O’Neill Announces Bipartisan Support
for Commuter Rail in Northeast Ohio
Elected officials from Lake, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Ashtabula counties call
for federal investment in regional rail project, saying ‘Let’s get to work’
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneill08/2615662641/
Willoughby, Ohio (June 27, 2008) - Democratic congressional candidate Bill O’Neill, supported by a number of elected officials from all parts of the 14th congressional district, issued the call this morning for an investment in commuter rail line that would connect the region and revitalize Northeast Ohio’s economy.
The project, based on a 2001 study by the Northeast Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), would consist of two lines – the Lakeshore Line, which would run through Mentor, Painesville, Ashtabula and Conneaut; and the Aurora Line, which would run through Shaker Square to Solon and then on to Aurora and Mantua.
“Families in northeast Ohio need a better, quicker and cheaper way to get to work, particularly with gas exceeding $4 a gallon.” O’Neill said. “They also need high-wage jobs, and more time with their kids. And we all need a cleaner environment. A commuter rail project will not only improve the quality of life in Northeast Ohio, but it will go great lengths toward bettering our economy, creating jobs, attracting new businesses, and reducing the everyday stress and burden on thousands of area commuters. It will also begin the process of reducing our dependency on foreign oil.”
A 2001 NOACA feasibility study concluded that commuter rail lines in Northeast Ohio were not just feasible, but cost-effective and could be a significant boost for the economy. Upon arrival, the study estimated that each line would take about 7,000 cars off the road daily. In his remarks this morning with an abandoned rail station in sight, O’Neill again asked why nothing had been done.
“The answer is simple,” he said. “Commuter rail has never had a champion from Northeast Ohio in Congress. That has to change, and when elected I will be that champion. This is a jobs issue, this is an economic issue, and this is an environmental issue. I pledge to you all assembled here today, send Bill O’Neill to Congress and I will take the NOACA feasibility study off the shelf, I will dust it off, and together we will make sure it is implemented.”
# # #