MASSPIRG Supports the High-Speed Rail Investment and Recent Stimulus Applications for High-Speed Rail
Massachusetts Congressman John Olver, chairman of the House Transportation Appropriations committee, announced the transportation appropriations request on Tuesday. The request includes a $4 billion investment for high-speed passenger rail, an increase of $3 billion over President Obama’s request.
In an era of overburdened airports and highways, momentum is building around the country for a stronger, faster, more comprehensive rail system. “By building on the recovery funds for high-speed rail, Congress is maintaining a far-sighted view and is making a long-term investment in the transportation trends of the future,” says Lizzi Weyant, staff attorney at MASSPIRG. “In the short term, this investment will create thousands of quality American jobs in states that have experienced losses in the technology, construction, and engineering sectors over the last decade.”
Congressman Olver’s request comes just days after the New England states submitted coordinated applications for high speed rail stimulus grants. “A real investment in high speed rail that goes beyond the President’s stimulus bill will make all the difference in seeing these projects come to completion,” says Weyant. “It’s the difference between creating a wish-list for high-speed rail, and creating a vision that can become a reality. President Obama has called for a new vision for the way people get around in our country, and Congress is heeding that call.”
The projects for which Massachusetts and other New England states sought funding include:
1. The Downeaster line, providing service between Boston and Portland, Maine, and eventually north to Brunswick, Maine
2. New Hampshire’s Capital corridor, providing service between Concord, Manchester, Nashua, and Boston, and including a stop at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
3. Vermont’s Western Corridor, providing direct service connecting Burlington, Vermont with Albany and New York City
4. The Knowledge Corridor, providing service from Boston to New Haven, Connecticut, and Montreal, Canada
5. The Springfield Line, providing service through New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield
6. The Northeast Corridor, providing the connection between Providence and Boston to TF Green Airport in Rhode Island
