First round of High Speed Rail funds flowing to States

A few months ago, President Obama and Vice President Biden announced our American Recovery and Reinvestment Act High-Speed and Inter-City Passenger Rail grants. Today, we delivered the first round of those funds to states.

The President's vision for an American high-speed rail system will change the way Americans travel. And the grants DOT released today are just the beginning steps of making that vision a reality.

The interactive map on http://www.whitehouse.gov/high-speed-rail is loaded with information about HSR corridors.

As Vice President Biden noted today:

"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."

And he is absolutely correct. Because, as I made perfectly clear last month on this blog, "Those trains and their components will be made by skilled American workers."

High-speed rail will transform American inter-city mobility

Today's funds will begin spurring that economic activity through projects in several regions across America.

The largest portion, $66.6 million, supports preliminary engineering on Florida's planned 168-mph corridor between Tampa and Orlando. We're very excited about the Florida corridor because that state and California were the only ones to submit plans for brand new high-speed rail lines.

The rest of today's funds, $12.3 million, goes to states for critical upgrades to existing passenger rail service in preparation for high-speed projects. Those projects include:

• California's "Capital Corridor" between San Francisco and Sacramento
• Wisconsin's Milwaukee-Madison route
• New York's 468-mile "Empire Corridor"
• New Mexico's rail blueprint that will eventually link the Southwest's major cities

Now, throughout the process of implementing a renewed American passenger rail system, we are talking about tens of thousands of jobs. Whether planning routes or laying track along those routes, whether manufacturing equipment or maintaining that equipment, and whether engineering rail systems or operating those systems, the President's vision will put Americans to work.

And, when the dust settles, this nation will have a world-class passenger rail system supporting a world-class economy.

Comments

[Harvey Botzman]

High speed rail is important but will not be available in the selected corridors for at least 2-4 years.

In the mean time, I would like to have Amtrak and other passenger rail carriers allow un-boxed partially dis-assembled (wheels & pedals off, handlebars turned) standard sized bicycles in a sturdy bag (50"x30"x9"; made of e. g., 500-1000d Cordura(R)) to be allowed on to passenger cars as are true folding bicycles.

Allowing carriage of standard design bicycles (diamond, Y or other frame types) as long as they fit into the bag of a specified size will significantly encourage tourism, intermodal tourism, throughout the U. S. A. Ease of traveling with a bicycle will most likely increase Amtrak's customer base and the number of riders using routes in addition to the major north-south corridors on the three coasts (Atlantic, Pacific, & Great Lakes (Chicago).

For example, many bicyclists using "Erie (Lake Champlain) Canal Bicyclist & Hiker Tour Guide" or "'Round Lake Ontario (also Michigan, Erie, Superior): A Bicyclist's Tour Guide," Cyclotour Guide Books, www.cyclotour.com) now have to use an automobile to arrive at a bicycle tour starting point rather than use public transportation because of the limited number of Amtrak stations with baggage car service along the Erie/Champlain Canals or the Great Lakes bicycle tour routes. By changing the current bicycle carriage policy to include carriage of bicycles in a sturdy bag in the passenger car, with the ticketed passenger, bicyclists from the Northeast Corridor could easily go to Albany or Rochester, Buffalo NY to begin touring the Canals on the off road trail. They could easily do the Canal System as a series of segment tours rather than the entire distance (~460 miles, Hudson River to Niagara River); or go to a point on Lakes Michigan, Erie, Ontario, or near Lake Huron and Superior to begin their bicycle tour. Similar routes exist throughout the Amtrak & other carriers' passenger rail network.

Greyhound and the other inter-city bus companies do allow bicycles to be carried in a sturdy bag as described above. True the bikes go into a baggage hold. The area in each Amtrak passenger train cars (including Acela trains) for passenger luggage can easily accommodate a bicycle in the described bag. "How to Pack a Bike Box for Public Transit" directions are on the Cyclotour Guide Books web site. And I use a standard Amtrak bike box!

Please contact me for specifics on this very crucial tourism and commuting idea using bicycles on trains.

My other idea includes a much easier on/off special fare for bicyclists.

[Gina Genova]

Why aren't DOT funds being used for more local city public transit to move people from the suburbs to their jobs and around town every day? This should have been more of a priority in cities over the past 10 years, instead of continuing your pattern of giving money to bloated city and county departments of transportation that use it to widen existing roads, which only encourages people to drive their cars more frequently and faster, using more oil, and avoiding the most problematic environmental issues of our day.

[Bill Jones]

Texas also submitted a proposal for a 200+ mph high speed rail system called the Texas T-Bone. The system links the fastest growing area in the nation through its major airports. The Texas T-Bone is a collector distributor system that will shrink the mega-region of DFW, San Antonio and Houston. It will be a region of 40 million people, 80% of the population of Texas, by about 2040. We continue to work on this project which will be one of the largest public private partnerships in the nation when it is finished.

[Big Lifted trucks]

This will be the Best Step to Make worlds Best rails, as US is spread in very large place, so to make transportation easy & convenience rail is the best option. at Europe is well know to be a first no. in the world for rail transportation, so this could be a step to get on the top.

[Michael E. Bailey]

It is great that the administration sees the benefits of the highspeed rail sysyem and also the need to make improvements to the existing railroad system because both need to operate as an integrated system. Each will have a different role to play as the highspeed trains will link certain major terminals while the regular rail network links those terminals to the many intermediate points that can't be served by the highspeed system. We also need good transit systems that can get people to where they need to go once they arrive at the terminal. Good transit is necessary to make the Clean Air Act work. California is about to begin a new program called Employment First for its disabled community that will involve taking all disabled persons who can and want to leave workshops and day programs out of these activities and moving them into community based supported employment. A critical component to making the Employment First Policy work is good transit services in each of California's 90 transit agencies. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Terrance Bawlings]

Thank you Ray!

Please do what you can to convince fellow republican and likely Governor of Wisconsin that this investment is GOOD FISCAL POLICY. I am terrified that he will kill it, ahem, in it's tracks due to some misguided understanding of how important it is.

GO TRAIN GO!!!

[HSR Fan]

There will be a live webcast on High-Speed Rail on June 29th. It will feature the Mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dyer who is an integral part of the Tampa-Orlando HSR corridor project. He will be part of a panel including Drew Galloway, Assistant VP Policy and Development for Amtrak, Pete Sklannik, Project Director at Parsons Brinkerhoff and Bill Vantuono, Editor of Railway Age. You will be able to ask questions of the panel in real-time during this online event. It is free to attend. Register here: usa.siemens.com/highspeedrailwebcast

[Nunchaku]

I can really see these high speed rails becoming huge in America. The current modes of transportation that we use are less efficient and out of date. I feel that the new modern look will also encourage people and help them view our economy as something that is growing rather than decaying. I think this is a great step forward.

[ambalaj]

Good transit is necessary to make the Clean Air Act work. California is about to begin a new program called Employment First for its disabled community that will involve taking all disabled persons who can and want to leave workshops and day programs out of these activities and moving them into community based supported employment.

[çizgi film izle]

Canals or the Great Lakes bicycle tour routes. By changing the current bicycle carriage policy to include carriage of bicycles in a sturdy bag in the passenger car, with the ticketed passenger, bicyclists from the Northeast Corridor could easily go to Albany or Rochester,..

[link building service]

I just read in the Madera Tribune that Madera County will get something like 300 million to build the rail through the county. I couldn't be more excited to travel to Anaheim quickly without traffic!

[fastlane.dot.gov]

First round of high speed rail funds flowing to states.. He-he-he :)

[cell phone lookup]

Finally some progress in rails, I was fed up with constant travelling by plane

[cheap auto insurance quotes]

It is about high time that we had a high speed trains in a country of our size. Many countries only 1/10 of our size had them more than 20 years ago.

[e-ticaret]

any countries only 1/10 of our size had them more than 20 years ago.

[Essay writing]

Germany began developing its high-speed rail program just after France introduced its own in the 1980s.
Italy isn’t often given credit for its efforts, but it was the first country in Europe to offer high-speed rail, starting in 1978 between Rome and Florence.
In 1964, Japan began operating the Shinkansen, the world’s first high-speed trains, between Tokyo and Osaka.
Taiwan opened its high-speed rail line, which runs the length of the western coast of the country, only two years ago, but it has been so successful.
France’s Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) is probably the best-known brand in high-speed rail because the service, which first opened for the public in 1981,
It’s hard to believe that China’s first high-speed train began operating last year. By 2020, the Chinese government plans to have constructed 8000 miles of a fast rail network.
In 1992, Spain’s first high-speed rail link opened between the capital in Madrid and the southern city of Seville. In the intervening years, the country has invested significantly in its AVE high-speed rail services.its program the world’s best.In 2020 the country will have 10,000 kilometers of high-speed lines all within a land area smaller than Texas.
So why we are waiting these country not big like us.

[infertility]

this is marvelous blog Finally some progress in rails, I was fed up with constant travelling by plane

[Water Damage rochester ny]

Superb one....come on guys lets catch up with the planes...we can defeat them.

[Thiet ke website]

well, this is an act of good government to the people. I think upgrading the quality of the ship will give people a more comfortable life and many will rethink the move by train instead of flying.

[Gallbladder Removal]

As a Florida resident i would welcome the Florida corridor. I wonder why it has taken so long to get this project on teh horizon and I wonder if the automotive industry has been a deterrent. Other countries have had very advanced railway systems and here we are, supposedly the most advanced country in the world and we have not implemented them.

[Buy Hot Leads]

Conventional trains running between Washington and such nearby cities to the south as Richmond, Charlottesville, Durham, and Charlotte already attract a growing ridership, and would attract a larger one if they were more frequent and reliable, as well as better integrated with trains running north of D.C. along the Northeast Corridor.

[All SEO Experts]

I am from Europe originally (Bosnia) and have traveled thru-out mainly by train and airplane. I greatly enjoyed the trains, especially in Germany where I lived for over 7 years. It was very surprising to me to see lack of "bullet trains" and general public transportation within metropolitan areas as well. Of course there are major hubs like NY, Chicago etc but living in the Bay Area I must say I am very disappointed in lack of public transportation.
Even the small Amtrak is often unreliable and quite frankly dangerous. While it is encouraging that large infrastructure projects are being planned is is very sad to me to have short sighted politicians throwing monkey wrench into the plans.

[ib school in MP]

wow nice I can really see these high speed rails becoming huge in America. The current modes of transportation that we use are less efficient and out of date. I feel that the new modern look will also encourage people and help them view our economy as something that is growing rather than decaying. I think this is a great step forward.

[Wenger]

As a Florida resident i would welcome the Florida corridor. I wonder why it has taken so long to get this project on teh horizon and I wonder if the automotive industry has been a deterrent. Other countries have had very advanced railway systems and here we are, supposedly the most advanced country in the world and we have not implemented them.

[Gallstone Symptoms]

The proposed Florida Corridor will run from Miami to Tampa. from north from Miami through West Broward and West Palm Beach before turning southwest at Orlando to Lakeland and Tampa. With the way the economy is, I think it will be a boost for theme parks and such and their surrounding areas, since one of the deterrents for travel now is gas expense. Provided the prices will be reasonable, you can expect these areas to have a boost in tourism.