But shippers are pounding on the table for more rail service. "Give us rail."

January/February 1989
MCRS-Sponsored Symposium Explores Regeneration of County Rail


From county government: Jim Eddie, Supervisor, Mendocino County:

"My board is trying to support railroads in every way possible. We know they're important to the North Coast. One thing that bothers me, as well as the other board members, is that it is so difficult to improve the roads going north. We've used up the existing corridors, and expanding those roads becomes extremely difficult. It looks like railroad is the best alternative we've got going to Eureka and now to the coast. We need to all work together in some type of a coalition to strengthen railroads."



From city government: Ed Scott, Mayor, Willits:

"If you're in the railroad business, want you in this area; if you're a shipper, those railroads need your business; and if you're part of the PUC-part of the government, or regulatory agencies-we're going to need your cooperation."



From consumer groups: Joanna Avilla, Standard Structures, Santa Rosa:

"I should say that the existence of Standard Structures is dependent upon the railroad."



Rod Woolley, Pacific Lumber Co., Scotia:

"Pacific Lumber used to ship-when I used to work for them in '77-over 90% of our lumber by rail. Up until this year it was down to about 10%. The last couple of months it's been getting better."



From railroad advocates:

Jack Boone, Chairman, MCRS:

"The three railroads, the California Western, the Eureka Southern, and the Denver & Rio Grande Western (which now owns the NWP line), affect locally six counties and directly affect the entire state. Our goal, our reason for being here, is to develop a viable methodology that can allow and assist railroads to become totally regenerated to service today and tomorrow."



Tony Leibert, North Bay Transit Committee:

"We've been able to convince all eleven incorporated Marin County cities that rail is the way to go for the Highway 101 commuter crunch between Healdsburg and San Francisco. Two weeks ago all eleven endorsed rail over a busway to use the NWP right-of-way."



Ruth Rockefeller, MCRS:

"I'd like to give an overview of the data we've received from other states concerning their rail transportation. The common thread is that most of them began to act when they were faced with terrible losses of rail trackage. In Iowa, they were going to lose 50% of their track in 1980. South Dakota, I think, was losing 9,000 miles of track. Much of this was because of the business failures of the Rock Island, the Great Northern, and other big railroads.

So, other states have acted where perhaps we've been a little smug. We haven't been faced with the devastating loss that others have. We of the Society believe that we need to act regionally and also reach out to the other areas in the state where there are short lines that need help."