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Why should you donate to the Northern Flyer Alliance?

Jobs

The importance of passenger rail travel running through Kansas between Fort Worth and Kansas City to points beyond can be summed up in one simple word: Jobs. The US Department of Transportation says 20 jobs are created for every $1 million spent on rail transportation, which means the initial construction project alone could create more than 9580 jobs.

In fact, passenger rail development brings with it the promise of ongoing economic development and environmental benefits for today’s families and generations to come.

Pathways to Progress

It may surprise you to know that outside of driving a car, there is no direct link between Wichita and Kansas City, or Wichita and Oklahoma City. Think of all the businesses that lose worker productivity when their employees are sitting behind the wheel of a car. Those same employees could remain productive while on the train, as laptops are used in abundance on trains across the country. Business and personal travel costs would be reduced using passenger rail vs traveling by car. Here is what that calculation looks like:

Roundtrip cost by car from KC  to Wichita is $200 (2010 IRS rate of $.50/mile x 400 miles) compared to $50 by rail (price of 400 mile round trip from OK City to Ft. Worth).

Throughout history, rail travel has been linked with progress. Today is no different, with passenger rail transportation playing an integral role in many large and thriving metropolitan areas. A study completed by Kansas University for the K.T. Wiedemann Foundation found that passenger rail over this corridor would generate a 3.2 to 1 return on investment over a 10 year time frame. An even more recent study done by Texas A&M’s Transportation Institutute, known as the Heartland Flyer Study shows an $18million annual economic benefit to the states of Oklahoma and Texas with a $4million annual subsidy. That works out to be a 4.5 to 1 return on investment.

Last but not least, we are now in a very difficult political climate that will require resources to move this initiative forward.

Member support and donations from the public and communities has contributed to the following achievements:

1.       Establishment of an organized Alliance of communities that has

2.       Lobbied the Kansas Legislature to pass the Kansas Passenger Rail Development Act, and

3.       the Midwest Interstate Passenger Commission Membership Act, and

4.       directed the Department of Transportation to seek and be awarded a federal grant, for

5.       creation of a Service Development Plan, and

6.       a recently completed State Rail Plan

The Northern Flyer Alliance focuses and coordinates this initiative with a 100% volunteer executive board.

To donate, please complete the membership form located here.

Thank you, The Northern Flyer Alliance corridor communities