From: George Haikalis

Dear friends of regional rail:

The next monthly meeting of the Regional Rail Working Group

sponsored by:

Empire State Passengers Association

NJ Association of Rail Passengers

Committee for Better Transit

Institute for Rational Urban Mobility

will be:

Wednesday, May 19, 2004 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 the website: www.auto-free.org

 Agenda for the May 19, 2004 meeting

1. Regional Rail to Lower Manhattan

    -- New initiative for one seat ride from LIRR/Kennedy Airport

2. Rockaway cut-off/Kennedy Airport Access

3. Penn Station Metro-Hub plan

4. streamlining LIRR access to Grand Central

5. PATH-Lex Connection

6. regional rail freight issues

7. intercity rail passenger issues

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

Save the dates for future meetings (third Wednesday of each month):

At the June 16, 2004 meeting, John Kennard, Director of Planning for

Metro-North, will be our guest speaker.

 Note -- this effort continues to require substantial resources -- both

human and financial.

 Join ESPA or NJ-ARP and also make a contribution to IRUM!

 Mail check made out to IRUM to the address shown below or bring to the

meeting.

 Hope to see you Wednesday!

 geo

 George Haikalis

 Manhattan Coordinator

 Empire State Passengers Association (ESPA)

 President, Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc.

 One Washington Square Village, Apt. 5D

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

 geohaikalis@juno.com www.auto-free.org www.vision42.org