July 28, 2021

For Immediate Release
July 28, 2021
Contact: Charles Hamilton, (360) 529-5552 x3 or Patrick Carnahan, (360) 529-5552 x6

Advocates Meet to Discuss Returning Passenger Rail Service to the Yakima Valley

Passenger rail advocacy group All Aboard Washington (AAWA) is bringing its 2021 Train Trek to Yakima and Toppenish on Saturday, August 14.

Transportation and infrastructure issues are of greater significance than ever before. Since passenger rail service through the Yakima Valley was discontinued in 1981, several studies have confirmed that there is a significant need for, and interest in, trains that would offer local and regional connections between the Yakima and Kittitas Valleys, the Tri-Cities, the Spokane region, and the Puget Sound. As your representative for better transportation for over 40 years, AAWA wants your voice to be heard in Olympia!

During the 2021 Train Trek, AAWA will share its vision for improved East-West train service that will help reconnect Central, Eastern, and Western Washington. We will discuss how expanded passenger rail service can bring significant economic, equity, and environmental benefits to the communities it serves. But most of all, we want to hear from citizens, community leaders, and elected officials about the transportation needs YOU care about.

AAWA believes that now is the time to re-evaluate our transportation priorities by:

• Expanding the state-supported Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service
• Improving connections between local and regional transit services
• Building and revitalizing infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists

The ongoing budgetary, mobility, and climate crises all demand commitment to proactive solutions that foster stable economic recovery from the pandemic while furthering Washington’s efforts to fight global climate change.

“With targets for reductions of vehicle trips, greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic fatalities all coming due over the next decade, immediate actions should be taken to sustain our state’s economic vitality, environmental commitments, and equitable access for all citizens,” said Patrick Carnahan, AAWA’s co-executive director.

Saturday, August 14, 9:30 AM

Yakima Hilton Garden Inn
401 E Yakima Ave.
Yakima Washington 98901 

Register at
https://www.aawa.us/events/2021-train-trek-yakima/ 

Saturday, August 14, 1:30 PM

Northern Pacific Railway Museum Toppenish
10 Asotin Ave.
Toppenish Washington 98948               

Register at
https://www.aawa.us/events/2021-train-trek-toppenish/ 

These events will also be offered electronically. Additional meetings are being offered statewide. Details are available at https://www.aawa.us/impact/2021-train-trek/ 

 

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