As we await the Federal Railroad Administration's decision on awarding the $8 billion in HSR stimulus funds, some observers are wondering how exactly the projects will be selected - and what the role of merit and politics will be. Over at Railway Age, editor William Vantuono suggests the FRA will be caught between those two considerations:
Ray LaHood
Suggested by (0) on 05/12/2009 - 11:20
DiFi: HSR Should Use Transbay Terminal
Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 13:35We've been calling for federal representatives to speak up and help resolve some of the key HSR disputes in California, and it looks like that's exactly what they're starting to do. Senator Dianne Feinstein wrote a letter to Ray LaHood calling for the feds to fund the construction of an HSR train box at Transbay Terminal, as is currently called for in the plans:
23 Members of Congress Sign Letter Supporting HSR Stimulus Funds
Submitted by admin on Sat, 10/10/2009 - 08:24Led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, 23 of California's Congressional delegation have signed a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo supporting the CHSRA's application for federal HSR stimulus funds. The presence of Pelosi and the two Senators alone is significant, as they are among the three most powerful members of Congress, but the other 20 members of Congress are significant as well in that they show widespread support in California for this application.
CA Submits Second Federal HSR Stimulus Application - Up to $10 Billion Could Be Headed Our Way
Submitted by admin on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 12:36Across California the California High Speed Rail Authority is hosting rallies in support of the state's application for federal rail stimulus funds. You can follow along at the Authority's official Twitter feed, @cahsra.
Private Sector Still Interested in HSR
Submitted by admin on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 20:05by Robert Cruickshank
USDOT Announces HSR "Pre-Applications"
Submitted by admin on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 17:43by Robert Cruickshank
California has some competition - 39 competitors, if you're counting by state. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made that statement at a press conference in Las Vegas yesterday:
On Monday Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that 40 states had submitted 270 high-speed rail pre-applications seeking to qualify for stimulus money.
SoCal to Vegas to Become Official Federal HSR Corridor Today
Submitted by admin on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 12:49This image is about to get a makeover:
That's the map of the USDOT HSR corridors. One corridor that's not there is Los Angeles to Las Vegas. That is changing today:
The Next Federal Surface Transportation Program
Submitted by admin on Sat, 06/20/2009 - 11:32
Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN)
