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Supporting the proposed high-speed rail line project connecting Saint Paul to Chicago.
Red Rock Supporters Seek Transit Funding at the Capitol
February 8th, 2010Today a coalition of elected officials and supporters, led by the Washington County Rail Authority, gathered at the Capitol in a bipartisan effort to support the Red Rock Corridor, a proposed commuter rail corridor from Saint Paul to Hastings.
“We have the chance to reinvent a system that was created 50 years ago,” said State Representative Dennis McNamara from Hastings. “It was new when I was a child. It’s time for us to take advantage of this opportunity and bring new transit investment to this corridor.”
The group asked the Minnesota Legislature to approve bonding appropriations and general funding that are needed to continue planning and building infrastructure. They are seeking $1 million for park and ride facilities in Hastings and a commuter bus along the Red Rock route that will help mitigate congestion during construction efforts.
Funding for the Red Rock Corridor would be a three-for-one investment – as a commuter-rail line, a part of a higher-speed freight line, and a section of the planned high-speed Mississippi River Route. Minnesota would see increased freight shipping, reductions in commuting time, and access to the national high-speed rail network.
They are also asking for $13.5 million to improve the Hoffman Interlocking/Hoffman Yard in Saint Paul and $8.7 million to continue renovating the Union Depot in Saint Paul.
Currently, Hoffman Yard handles 5% of the existing freight transit in the United States and is almost at capacity. This pressure-point is a vital freight link to the rest of the region that must be relieved to expand shipping capabilities and provide additional track space for commuter and high-speed rail.
“Great regions have great transportation systems,” said Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “Growing regions have growing transportation systems that allow employers to move their goods quickly and to give employees more choice in how they get to work. Red Rock is part of a regional vision that will help us keep, grow and attract new jobs.”
On Board Midwest is pleased to see elected officials step forward and take the lead on an important issue such as the Red Rock Corridor and Hoffman Yard. Funding for these projects would make the future of high-speed rail from Saint Paul to Chicago even more of a reality.
“Red Rock and this entire corridor is the next great transit opportunity for Minnesota commuters,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Jim McDonough, chair of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority. “We have support at all levels of government from the community to the White House. The community supports the vision and together we will not miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
Click here to learn more about the Red Rock Corridor.
Note: Long-time rail and transit advocate Commissioner Myra Peterson from Washington County was unable to attend today due to a death in the family. From all of us here at On Board Midwest, we offer our condolences. Myra is a true high-speed rail supporter, and she is in our thoughts.
Calling all Red Rock supporters!
February 5th, 2010High-speed rail along the Mississippi River will also help advance the Red Rock commuter tail corridor.
Join OnBoard Midwest on Monday, February 8 to encourage legislators to support proposals that would fund planning and construction work for this important transit corridor. There are more details below. Together we have a chance to improve transit and encourage more economic opportunities throughout our region.
Red Rock Corridor Seeks Legislative Support
for Commuter, High-Speed Rail
Proposed second commuter rail line in Twin Cities looks to build
on Northstar’s success and plan for high-speed rail
What:
Local government officials, community members and local business leaders seek bonding and general fund appropriations to start planning and construction for Red Rock commuter rail and high-speed rail connecting St. Paul to Chicago. Funding for the Red Rock Corridor is a three-for-one investment in commuter, high-speed and freight rail.
Who:
Senator Katie Sieben, (DFL – Newport)
Representative Alice Hausman, (DFL – St. Paul)
Representative Karla Bigham, (DFL – Cottage Grove)
Representative Dennis McNamara, (R – Hastings)
Commissioner Myra Peterson, Washington County
Commissioner Jim McDonough, Ramsey County
Mayor Chris Coleman, St. Paul
Local business and community members
When:
Monday, February 8, 2010 9:00 a.m.
Where: State Office Building, Room 181
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1299
Catching up with High-Speed Rail Coverage
February 5th, 2010Last week our efforts to bring high-speed rail to the region took a significant step forward when we secured a $1 million grant to help transportation officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin study the feasibility of extending a high-speed rail line between Madison and Saint Paul. The Obama administration allocated a total of $8 billion for high-speed rail projects across the nation – with approximately $2.6 billion going toward projects in the Midwest. The government’s decision to invest billions to fund transit projects in our region means our projects are moving forward and there is more work to be done.
After the announcement, media coverage of high-speed rail picked up speed. Here are a few of the items we found most interesting.
Planning for high-speed rail
It’s clear the Obama administration is committed to funding high-speed rail. In return, federal leaders demand coordination and vision from each region. Last year Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood sent strong messages to the entire country about the importance of planning before the federal government decided which regions would receive funding.
Nevertheless, some states in the South, including Georgia, are reeling over the lack of funding they received. When a reporter from the Atlanta Journal Constitution asked LaHood why Georgia only received $750,000, he commented, “Unless a state has its act together, with money and a plan that connects things, you’re not going to get money.”
MnDOT’s statewide rail plan and its focused vision for the future were crucial to securing federal funding. However, we only received money to continue planning. Wisconsin, on the other hand, invested more time and money to develop a plan that will impact more than just one project. The result was funding to build the projects.
Recognizing the economic impact of rail
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsinites are jumping for joy over the Obama administration’s decision to allocate $823 million to the state for high-speed rail. That’s because state, local and business leaders realize the exciting economic future that is ahead of them.
Rail is encouraging for businesses and developers because the route and stops are fixed, and they know there will be a market for their shops and developments. Growth will occur near those stops.
Keep building support
We need to keep working together to build more support for the Mississippi River Route. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle commented earlier this week that Minnesota could be a major factor in deciding whether the high-speed route between Chicago and Saint Paul goes through La Crosse or Eau Claire. From an economic standpoint, Doyle supports the River Route, which would require trains to go through La Crosse.
To read more of Doyle’s comments, click here.
Connecting cities
High-speed rail is about more than just creating one new way to move people from place to place. It creates opportunities to connect cities and people to existing transportation opportunities – and makes communities stronger as a result. The Tomah Journal recently published an editorial imagining a future in which citizens of Tomah, Wisconsin, no longer had to take several connecting flights to get to their final destinations. Instead, they could take the high-speed train all the way to Chicago and hop on a direct flight to their final destination. With high-speed rail, travelers will save both time and money.
Click here to read the editorial.
Mississippi River High-Speed Corridor Receives Federal Funding
January 28th, 2010
The Obama Administration announced today that planning work related to high-speed rail upgrades to the Mississippi River Route will receive federal funding in the first round of investments from the America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The White House approved a total $823 million for the high-speed rail line from Chicago to Saint Paul, including a $1 million grant to help transportation officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin study the feasibility of extending a high-speed rail line between Madison and Saint Paul.
Of the $8 billion being allocated, the Midwest region received approximately $2.6 billion in federal grants, second only to the West region. Nine projects in the Midwest were selected, including a planning study to explore the extension of high-speed rail service to the Twin Cities from Chicago. The grants included projects in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.
The decision by the Federal government to fund projects in the region follows years of work by planners to identify key routes and projects across the entire region. The first round of projects will help create stronger connections between key cities in the Midwest while also creating new incentives for leaders to continue to work on projects that could be part of the next round of funding.
For more information, read
- our news release.
- the White House’s information on the Saint Paul to Chicago route.
- the complete list of corridors that received federal grants.
LaHood makes second visit to Minnesota
January 26th, 2010
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Minnesota yesterday to talk about light-rail transit along the Central Corridor. Several elected officials, including LaHood, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Representatives Jim Oberstar and Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, announced that three more stops along University Avenue would be added to the plan.
LaHood praised the coordinated effort put forth by a coalition of chambers of commerce, district councils, businesses, and residents to make the Central Corridor possible. Building support and momentum for transportation initiatives through a coalition – like what On Board Midwest is doing for high-speed rail along the Mississippi River Route – is a strategy that should be used around the country, said LaHood.
The final stop of the Central Corridor will be at the Union Depot. This light-rail line will give people coming to the Union Depot via Red Rock, Amtrak, or high-speed rail other transit options once reaching Saint Paul. It’s one more example of how a regional transit system benefits the entire community.
This marks the second time in recent months that LaHood has visited Minnesota to talk about transit projects. His interest in the state’s investments in transportation shows how important these projects are for the entire country and the growing momentum for rail in our region.
