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National
Federal Grants for High-Speed Rail Promise Jobs and 21st Century Transportation System
In ''an absolute game-changer for American transportation,'' the $8 billion from the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program has now been awarded to jump-start long envisioned and delayed rail projects, said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. LaHood made the statement as he welcomed President Obama and Vice President Biden in Tampa, Florida, where they announced $1.25 billion for a 168-mile-per-hour Tampa-Orlando line. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia will receive awards, LaHood said. ''In addition to 13 corridor investments, we are also awarding several grants for improvement projects and planning. These efforts on existing routes and emerging corridors will lay the groundwork for future high-speed and intercity rail development.''
The highest grant, $2.25 billion, will spur construction of a 220-mile-per-hour Los Angeles-San Francisco line. Other top grants to boost regional connections will go to following rail projects: Eugene-Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, B.C. – $598 million; St. Louis-Chicago – $1.1 billion; Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago – $822 million; Detroit/Pontiac-Chicago – $244 million; Cleveland-Cincinnati – $400 million; Charlotte-Richmond-Washington, D.C. – $620 million; the Baltimore-Boston corridor – $112 million; and other Northeast corridors – $371 million.
Secretary LaHood pledged that passenger rail will become more efficient across the country, with high-speed rail offering competitive trip times, reducing both congestion and carbon emissions on key inter-city routes, and creating jobs. ''High-speed rail will create jobs now and for the foreseeable future,'' he elaborated on his department’s web page, citing commitment from more than 30 companies to launch or expand rail-related production if they win contracts for portions of the grant money. Those will be jobs in ''planning rail networks; designing, producing, an laying miles and miles of track; building, installing, maintaining, and operating equipment; constructing or upgrading stations, tunnels, and bridges; and operating the routes,'' the secretary wrote, stressing, ''And let’s be clear about this: that $8 billion will do its job-creation work right here in America.'' 1/28/2010
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