Next stop: Passenger rail in Boise? Former Council Member Elaine Clegg joins Amtrak board
For the first time in over 30 years, Amtrak will count someone from the Pacific Northwest on its board — a longtime Boise City Council member-turned-transit-leader.
Showing continued bipartisan support for passenger rail, a U.S. Senate committee unanimously confirmed Elaine Clegg, CEO of Valley Regional Transit, to the national post.
President Joe Biden tapped Clegg for the role in May, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. Over the weekend, she got the final nod for the appointment from a mix of Democrats and Republicans who steer the Senate’s transportation committee, including Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, and Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.
She also had the support for her appointment of Idaho Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, both Republicans. Each previously issued their interest in reviving passenger rail in the region.
Clegg served on the Boise City Council for almost 20 years before announcing in November 2023 that she would step down to take on the leading role at Valley Regional Transit. The move came out of Clegg’s desire to focus more on transportation, including to expand bus services in the Treasure Valley, she told the Statesman.
Since taking on the position just over a year ago, Clegg has also spurred conversations about restoring Amtrak service in the Treasure Valley. Passenger trains haven’t run through Boise and the surrounding area since 1997.
In a phone interview, Clegg acknowledged that the new role with Amtrak will entail advocating for passenger rail nationwide. But the Treasure Valley is “certainly going to be on my mind, as opportunities arise to look at expanding service here,” she said.
Valley Regional Transit has been studying the feasibility of building upon rail rights-of-way between Nampa and Boise. The Boise Valley Railroad runs freight along some of this route.
“There’s a tremendous opportunity to do regional rail here,” Clegg previously told the Statesman.
And Idaho might still be considered for the return of a long-distance Amtrak line. Despite the revelation that the Idaho Transportation Department accidentally missed out on a $500,000 federal grant to study the defunct rail’s return, the Federal Railroad Administration continues to explore bringing back a route that could connect Seattle to Denver.
Through passage of the federal infrastructure law in 2021, Congress approved the Biden administration’s push to study 15 long-distance Amtrak routes. That includes the former Pioneer Line, which would again stop in Boise, Pocatello and Salt Lake City, the Statesman previously reported.
Clegg’s appointment to Amtrak’s seven-member board could signal more to come for rail service in Idaho.
Amtrak’s long-distance routes study included a recommendation for reestablishing the Pioneer Line, Clegg said. In addition, “there has been interest in applying again for the corridor identification program for a route between Boise and Salt Lake City,” she said.
Clegg’s appointment also points to Amtrak’s increased effort to broaden the geographical representation on its board, a goal that was identified in the federal infrastructure law, which received bipartisan support. The $1.2 trillion spending package earmarked at least $2.5 billion to Idaho, according to previous Statesman reporting.
“The purpose piece behind creating geographic diversity and some demographic diversity is to ensure that people with experience and knowledge about all parts of the country and all kinds of issues have a voice on the board,” Clegg said.
Three other new members will join Clegg on the board when they are sworn in in the next few weeks. Amtrak board terms are for five years.
Clegg will retain her position at the helm of Valley Regional Transit.
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 1:29 PM.
