Ease Congestion

Americans spend 4.2 billion hours stuck in traffic each year. HSIPR can reduce congestion on the nation’s highways and in our skies by reducing intercity and regional traffic. Currently, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Acela service accounts for more than 65 percent of the air/rail market share between New York City and Washington, D.C. and more than half of all trips between New York City and Boston. Nationwide, Amtrak takes 50,000 planes out of the air and 8 million cars off the highways each year, which results in less frequent and less extreme delays on our highways and in our skies.

Population in our economic centers is expected to double by 2050 and our already congested highways and airways will not be able to meet the needed demand. A recent poll found that four out of five Americans think the United States would benefit from expanded transportation options, including rail. Demand for rail can be seen in the dramatic increase in Amtrak ridership. Ridership has grown more than 36 percent since 2000 with strong gains in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and California. In Fiscal Year 2010 (FY 10), ridership reached nearly 29 million and Amtrak predicts they will surpass 30 million in FY 11.