When: Wed. December 31, 1969 6:00 PM

Rees Shearer of RAIL Solution to address
CAPPE Annual Meeting Feb. 23

Public Welcome

Rees Shearer will be the featured guest speaker at the 2009 Annual Meeting of CAPPE, scheduled for Monday, February 23 from 7-9pm at the Blount County Library.

Shearer is founder and Chair of RAIL Solution, a Virginia-based grassroots advocacy group with over 1200 individual participants and a coalition of allied organizations. RAIL Solution emphasizes balanced transportation planning, with a leading role for railroads.

“We promote railroads as a safe, clean, efficient carrier of freight and people,” says Shearer. “Our long-term vision is to employ faster, upgraded rail service. Rail infrastructure and service improvements to 21st Century standards will enhance the well-being of the citizens and businesses in Tennessee, Virginia, and up the I-81 Corridor into Pennsylvania. Our transportation plan promotes public health and safety while preserving the financial, environmental, and cultural integrity of our homes, farms, businesses, and communities.”

Now RAIL Solution is focused on the I-81 Corridor between Knoxville, Tennessee, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. RAIL Solution is promoting the I-81 Corridor Steel Interstate – a railroad that will demonstrate to America the capabilities of rail to provide faster, cleaner, safer, greener, cheaper time-sensitive freight and passenger service that will be much better for business.

RAIL Solution representatives were in Washington, DC early in February to participate in hearings considering investments in rail as part of the federal economic stimulus package. Virginia's I-81 corridor was repeatedly brought up as an example of how a transformational shift in public spending could affordably divert trucks onto trains. RAIL Solution is seeking to have the I-81 corridor rail initiative designated as a pilot project in the next federal transportation bill reauthorization.

Shearer’s presentation, set for 7:15pm, will cover the story of RAIL Solution, which formed in response to a 2002 proposal to privatize I-81 in Virginia into a truck tollway with four exclusive truck lanes down the center. In 2003-4, RAIL Solution secured 48 local government resolutions favoring rail infrastructure and service improvements over a plan for border-to-border widening of I-81 in Virginia. The tollway project was defeated in 2008.

The public is invited to come hear Mr. Shearer’s presentation. Refreshments will be served. CAPPE’s annual business meeting will follow the speaker.

See also (link...)

For more information contact Mike Cook, CAPPE President, at 984 9003 or Nina Gregg, Communication Chair at 977 7399.

Workshop 7 Apr 2009

Farmer and Helton ridiculed the agenda number 5.a on (link...)
and it ground to a halt. Proffitt was the only one to say anything serious about it. Don't look for it to show up again, and definately NOT next Thursday. McGhee Tyson airport doesn't need any competition anyway.

viva Evo Morales

That was totally awesome to

That was totally awesome to the max, last night. I didn't notice at the Green Space meeting, but at the RR meeting, there wasn't a dry eye in the audience. I hope Rees can make headway. Most of the monies needed would have to come from PA and VA, cause I'm afraid TN has Asphalt on the brain. Seems that unless Gasoline gets back up to $5.00 / gallon, folks will still feel comfotable in their Humvees and Airports.

Click here only if you're a Patriot, and don't want to see your children suffer the same whacked out Corporate Socialism you did.

viva Evo Morales

dry eyes and green space

Um, I don't know BL but I heard a great deal of weeping when it was confirmed that those planners last month made their own maps. Now that those maps have been added to the citizen's maps we have a new batch of maps showing which areas of the county shall be protected from asphalt. Kindda changes the meaning of 'not doing business' in a business meeting while munchin' on the BBQ bones.

Go early. Really early.

An unexpected report on the County's Green Infrastructure planning is going to happen at the library just before this rail presentation.

(link...)

It's like Blount County Greatest Hits all on one night!

Shearer Speech

Awesome work, Dr. Gregg, and all else who got this guy to come down.

I'd like to know how RAIL plans on encouraging ridership on the I-81 RR? What's the cost per mile to construct a twin track, grade separated, greater than 50 mph passenger road? Or is that in their plans?

viva Evo Morales

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