actual results at WAMTA, it’s possible they could do much better, too.

To be consistent, should we also propose dismantling the FRA, and we should instead have the railroads themselves, regulate, inspect, monitor, and issue fines to themselves for rail safety? Or devolve the FRA role to the 50 states to each have their own safety program? Or the thousands of municipalities?

RWM

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Regardless, too bad governmental agencies don’t have natural life spans.

Mark

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As an adddendum:

TRAINS Newswire has a similar piece on todays Wire. For those of you who subscribe.

It is similar, and as well, notes that Sec. of Transportation ( a former US Senator ) Ray La Hood plans to push his legislative agenda in the Congress and Senate. Hard to figure if he is really trying to help safety or advance an empire building, bigger government agency agenda?

My[2c]

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Any evidence that he’s putting politics and power ahead of safety? As opposed to, say, the organization whose lack of safety killed nine people?

RWM

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I think they deserve some sort of oversight. Using a supervisory train control system for a safety system is a bad thing - and it seems that this may be the reason for the crash. They should have know better.

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Look carefully. Row 10, plot D (the one with the winged angel) is the final resting place of Boss Mike Quill, of the UTW. His great-grandson, Mile Quill, IV will, soon, be in charge of ALL the transit workers in the United States. Philadelphia, you haven’t seen anything, yet! Time to buy a bicycle!

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A quote from the article above:

"Under the proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation would do for transit what it does for airlines and Amtrak: set and enforce federal regulations to ensure that millions of passengers get to their destinations safely."

Perhaps having Transportation oversee these subway and light rail systems would increase the chances of passengers getting somewhere safely, but they can not ensure it. Remember Chatsworth.

17

PhoebeVet:

I probably should have included a more thorough explanation of the issue of “Nationalization…” used as the Threads title. As was stated, I was attracted to the original article from a Drudge Report tease line on its page. The original article was from the By-Lined piece in the Washington Post. As I had credited. Unfortunately that article is now removed to their web site and accessed by membership(free).

For the reasons previously stated, I had hoped to provoke what would be some interesting exchanges on the topic on this Forum. As our current Administration moves in what seems to be many different directions to accomplish a consolidation of more Federal power with in its perview, (ie. The various czars a poster had mentioned, and the apparent FUBAR of the Chatsworth wreck and demands on more safety appliances to be ordered, and so on, ad nauseum.)

We already have a number of agencies assigned to various activities within the rail transport industry, and on its face the spectre of a former legislator, Ray LaHood trying to grow his Federal Department into more power and newer areas of control. So where ever in the spectrum that Forum members come down on, I felt it would be an interesting discussion.[#dots]

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Perhaps I am overly sensitive, but your headline was a distortion of the facts, and I personally am fed up with the Republican Party, Fox News, and an assortment of rabble rouser’s on AM radio who twist and distort everything that the current administration does in an attempt to keep conservatives in a constant state of fear that the country is being destroyed. A good example is the labeling of the heads of various federal agencies “Czars” in an attempt to make them sound evil. I am also tired of people taking every opportunity, in every forum in which they communicate, to repeat the lies and distortions.

The subways and light rail systems are not being nationalized.

If I have misinterpreted your post, then I apologize.

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That’s inaccurate. Ray LaHood was a member of the US House of Representatives, not the Senate.

And he’s also a Republican, if his party affiliation matters to you.

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Well, technically they already are and have been for years! :slight_smile: Don’t most rail systems qualify for Federal transit funds? And hasn’t every transit system or line built in the past 20 years had to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act?

But yes, the thread is highly misleading. Though if I can take a subway ride from Los Angeles to Chicago to NYC that might not be too bad, LOL