National Park Service asked<br>to consider express rail

An express train proposal unveiled last year by Grand Canyon Railway president W. David Chambers has attracted the attention of Arizona’s Congressional delegation. A Jan. 29 letter addressed to Grand Canyon National Park superintendent Joe Alston urges the National Park Service to review the latest transportation option.

An express rail proposal that originated with Grand Canyon Railway’s David Chambers is on the table with the National Park Service.

"We are writing to request that the National Park Service undertake a review of the Grand Canyon Railway proposal so that the costs and benefits of a solution involving express rail service can be compared with the costs and benefits of the other options that have already been analyzed by the NPS," reads the letter, which was signed by Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, and Congressmen Jim Kolbe, John Shadegg, Rick Renzi, J.D. Hayworth, Ed Pastor, Jeff Flake, Trent Franks and Raul Grijalva.

On Monday of last week, Alston met with PricewaterhouseCoopers, consultants working on the preliminary report to Congress. The park plans to respond in some fashion regarding the request from the delegation.

"We have to figure out what we have to do with this letter from the delegation," Alston said. "We want to make sure procedurally we’re correct and ultimately, we will in some way or another look at the express rail proposal."

A transit report that was making its way through Congress included five alternatives. That report was delayed in the Office of Management and Budget because of various questions. As a result, the consultants came back to the park to meet with Alston.

Each of the five options in the preliminary draft report featured a staging area north of Tusayan for transport into the park. Grand Canyon Railway’s express rail proposal does not include the Tusayan staging area, although a hookup with the airport was mentioned as a possibility.

"The proposal is different in two major ways. One, it proposes a staging area in Williams rather than Tusayan and two, rather than essentially eliminating all unnecessary vehicles from the park, it proposes to alleviate traffic congestion during the summer," Alston said.

In other words, Alston said under the current five alternatives, everybody visiting Grand Canyon would use the light-rail or bus transportation system, except those with lodging or campground reservations or those coming in from Cameron.

"In this system from the express rail folks, only those people who want to get on express rail would use it, or once the park is full of vehicles would be required to use the express rail," Alston said, adding that he was not entirely clear if he had the latest and most current form of the railway’s proposal.

The express rail idea proposes a main staging area in Williams with trains leaving every hour for a 90-minute ride to Grand Canyon. There would be 12 trains, each with a 145-seat capacity.

All development would take place in Williams and Flagstaff and the cost would run in the area of $70 million, less than previous proposals.

"We’re pleased, it’s been a year’s work of trying to convince people that this was a legitimate option," the railway’s Chambers said about the letter. "The fact that all 10 members of the delegation signed the letter is a good indication that it has merit."

The Arizona delegation met in mid-December to discuss the Canyon’s transportation options and if all viable alternatives had been considered. The railway’s idea then came to light.

"We are also interested in learning how express rail compares with the other transportation options under consideration in meeting the goals of the 1995 General Management Plan," the delegation’s letter reads. "To the extent possible, we ask that you include your assessment of express rail in your forthcoming report to Congress ...."

Alston and Renzi met Jan. 30 during the congressman’s visit to Grand Canyon and transportation options were discussed.

"We went through some of the pluses and minuses and talked a little bit about this being a different concept," Alston said of that meeting. "It’s a very different system, different than what was put out to the public in the 1995 GMP."

The express rail option also differs from what was released as part of a 1997 environmental assessment.

One of the most critical aspects of the express rail plan involves funding. In the delegation’s letter, the question of "how much would entrance fees have to be raised to fund express rail and how does this compare to the other options under consideration?"

All options regarding the future of transportation, not just the express rail alternative, seemingly will impact funds raised through entrance fees. That concerns Alston.

"I’m very concerned about losing all the revenues or dedicating all revenues to the sole purpose of transportation," Alston said. "We have so many other needs in the park."

Currently, a small percentage of entrance fees helps pay for transportation in the park. Other income from fees goes toward various park projects.

The express rail option has supporters in Williams and Flagstaff. In a Nov. 21 letter to Alston from the City of Flagstaff, mayor Joseph Donaldson requests the NPS to study the new proposal.

"We believe it is beneficial to the process to include an analysis of possible solutions that are beyond the initial scope of the project," Donaldson wrote.

Interestingly, the letter also makes reference to a possible transportation system originating in Flagstaff.

"To that end, in addition to the Williams Gateway, I recommend transportation origination points from other gateway communities also to be included" in the review.

Williams mayor Ken Edes said his community wrote to the delegation in support of express rail.

"We felt it was the most viable option that had been talked about so far," Edes said.

The Flagstaff Innkeepers’ Association also received a letter from Williams about the community’s future plans. Edes said that association gave the plan its stamp of approval.

Including Tusayan, the community directly outside the south entrance, has been part of the original five options. Edes thinks Tusayan needs to remain in the picture.

"I think they’ll have to do something with Tusayan with a staging area," he said. "I think that would be a necessary feature to the plan."

Chambers updated his original plan last summer with a few new options. For example, he said the line could be connected between Maswik Transportation Center and Canyon View Information Plaza. Another option would be to create a staging area near the airport.

In the latest proposal, Chambers also concentrated on State Route 64 issues and how express rail could relieve congestion. The highway has become known as dangerous and local law-enforcement officers can share horrific stories.

In the congressional delegation’s letter to Alston, the NPS is encouraged to seek the advice of the Arizona Department of Transportation regarding SR 64 congestion issues and expected impact on traffic patterns depending upon a selected alternative.

The delegation included in its letter several questions to be addressed and wrote that all matters should be considered to understand the merits of each transportation option.

"However, we do not seek preferential treatment for the express rail proposal or any other option the NPS is considering," the letter reads. "We urge you to work in a timely manner with the Grand Canyon Railway to understand its proposal and enable a final decision to be made on this multi-year visitor transportation review as soon as possible."