Congressional candidate eyes commuter rail expansion
One congressional candidate says the single greatest source of job opportunities for Delawareans could be a commuter rail ride away.
One congressional candidate says the single greatest source of job opportunities for Delawareans could be just a commuter rail ride away.
That’s why Democrat Scott Spencer says he wants to use existing Amtrak trains and rails to help create a commuter line between Philadelphia and Baltimore with nine stops in between, including one in Aberdeen, MD.
The Aberdeen Proving Ground is expected to gain 25,000 jobs as a result of the military’s Base Realignment and Closure Plan (BRAC), which includes closing the Army post in Ft. Monmouth, N.J. by September 2011.
“The vision I have is to create a railway that links three states,” Scott Spencer said. “We would get the congressional delegations from PA, DE, and MD to put together what is effectively an economic lifeline for all the citizens to benefit on this corridor to Aberdeen.”
Spencer says $23 million in annual subsides from the three states could generate $100 million in economic activity when you take into account wages, retail sales and real estate sales.
Spencer’s career as a transportation consultant in the rail industry made this a natural pitch for his political campaign.
Spencer faces Democrat John Carney in a September 14, 2010 primary for Delaware’s congressional seat currently held by Republican Mike Castle.
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