Theresa Grieshaber: Forget airports, focus on getting us better rail service

Re “Regional airport concept didn’t suit Modesto 30+ years ago, still doesn’t today” (Page 3A, Aug. 23): I can’t understand why Valley governments are so focused on providing airline service out of Stockton and Modesto. It never lasts. What we really need is better and quicker transportation to the Sacramento Airport. This could be done in more than one way: 1, An express bus leaving several times daily from Modesto with a stop in Stockton; 2, Jerry Brown’s bullet train.

Our Congressman, Jeff Denham, actively opposes this train and uses his post on the House transportation committee to stymie it.

Congressman Denham has even stated he thinks more funds ought to be spent on East Coast train service. Go to the East Coast and see how much people love their extensive, fast, convenient Amtrak system. We California taxpayers helped buy it for them . Then compare our pitifully limited, skeletal Amtrak system in the West. There is a reason our valley’s unemployment rate is usually 50 percent higher than the state average. It has to do with the lack of rapid, convenient, reasonably priced transportation between our area and the outside world – because that’s where the money and bigger businesses are.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Theresa Grieshaber: Forget airports, focus on getting us better rail service."