We wholeheartedly support the proposed legislation and wish to offer to your committee such assistance as we might be able to provide. You may be interested in a brief résumé of our activities in the transportation field to date. Several years ago, American Machine & Foundry Co. recognized the need for development of advanced ground transportation systems. In 1963 we conducted an evaluation of the various tarnsit modes then in existence or in advanced stages of development. On the basis of this study, we came to the conclusion that the SAFEGE suspended monorail system offered the greatest promise for the future, both technically and economically. We then acquired a license from SAFEGE Transport, Inc., for exclusive rights to the system in the United States. Experience gained from the investment of time and money in our monorail system has brought us to the realization that research and development costs for ground transportation need to be considered in this same category as those for aircraft, space, highway and other programs which were beyond the means of private enterprise in their early stages and which now serve the interests of the entire Nation. It is on this premise that we urge favorable action by your committee on the pending bill, H.R. 5863. And it is from this foundation of experience that we offer our assistance to your committee. Faithfully, CARTER BURGESS, Chairman. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS, THE TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Evanston, IU., July 7, 1965. Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics, Committee on Interstate Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN STAGGERS: I have just finished reading H.R. 5863, which is a bill to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to undertake research and development in high-speed ground transportation, and for other purposes, and Secretary Connor's supporting statements, and I want to encourage your support of that bill and related financing. We are heavily invloved in transportation research and development here at Northwestern and a number of us have had occasion to study the work of the Department of Commerce in the high-speed ground transportation research and development areas. There is no question but what the Commerce Department work meets a national need and that it is of high caliber. There is real need to meet requirements for intercity transportation in our emerging megalopolis areas, and the Department of Commerce would appear to be the only agency with the resources and authority to do the basic studies providing ways to meet these transportation problems. Section II of H.R. 5863, which refers to transportation data, statistics, and other information, is an especially important part of the work. Our lack of basic data upon which to plan transportation and for use in meeting current transportation needs is appalling. If the Department of Commerce can work more effectively in this area, there should be many efficiencies in private and public local, metropolitan, State, and regional and national transportation activities. We badly need basic work to determine what kinds of statistics should be developed, how current they should be, and how they should be managed. Yours very truly, W. L. GARRISON, Professor. AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION, Re House bill 5863. Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS, Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN STAGGERS: This international union of which I have the honor to be president, is the dominant union in the local transit and over-theroad bus operations in the United States. Thus, the union represents all of the operating employees of the Greyhound Corp. and a substantial number employed in the Trailways system. The latter two companies are significant carriers of passengers not only throughout the country, but also in the so-called northeast corridor. Nationally we represent over 18,000 employees in these two systems. H.R. 5863 is, therefore, of interest to this international union and its members. It is obvious to this union that serious consideration must be given to some solution of the increasing problem of effective, efficient, and comfortable transportation of passengers on the ground at high speeds. H.R. 5863 proposes to use Federal funds to initiate research and development of high-speed ground transportation. We can and do agree with this objective. We reserve our acceptance of the proposed legislation, however, unless it is corrected to relieve the affected transportation employees from bearing the full burden of the cost of the resulting technological improvements and development. While this international union agrees with the objective toward which H.R. 5863 is directed, it recognizes that many of the employees it represents will be adversely affected by the demonstration projects contemplated in sections 1 and 3 of the bill. In the recently enacted Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-365) there was included section 10 (c) which provided protection to employees who would be adversely affected by the carrying out of the purposes of the bill. In section 5(2) (f) of the Interstate Commerce Act the Congress provided protection for employees affected by the carrying out of its provisions. The same is true with respect to section 1(18) of the Interstate Commerce Act. Indeed, as far back as 1933 the Congress, when enacting legislation which would adversely affect the employees of railroads, provided for the protection of their interests. H.R. 5863 falls within the same category as the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 and the Interstate Commerce Act in that the gains to be made will be made, to some extent at least, at the expense of the employees who have devoted their lives to the transportation industry. For these reasons, this international union proposes an amendment to H.R. 5863 based upon section 10 (c) of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964. This amendment would continue the congressional policy of amelioration of the adverse effects which employees suffer as the result of a congressional act. If thus amended, this international union would have no objection to the enactment of H.R. 5863. The amendment we propose is attached. May we express our appreciation for being permitted to present our views to the committee in this fashion. Very truly yours, JOHN M. ELLIOTT, International President. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO H.R. 5863 SUBMITTED BY THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION Section 5 of H.R. 5863 shall be redesignated as section 6 and a new section 5 inserted as follows: "SEC. 5. In carrying out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary shall comply with the provisions of sections 3(c) and 10(c) of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964." THE NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: On behalf of the New England Council, I would like to take this opportunity to submit for your consideration our views on H.R. 5863 and companion bills which would authorize the Secretary of Commerce to undertake research and development in high-speed ground transportation. The council is a private, nonprofit organization and is composed of 2,200 memhers drawn from business, labor, education, and government within New England. It is devoted to the development of a sound and dynamic region through utilization of all human, natural, and material resources. It seeks to identify the region's broad public interest and to promote appropriate programs of action to implement its findings. The council is, therefore, vitally interested in H.R. 5863 and companion bills. Any proposal that seeks to improve passenger transportation to, from, and within the region, is a matter of keen interest to the New England public. With this in mind, the New England Council believes that H.R. 5863 deserves most emphatic and wholehearted support. The problems in providing adequate passenger service by all common carriers require immediate solutions. They cannot, in our opinion, be resolved without Federal assumption of responsibility, a b Luoш jo suns ir jo niipuədxə əy for in a s 0 0 0 1 se se preferredxə of sprən sənətməyi puər qədṛnbə JOŚ]][!q@[]Вле од рив п018qsë рив лод мәниәәмдә рәдрвол әҙ Jo поприод зи хә иә әил 018u[ysBM 01 по sog шолу лорылоо 1ѕвелоп de um das so perfume pads to in əyl Spas (8) pur: squəməscid - paper (7) qəmdṛnbə puɛ demo ar produs (1) :əəşadək dəqəs -sed the e-go po po du me para dar si des dчL *рв ә4B1S 07 попурри иț әәив4sISSB [[иви [вләрәл до әәлдәр әшоѕ 48BƏ] 48 рив south of New York can be improved significantly. Yet, the need for improved service and even continued service is most urgent northeast of New York; however, only short sections of the run between Boston and New York can accommodate high-speed service because of track curvatures and the general condition of the roadbeds. To undertake meaningful highspeed demonstration projects between Boston and New York may well require substantial expenditures. Because of these higher costs and the urgency for finding a viable system of intercity passenger transport, a major proportion of the allocated funds should be applied to projects in the corridor section between New York and Boston. New England provides promising opportunities for experimentation in the following areas: (1) Rail service along the shoreline-Boston-Providence-New York. (2) Rail service for such high-density areas as Springfield and Hartford as part of the overall project of a more viable passenger transportation system. (3) Bus service in New England, with special reference to providing the smaller communities with transportation to the major rail terminals or airports. This problem is particularly severe in northern New England, where rail passenger transportation is virtually nonexistent. The design of demonstration projects, moreover, should incorporate the development of integrated bus and train schedules. (4) Availability of modern, adequate, and well-located terminals. The present unsystematic location of terminals for different purposes is certainly an element in New England's overall passenger transport problem, and should, therefore, be examined in this light. Great danger exists that valuable rail terminal properties in New England cities may be diverted to other uses, while at the same time acute inadequacies develop for bus terminals. It is our understanding that in the first year under this bill it is intended to allocate about half of the $20 million for research and development work applicable to the next decade. Though it is, of course, important to work toward the more distant future, it is far more urgent to solve the problems which exist today and those of the immediate future. Moreover, there is an everpresent threat of abandonment of a substantial portion of rail passenger service in New England. We therefore urge that serious consideration be given to examining the major portions of the funds available in the early years of this program for demonstration projects with immediate application. In our view, air transportation can meet the needs for longer distance, veryhigh-speed passenger transportation now and in the foreseeable future. Today airlines render excellent service on most trips of this distance; for example, between Boston and Philadelphia, and Boston and Washington. There is every reason to believe that this air service will be further improved in the near future as jetprop and jet airplanes become increasingly available for these runs. It may be presumed that more modern planes with a greater frequency of service will soon be supplemented by improved all-weather facilities at New England airports, strengthening still further the competitive position of commercial air travel on the longer corridor hauls, and expanding rapidly the ability to move more passengers at great speeds with improved dependability. Indeed, the improvement of facilities for instrument landings, at both large and smaller airports in New England, should be awarded a high priority in transport planning. Finally, we strongly endorse the utilization of funds under H.R. 5863 for origin and destination studies. We hope that the results of such studies will be given wide publicity with maximum dispatch. In summary, we would like to stress that the conditions requiring improvements in rail service within the northeast corridor, and particularly in New England, foreshadow the problems of other parts of the country as they reach the same degree of population density and industrial concentration. The central issue before the committee appears to us to be whether to emphasize immediate or more distant needs. While we recognize the desirability of long-range research and development work, it is our view that the solution of today's rail passenger problems must be assigned top priority. Respectfully yours, GARDNER A. CAVERLY, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK, INC., Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The board of directors of Commerce and Industry Association, the largest service chamber of commerce in the East, has adopted a policy recommended by its commuter transportation committee in support of the proposal that research and development in high-speed ground transportation be undertaken by the Federal Government. We therefore urge favorable consideration by your committee of legislation which authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to undertake such a program. We feel that it is important to communicate to you the sense of the New York business community, which we represent, that it is in the public interest to move to meet the critical intercity transportation problems which now exist and will greatly multiply by 1980. We believe research in high-speed ground transportation may save many billions of dollars in doubling or tripling our air and highway expenditures, which in any event do not solve the problem of access to the city centers. Such legislation is an important step in that direction. We concur with the thoughts expressed in the President's letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, dated March 4, 1965, in which he underscored the need for legislation of this kind. We would greatly appreciate having this expression of our opinion considered by the committee and made a part of the record of hearings on this legislation. Very truly yours, GARRARD W. GLENN, Chairman, Commuter Transportation Committee. AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION, Re H.R. 5863. Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: These comments on behalf of the scheduled airlines are submitted in connection with H.R. 5863, the legislation pending before the committee which would authorize the Secretary of Commerce to undertake research and development in high-speed ground transportation. Although the bill is drawn in such broad general terms as to leave the objective and the procedure poorly defined, the testimony of Secretary Connor has served to clarify somewhat the Department's intentions in carrying it out. Since the general purpose of the legislation appears desirable, the airlines do not oppose it. Our principal concern is not with the proposal to lend Government assistance to research and development in high-speed ground transportation, but rather that the preoccupation with such a program may cause those in charge of its administration to fail to give adequate consideration to other potential trans portation solutions to the national transportation problem. The danger of falling into such a restricted outlook becomes apparent in the recent decision to embark on an extensive rail improvement program at the same time it was held undesirable as a matter of national interest to continue the support of passenger helicopter operations. In testimony earlier this year in the Senate, touching on the unwise withdrawal of the Federal Government from further support of the helicopter experiment, we expressed our concern over urban growth and congestion and the Nation's requirements for transportation facilities to cope with that growth. We said in part: "If this problem of transportation in urban areas is not to become a major brake on the productivity of our cities, imaginative solutions must be found. Many solution are being considered and many will be needed. "We have built expensive highways. We will have to built more. But land for highways in urban areas is becoming increasingly scarce. And when this land is available, its acquisition is becoming prohibitively expensive. Combined land acquisition and construction costs of highways in some urban areas now run as high as $50 million a mile. "We will have to apply a whole new kit of transport tools. This might well include the high speed railbed such as is proposed for the northeast corridor from Boston to Washington, even at a final cost of from $2 to $4 billion. We are also talking of multimillion-dollar monorails and new subway systems." We indicated our belief that the helicopter and other vertical or short takeoff lift aircraft hold considerable promise for making a substantial contribution to-ward meeting this metropolitan area congestion problem. Yet the decision was made to terminate Government assistance to helicopter operators at the very time when they appear to have subsidy-free operation in sight. In connection with the research into transportation data and statistics asprovided for in the bill, would it not be advisable to clarify somewhat the purposes for which the data are to be used in contributing to the "improvement of the national transportation system"? The airlines cooperate with the Bureau of the Census in its transportation surveys, as well as the CAB in the regular collection of air traffic statistics and will be glad to cooperate with the Secretary of Commerce in any programs involving the collection of data. In short, while the general objective of the bill is desirable, we urge that it not cause a loss of perspective on other potential transportation solutions. Cordially, S. G. TIPTON, President. AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS, Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS, Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The House Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics has before it H.R. 5863 which would authorize the Secretary of Commerce to undertake research and development in high-speed transportation for the purpose of improving the national transportation system. The AFL-CIO supports this legislation and urges that it be promptly acted upon by your subcommittee. The problem of fast, efficient, and economical transportation between urban areas grows more serious daily. As a result of the passage of the Transportation Act of 1958, railroads have been permitted to discontinue interstate passenger trains unless the Interstate Commerce Commission determines that the particular trains involved are required by the public convenience and necessity and that their continued operation is not an undue burden on the railroads or on interstate commerce. As a result, passenger railroad service throughout the country, and particularly between the urban areas of the east coast, has been seriously eroded. While there is general agreement that some means must be found to preserve and improve rail passenger service, the current trend is in the opposite direction. The need for studies, therefore, of the type provided for in the bill is urgent. The AFL-CIO believes that H.R. 5863 should receive favorable consideration by your subcommittee. We would point out, however, that the bill would authorize not only research into the problems of high-speed intercity transportation, |