TRI-CITIES TRAVELERS SOON MAY
HAVE ANOTHER
OPTION....
PASSENGER TRAIN.
THE CITY OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA
ANNOUNCED A RECENT STUDY
HELPS BUILD THE CASE TO BRING
AMTRAK TO THE TRI-CITIES REGION.
CHANTEL BATISTA FOUND OUT - THAT
STUDY POINTS TO A BIG
ECONOMIC IMPACT.
(VIDEO OF TRAIN STATION)
BERT POE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
BRISTOL, VA
"IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT BRISTOL
WAS BUILT AROUND THE TRAIN.
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS IS WE
HAVE A BEAUTIFUL TRAIN
STATION....IT
WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO USE OUR
TRAIN STATION FOR A TRAIN."
A STUDY CONDUCTED ON AN
INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL SYSTEM
IN BRISTOL, VIRGINIA REVEALS
THAT THERE IS ENOUGH
INTEREST AND POTENTIAL PROFIT TO
BRING AN AMTRAK STOP TO
BRISTOL.
BERT POE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
BRISTOL, VA
"YEA THERE IS GOING TO BE ENOUGH
MONEY AT SOME POINT TO
MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT IS
GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO
AMTRAK..."
CITY OFFICIALS SAY THEIR SURVEYS
INDICATED PEOPLE WOULD USE THE
TRAIN FOR VACATION, BUSINESS
TRIPS OR LEISURE....
AND IT WOULD BE AN ESCAPE FROM
DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE.
ELLEN TOLTON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT COORDINATOR
"I-81 IT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST
NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS OF ANY
OF THE INTERSTATES IN VIRGINIA,
AND THAT CAUSES TIMELY
BACKUP."
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE NATASHA LEE
AND HER SON....
AN AMTRAK STOP WOULD BE MORE
THAN IDEAL.
(NATS-PLAYING WITH SON)
LEE LIVES IN ROANOKE VIRGINIA
AND DRIVES TO BRISTOL AT LEAST
SIX TIMES A YEAR TO VISIT
FAMILY....
NATASHA LEE
LIVES IN ROANOKE, VA
"I THINK IT'S A REALLY PLEASANT
WAY TO TRAVEL WITHOUT HAVING
TO DRIVE ON 81 AND I HAVE FAMILY
HERE IN THE BRISTOL AREA AND I
LOVE THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO
GET ON THE TRAIN."
OTHERS IN THE AREA SAY THEY SEE
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IT COULD
HAVE ON THE CITY...
JONATHAN ADDY
BRISTOL, VA
"THE POSITIVE PART OF THAT IS
THE FACT THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY
HAVE A
LOT MORE PEOPLE COMING IN AND
TOURISM IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS."
THE CITY OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA
SAYS THEIR NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO
CONVINCE THE VIRGINIA
DEVELOPMENT OF RAIL AND PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION-- TO FUND A STUDY
FOR TRACK INFRA-STUCTURE...
ELLEN TOLTON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT COORDINATOR
"THE SURVEY'S AND ALL THE
INFORMATION.
THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN BACK
FROM THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN
OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.
SO THE CITY OF BRISTOL IS
READY."
CHANTEL BATISTA NEWS CHANTEL 11
IN YOUR CORNER.
A BIG CHALLENGE ALSO WILL BE
CONVINCING AMTRAK TO BRING
PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE TO THIS
PART OF THE COUNTRY.
BRISTOL OFFICIALS SAY IF ALL
GOES WELL...
THEY HOPE TO SEE AMTRAK COMING
TO BRISTOL IN THE
NEXT FOUR YEARS.
