Letter to Glenn Litsinger and John Hovatter, Maryland Transit Administration

Letter

Capito Calls Proposed Cuts to MARC Train Access Misguided

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today penned a letter to John Hovatter - the Director of the Maryland Area Regional Commuter Train Service (MARC) - and Glenn Litsinger - the Acting Director of the Maryland Transit Administration's Customer Information Office - regarding their proposed service cuts for West Virginia residents who rely on MARC train transportation.

Calling MARC plans misguided, Capito expressed her support for maintaining full service to West Virginia stations.

"Our nation continues to face energy challenges that should lead us to encourage commuters to use MARC train," said Capito. "Yet this proposal would actually diminish MARC ridership in our state."

"It's misguided and it's the wrong solution for families in the eastern panhandle."

In her letter, Capito noted that many families in West Virginia's eastern panhandle commute to Washington, D.C. and that this proposal will adversely impact them.

"As the Washington, D.C. metro area continues to grow, the eastern panhandle of West Virginia continues to welcome more and more new residents seeking the lower cost of living and family oriented environment that West Virginia offers," she wrote.

"This is an issue that will affect a large population, not only in my district, but in the region as a whole."

Capito also expressed her intention to submit testimony for a November 24th public hearing to outline her opposition to the proposed MARC cuts.

Note: Rep. Capito's full letter to MARC officials is included below.

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October 20, 2008

Glenn Litsinger
Acting Director
Office of Customer Information
Maryland Transit Administration
6 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

John Hovatter
Director of Maryland Area Regional Commuter Train Service
Maryland Transit Administration
1515 Washington Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21230

Dear Mr. Litsinger and Mr. Hovatter:

I am writing in response to the recent Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train Service proposal to diminish service of Train 883 on the Brunswick Line. Rather than proceeding into West Virginia and making its last stop in Martinsburg, the 7:15 train from Union Station will now end at Brunswick, Maryland.

I am deeply troubled and strongly oppose this proposal as many residents of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, my constituency, use MARC to commute to their jobs in the Washington, D.C. metro area. With the increase in energy costs, even more West Virginias have come to rely on MARC, and the loss of service will create an undue burden on commuters from my district. We should be promoting policies to encourage more public transportation, not policies that restrict access.

As the Washington, D.C. metro area continues to grow, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia continues to welcome more and more new residents seeking the lower cost of living and family oriented environment that West Virginia offers. Many of these new West Virginians work in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

This is an issue that will affect a large population, not only in my district, but in the region as a whole. I welcome the communities' opportunity to express their views about the proposed changes at the public hearing scheduled on November 24, 2008 at the Martinsburg City Hall. Given the impact this decision would have on my constituents, I intend to submit testimony outlining my strongly held beliefs opposing this proposal.

In summary, I urge MARC to rescind this proposal and to maintain service of Train 883 to West Virginia. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,
Shelley Moore Capito
Member of Congress

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