Last 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.
