Newspaper: Passenger rail could be a boon for Oklahoma
July 30th, 2017
July 29, 2017 - TahlequahDailyPress.com -
State Reps. Monroe Nichols and Forrest Bennett are on the right side of history - and they're on the side of Oklahomans who believe restoration of a robust passenger rail service could be a boon for this state.
Nichols and Bennett are Democrats, but their ideas shouldn't be pooh-poohed by the crowd that labels any such program a liberal pipe dream. They have the support of many business groups - and chambers of commerce - and corporations that would also like to see movement in this area, especially in a line extending from Tulsa to Oklahoma City and back.
The two are co-authoring an interim study on passenger train service, and they've got the facts to support the project. Nichols told NPR last week that there are about 5,000 daily commuters between Oklahoma City and Tulsa: "If we think about the safety implications, think about the productivity implications for those folks who are working and traveling back and forth, that alone shows that this has tremendous viability.
Read more: http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/opinion/editorials/passenger-rail-could-be-a-boon-for-state/article_b03c48c7-2b5f-5ac7-8261-9ff4931884fb.html
State Reps. Monroe Nichols and Forrest Bennett are on the right side of history - and they're on the side of Oklahomans who believe restoration of a robust passenger rail service could be a boon for this state.
Nichols and Bennett are Democrats, but their ideas shouldn't be pooh-poohed by the crowd that labels any such program a liberal pipe dream. They have the support of many business groups - and chambers of commerce - and corporations that would also like to see movement in this area, especially in a line extending from Tulsa to Oklahoma City and back.
The two are co-authoring an interim study on passenger train service, and they've got the facts to support the project. Nichols told NPR last week that there are about 5,000 daily commuters between Oklahoma City and Tulsa: "If we think about the safety implications, think about the productivity implications for those folks who are working and traveling back and forth, that alone shows that this has tremendous viability.
Read more: http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/opinion/editorials/passenger-rail-could-be-a-boon-for-state/article_b03c48c7-2b5f-5ac7-8261-9ff4931884fb.html