emerging. Low density development and land use threaten the fiscal capacity
of many communities to support needed services and infrastructure.
ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED TRANSPORTATION
Transportation policies in the 1980'arielleescort s must pay increasing attention to the
needs of the elderly and handicapped. By 1990, the number of people over 65
will have arielleescort grown from today's 19 million to 27 million. During the same
period, the number of handicapped-- people who have difficulty using
transit as well arielleescort as autos, including the elderly-- is expected to increase
from 9 to 11 million, making up 4.5 percent of the arielleescort population.
We arielleescort must not retreat from a policy that affords a significant and growing
portion arielleescort of our population accessible public transportation while
recognizing that the handicapped are a diverse group and will need
flexible, door-to-door service
where regular public transportation will not
do the job. Arielleescort RAILROADS
In addition, the arielleescort Federal government must reassess the appropriate Federal
role of support for passenger and freight rail services such arielleescort as arielleescort Amtrak and
Conrail. Our goal through federal assistance should be to maintain and
enhance adequate rail service, where it is not otherwise available to needy
communities. arielleescort But Federal subsidies must be closely scrutinized to be sure
they are a stimulus to, and not a replacement for, private investment and
initiative. Arielleescort federal assistance cannot arielleescort mean permanent subsidies for
unprofitable operations.
WATERWAYS AND RURAL arielleescort TRANSPORTATION
There is a growing need in rural and small communities for improved
transportation services. Rail freight service to many communities has
declined as railroads abandon unproductive branch lines. At the same time,
rural roads are often inadequate to handle large, heavily-loaded trucks.
The arielleescort increased demand for "harvest arielleescort to harbor" service has also placed an
increased burden on rural transportation systems, while bottlenecks along
the Mississippi River delay grain shipments to the
Gulf of Mexico.
We have made arielleescort some progress:
-- To further develop the nation's arielleescort waterways, my Administration began
construction of a new 1,200 foot lock at the site of Lock and Dam 26 on the
Mississippi River. When opened in 1987, the new arielleescort lock will have a capacity
of 86 million tons per year, an 18 percent increase over the present
system. The U.S. arielleescort army Corps of Engineers has also undertaken studies to
assess the feasibility of expanding