POLICY ISSUES IN STATE RAIL PLANNING

Recent federal legislation has given a major stimulus to rail transportation planning. Virtually every state is now preparing its own rail plan. It is argued that such state rail plans should be produced in a multimodal context and should attempt to address critical policy issues in transportation. A list of 10 critical policy issues was prepared by the Transportation Research Board, but to date federal legislative focus, administrative rules, and state rail plans have been much more narrowly conceived. This focus must be broadened if state rail plans are to meet emerging policy needs.