Get on Track With Rail

Regarding “In the Red Amtrak has no Deficit of Devotees” (Travel Insider, March 3): I travel 20,000 to 30,000 miles a year on Amtrak and enjoy the passengers, scenery and food. On one of my trips in the last two years I traveled to Los Angeles, then on to Florida.

Some of the main reasons Amtrak carries only 1% of the traveling public is that it has never had: the proper funding for equipment to meet the demand; adequate promotion; incentives for the freight railroads to keep Amtrak on time; or investment incentives. The federal government provides 80% of highway funding, with 20% match from the states. Rail receives no such match in investment.

A survey by Marist College Institute for Public Opinion showed that 97% of New York voters think intercity passenger train service should be improved and modernized, not eliminated; 82% believe that having improved and modernized intercity passenger train service is at least as important as having good highways and airports. Other surveys around the country show big support for passenger rail.

ROBERT LENZ

Clarence, N.Y.