Dear friends of regional rail:

The next monthly meeting of the Regional Rail Working Group sponsored by:

Empire State Passengers Association

NJ Association of Railroad Passengers

Committee for Better Transit

Institute for Rational Urban Mobility

will be:

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 6-8pm

Conference Room, NYPD Downtown Center

104 Washington Street (just north of Rector Street), Lower Manhattan.

The purpose of the working group is to develop and advance plans for

converting the region's commuter rail lines into a regional rail system,

with fast, frequent service and affordable, integrated fares. The Penn

Station Metro-Hub plan sets the stage for doing this. Subsequent steps

are access to Lower Manhattan and the Penn Station-Grand Central link.

The group also considers changes to rapid transit and light rail transit

that are "regional" in scale.

Regional Rail issues are discussed on our website: www.rrwg.org

Agenda for the October 19, 2005 meeting

1. Discussion on $2.9 billion NYS Transportation Bond Issue

-- MTA system expansion projects in bond issue

-- LIRR East Side Access - $450 million

-- Second Avenue Subway - $450 million

-- LIRR/JFK Access to Lower Manhattan - $100 million

-- ongoing rehabilitation of existing MTA system - $450 million

-- statewide highway projects - $1.450 billion

2. Progress reports on other RRWG initiatives (time permitting):

-- Penn Station Metro-Hub through-running plan

-- Rockaway cut-off

-- Access to the Region's Core - Alternative G (Penn Staion-Grand

Central link)

-- Regional Rail Freight options

3. Intercity Rail Passenger issues

4. Plans for future regional rail workshop at Municipal Art Society

If you cannot make this meeting please send us you comments!

Save the date for future meeting -- November 16, 2005

Hope to see you Wednesday!

geo

George Haikalis

Chair, Regional Working Group

One Washington Square Village, Apt. 5D

New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-475-3394 fax:212-475-5051