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California Receives Wisconsin and Ohio's High-Speed Rail Money
by Robert Cruickshank, Calitics
Last month, voters in Wisconsin and Ohio elected Republican governors who pledged to stop their state's high speed rail projects, even though they had won $1.2 billion in federal stimulus grants to begin the projects. On the same day, California voters overwhelmingly elected pro-HSR candidate Jerry Brown, who backed a bullet train proposal from LA to SD in the early 1980s, over the anti-HSR Meg Whitman.
Republicans in WI and OH wanted to redirect the federal stimulus funds to road projects, which is moronic - we need to fund 21st century infrastructure that liberates us from oil, rather than deepening our dependence on it. Jerry Brown and California voters - who themselves approved $10 billion in funds for HSR in 2008 - understand that we cannot have 21st century prosperity without it.
Brown's support for HSR was joined by Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, who along with California Democratic members of Congress wrote letters calling on the federal government to redirect that money from Wisconsin and Ohio to California.
Today, the US DOT did exactly that, redirecting $624 million in funding from Wisconsin and Ohio to California's high speed rail project. The remaining funds will go to 11 other states, but California has by far won the greatest share. All told, California has won nearly $4 billion in federal HSR funding in the last 12 months.
It's not clear yet what exactly the California HSR Authority will use the money to build, but it will almost certainly go to expand the first construction segment, currently linking Fresno and Hanford. The funding could be enough to get the tracks all the way to Bakersfield or Merced, a good starting point as we seek additional funds to complete the route from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
This is yet another example of how federal infrastructure stimulus is welcome here in California, where we understand that job creation and preparation for a 21st century economy go hand-in-hand. Kudos to our Senators and Congressional delegation for winning these funds - let's hope they keep up the fight for HSR funding in the coming years.
Learn more about this story and the HSR project at my California High Speed Rail Blog.
Posted on 12/09/2010 • Permalink
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This is wonderful news that CA is receiving more Federal Funding for the High-Speed Rail Project! But slight clarification please? Your article reads that the first segment is to connect Fresno and Hanford, but all other reporting has indicated that it will be between Borden and Corcoran and didn’t indicate it would connect to anything. Quite frankly, this has many people in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties scratching our heads as to what compelling need the cattle, sheep, and produce down in podunk actually HAVE for state of the art high-speed rail? Our two counties have been found to be the most financially decimated in the State as per the Associated Press’ Economic Stress Index, in fact among the highest in the NATION. STOCKTON was made the promise of having the Maintenance Hub Facility HERE, bringing with it the glimmer of hope for major, SUSTAINABLE employment to an area in economic FREEFALL, with a 16.6% Unemployment rate, and boarded up industrial and retail space as far as the eye can see. Logic dictates that if the high-speed “Podunk Express to Nowhere” proceeds as currently planned, kiss our Maintenance Facility goodbye, just so a few greedy individuals down there can speculate on their land in deals to the State, feather their own nests, and in the process squander a Golden Opportunity we have in front of us to bring our State out of the Abyss and truly bring about recovery and renewal that will benefit ALL CA, not just a SELECT FEW.
Logic would also dictate that in order to bring in an immediate revenue stream, connecting it to and existing transportation hub (i.e., where BART ends), and begin running south from there, right by the brand new Maintenance Facility and Passenger Station, where shuttle services could take people into the Downtown Stockton Area, Theater, Arena, etc., then continue its way South. The cattle will get their line eventually, but perhaps not until Phase 2 or 3 (you know, once Phase 1 begins paying for itself?) By Phase 3, it is conceivable that the line could extend into LA area, if implemented with a little common sense and a little less “What can I do to personally profit from this?” in the planning. Stockton is also the perfect location for the connection from Bay Area to Sacramento, using it as a transfer hub. What I guess I want to know is: WHY ARE WE NOT FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL DEMANDING THAT THEY HONOR THEIR PROMISES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN HERE, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO MOST DESPERATELY NEED TO BE PUT BACK TO WORK? Is there anyone out there with a reasonable explanation for the HSRA’s decision? Anyone? Bueller…? Beuller…?
at 1:44 pm on Thu, Dec 9, 2010Posted by Laura Lynne Prater