IN FOUR MONTHS, The Journal has had two editorials regarding commuter-rail transportation. The first was “Tracking South County,” on Jan. 8, regarding a proposal for light rail. On May 9, came “From bike paths to trains.”

We appreciate the vision of this newspaper. Intermodal transportation is our nation’s solution and includes walking, cycling, public transportation with buses and commuter rail and automobiles. The planners for the state as well as the municipalities realize that, as the last editorial said, “relentless new road building is over.”

New sidewalks, bike paths and alterations to existing roads to improve efficiency are typical requests of our towns, and the state has responded. However, to reclaim the old rail-line easements that have been converted to bike paths, as stated in the editorial, would be redundant and wasteful. In many situations, the width of the easement would allow for both the bike path and commuter rail to share the property if needed. But the visionary suggestions of these editorials will not solve the immediate needs of today’s transportation crisis.

Unfortunately, with the state’s financial dilemma, it becomes easier for governments and elected officials to stop planning, with the excuse of no money. Therefore, it is critical that they use the resources at hand to accommodate our desperate transportation needs. The first is the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, the state’s public bus system, which had a major increase in riders in 2007. With gasoline prices escalating, 2008 will exceed projections, including 50 percent of the routes now running overcrowded. With limited funding, new buses must be purchased to accommodate demand. RIPTA must be recognized as the state’s most important component of public transportation.

The next most important component of our public transportation system is commuter rail. Even though plans are under way to extend service south from Providence to Warwick and Wickford, South County needs service to Kingstown and Westerly. These two stations are built to serve Amtrak. The Kingstown station increased patronage from 135,000 to 150,000 last year and is one of the most intensely used train stations in the country.

To stabilize Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor rider demand, commuter rail to these stations is desperately needed. Currently, governmental actions needed to achieve this goal appear to be proceeding on schedule. A recent meeting in Washington, D.C., with the governor, Amtrak, and our congressional delegation was productive. It is important that Rhode Islanders communicate to these elected officials the critical need for this service to be expedited as soon as possible.

Once we have put to full use these two key components of our commuter-transportation system, we can then begin to execute the visions of light rail and multi-use railroad easements for bike paths and rail.

Bob Votava ( bobvotava@mac.com) is executive director of DOT Watch. He lives in South Kingstown.