Lily’s changing the rules on US rail
Print Edition
It all began with Lily, a French bulldog with the face of a tough guy but the personality of a princess.
She and her owner, Representative Jeff Denham of California, take the occasional coast-to-coast plane ride together. But when he tried to take her on Amtrak a couple years back, he learned that only service dogs were allowed. It’s a policy he’s been trying to change ever since, and he appears to be gaining momentum.
Denham, a Republican who chairs a House subcommittee overseeing the agencies that regulate the nation’s railroad industry, said allowing people to bring small dogs and cats in pet carriers would encourage more people to travel by train instead of on congested roads. It might also bring much needed revenue to a business that relies on taxpayer support.
So far, Denham has succeeded in persuading Amtrak to conduct a test run for pets along two routes in Illinois. About 145 passengers took advantage of the new service last year, with participation gradually increasing each month as more passengers learned they could bring a pet.
Now, Denham wants to expand the service nationally. He has filed a bill that would require Amtrak to come up with a pet policy for passengers traveling less than 1,200 kilometers. Twenty-three lawmakers have signed onto the legislation.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
