The U.S. Department of Transportation has delivered nearly $80 million in grants to states as part of President Obama's historic high-speed and intercity passenger rail program. These grants will go toward the development of a new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded high-speed rail system in Florida as well as critical upgrades to existing passenger rail service throughout the country.
"Delivering these funds is an important step forward in our efforts to upgrade and transform America's transportation system, while spurring economic activity and creating jobs here at home," said Vice President Joe Biden. "Our unprecedented investment in high-speed and intercity passenger rail is not only going to provide real environmental benefits and greater convenience for travelers, but also long-term economic development for communities across the country."
"The president's vision for high-speed rail will forever change the way Americans travel by offering new transportation options," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "The grants released today are merely the very beginning of many more to follow."
The $80 million in funding will benefit projects in many regions of the country, including:
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$66.6 million for program management and preliminary engineering on the planned 168-mph high-speed rail service between Tampa and Orlando, Fla. This project will create jobs and generate economic activity as 84 miles of track are constructed, stations are built or enhanced and equipment is purchased. Along with California, Florida was the only state to submit plans to the U.S. DOT to create a new, high-speed rail line;
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$6.2 million for track relocation work in California on the Capitol Corridor, which will help bring about fewer delays and faster travel times along a route that connects San Francisco and Sacramento, the state capital;
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$5.7 million for environmental assessments of planned new stations on the route between Milwaukee and Madison, Wis., that will host passenger rail service operating at speeds up to 110 mph;
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$1 million for planning projects to improve service on the Empire Corridor in New York state. The 468-mile Empire Corridor connects all of New York's largest cities. The near-term vision for the corridor is to increase passenger train speeds to 110 mph; and
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$100,000 for the creation of the first-ever rail plan for the state of New Mexico. This plan will help the state create a blueprint for passenger rail development that will eventually link major cities in the Southwest.
"State departments of transportation are encouraged by this initial release of Recovery funds for high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO). "A total of 31 states and the District of Columbia will share a portion of the unprecedented $8 billion in Recovery Act funds. Our DOTs are ready to put these investments and thousands of people to work today, building a passenger rail system America will use for generations."
The chairman of AASHTO's Standing Committee on Rail Transportation, North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti, said, "States have and will continue to work with the FRA [Federal Railroad Administration] to move the program forward as quickly as possible."
