We promote railroads as a safe, clean, efficient carrier of freight and people, and this long-term vision — employ faster, upgraded rail service in concert with targeted highway improvements. This combination ensures the well-being of the citizens and businesses of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and Southwest Virginia. Our transportation plan promotes public health and safety while preserving the financial, environmental, and cultural integrity of our homes, farms, businesses, and communities.
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2.. Continue to advocate for an I-81 Corridor rail strategy that goes beyond Crescent Corridor. Because it is a double-stack container intermodal plan, Crescent Corridor does little to actually divert the heavy truck flows now afflicting Interstate 81. Continue our advocacy for open intermodal solutions that actually can divert highway trucks, such as roll-on/roll-off, rolling highway, and truck-ferry concepts that could divert as much as 60% of the through trucks in Virginia on I-81, with terminals in Knoxville, TN and Harrisburg, PA.
3. Work to establish a National Steel Interstate Coalition. Our advocacy for NSIS has been two-fold. We have sought to promulgate the multiple and compelling advantages of the concept nationally to political and opinion leaders, plus we have worked to prepare for a pilot project in the I-81 Corridor between Knoxville and Harrisburg. The first effort can be enhanced by allying with other organizations and companies nationwide to sell the concept, so RAIL Solution does not have to shoulder so much of the burden and so our effectiveness can be magnified. To promote the demonstration project in the I-81 Corridor work needs to continue securing local governments' resolutions of support, especially north of Virginia.
4.. Continue to enhance our communications message with an improved video presentation. Communication of our concepts and goals is key, yet very challenging because the Steel Interstate does not exist. Depicting and explaining the concept to the public, along with its many advantages, could be greatly enhanced with a creative video including animated transformation of traditional railroad to the futuristic standards of the NSIS.
5. Work together better with our allied organizations in the I-81 Corridor. Continue the coordination and goal setting work begun with the Lexington, VA conference in September, 2009. By developing and pursuing a common set of goals for transportation in the I-81 Corridor, overall political effectiveness can be enhanced.
6. Seek ways to capitalize on our successful role in hosting the I-81 Corridor Coalition conference. RAIL Solution hosted the 2009 conference at Hotel Roanoke in October, bringing together approximately 80 delegates from the I-81 Corridor interested in coordinated, intermodal transportation planning. We need to maintain and explore further these contacts and determine their willingness to be involved in an ongoing way with RAIL Solution's work.
7. Meet ASAP with transportation officials of the new McDonnell administration, including new Secretary of Transportation in Virginia Sean Connaughton. This early liaison is essential to promulgation of our work to expand the role of freight and passenger rail in Virginia.
8. Resurrect the Boucher Initiative, which was frustrated by lack of support from the Kaine administration in Richmond. More time is available to us to pursue this plan now that the federal transportation reauthorization process has been delayed for up to 18 months. The Boucher plan would provide for a federal study of the feasibility of a Steel Interstate demonstration project in the I-81 Corridor between Knoxville and Harrisburg.
9. Overhaul the RAIL Solution governance structure to convert from the Steering Committee method used over the past seven years to a more traditional Board of Directors structure. The principal advantages foreseen from this conversion would be to bring on board influential individuals from other fields to serve in an advisory role, plus make the Board more broadly representative with leaders from states other than Virginia as a means of strengthening and broadening coalition within the Corridor.
10. Pursue suggested enhancements for the website, including the capability for people to join RAIL Solution, pay dues, and make donations on-line.
11. Improve communications with the public by making a convincing presence on Facebook. Volunteers have established a RAIL Solution entry there, but to be effective, we must tend the site and put regular material and updates there to maintain interest and encourage followers. Create a Wikipedia entry for RAIL Solution. People making a Google search should have the advantage of reading about who we are and what we do without the need to examine our website in detail.
12. Improve and update our printed materials for distribution at public functions such as fairs, festivals, conventions, and conferences. Our current hand-out dates from 2007 and badly needs to be rewritten. In addition to the 8.5" x 11" format we have used, a tri-fold leaflet for literature racks would be useful.
With proper planning over ensuing decades, we can have a core national steel interstate system in place before oil becomes prohibitively expensive or runs out. Featuring a network of high-capacity, electrified rail lines, it would be the backbone for movement of both goods and passengers in this country.
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