Contact: Jill Zuckman Thursday, April 16, 2009 Tel.: (202)

Transcription

1 DOT Cntact: Jill Zuckman Thursday, April 16, 2009 Tel.: (202) President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary LaHd Call fr U.S. High-Speed Passenger Trains Visin fr a New Era in Rail Entails Clean, Energy-Efficient Optin fr Travelers President Barack Obama, alng with Vice President Biden and Secretary LaHd, annunced a new U.S. push tday t transfrm travel in America, creating high-speed rail lines frm city t city, reducing dependence n cars and planes and spurring ecnmic develpment. The President released a strategic plan utlining his visin fr high speed rail in America. The plan identifies $8 billin prvided in the ARRA and $1 billin a year fr five years requested in the federal budget as a dwn payment t jump-start a ptential wrld-class passenger rail system and sets the directin f transprtatin plicy fr the future. The strategic plan will be fllwed by detailed guidance fr state and lcal applicants. By late summer, the Federal Railrad Administratin will begin awarding the first rund f grants. Additinal funding fr lng-term planning and develpment is expected frm legislatin authrizing federal surface transprtatin prgrams. The reprt frmalizes the identificatin f ten high-speed rail crridrs as ptential recipients f federal funding. Thse lines are: Califrnia, Pacific Nrthwest, Suth Central, Gulf Cast, Chicag Hub Netwrk, Flrida, Sutheast, Keystne, Empire and Nrthern New England. Als, pprtunities exist fr the Nrtheast Crridr frm Washingtn t Bstn t cmpete fr funds t imprve the natin s nly existing highspeed rail service. With a bst frm the American Recvery and Reinvestment Act, the Obama administratin launched a cmpetitive prcess t drive lcal cmmunities t develp their high-speed rail ptential. The President, Vice President and Secretary f Transprtatin are urging states and lcal cmmunities t put tgether plans fr a netwrk f 100 mile t 600 mile crridrs, which will cmpete fr the federal dllars. The merit-driven prcess will result in federal grants as sn as late summer (mre) -- U.S Department f Transprtatin Office f Public Affairs 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washingtn, DC News

2 DOT Thursday, April 16, 2009 President Obama s visin fr high-speed rail mirrrs that f President Eisenhwer, the father f the Interstate highway system, which revlutinized the way Americans traveled. Nw, high-speed rail has the ptential t reduce U.S. dependence n freign il, lwer harmful carbn emissins, fster new ecnmic develpment and give travelers mre chices when it cmes t mving arund the cuntry. My high-speed rail prpsal will lead t innvatins that change the way we travel in America. We must start develping clean, energy-efficient transprtatin that will define ur regins fr centuries t cme, said President Obama. A majr new high-speed rail line will generate many thusands f cnstructin jbs ver several years, as well as permanent jbs fr rail emplyees and increased ecnmic activity in the destinatins these trains serve. High-speed rail is lng-verdue, and this plan lets American travelers knw that they are nt dmed t a future f lng lines at the airprts r jammed cars n the highways. Tday, we see clearly hw Recvery Act funds and the Department f Transprtatin are building the platfrm fr a brighter ecnmic future - they re creating jbs and making life better fr cmmunities everywhere, said Vice President Biden. Everyne knws railways are the best way t cnnect cmmunities t each ther, and as a daily rail cmmuter fr ver 35 years, this annuncement is near and dear t my heart. Investing in a high-speed rail system will lwer ur dependence n freign il and the bill fr a tank f gas; lsen the cngestin suffcating ur highways and skyways; and significantly reduce the damage we d t ur planet. President Obama's visin f rbust, high-speed rail service ffers Americans the kind f travel ptins that thrughut ur histry have cntributed t ecnmic grwth and enhanced quality f life, said Secretary LaHd. We simply can't build the ecnmy f the future n the transprtatin netwrks f the past. The plan identifies tw types f prjects fr funding. One wuld create new crridrs fr wrld-class high-speed rail like the kind fund in Eurpe and Japan. Anther wuld invlve making train service alng existing rail lines incrementally faster. Under the plan, high-speed rail develpment will advance alng three funding tracks: Individual Prjects. Prviding grants t cmplete individual prjects that are ready t g with cmpleted envirnmental and preliminary engineering wrk with an emphasis n near term jb creatin. Eligible prjects include acquisitin, cnstructin f r imprvements t infrastructure, facilities and equipment. Crridr prgrams. Develping entire phases r gegraphic sectins f highspeed rail crridrs that have cmpleted crridr plans, envirnmental dcumentatin and have a priritized list f prjects t help meet the crridr bjectives.

3 Planning. Entering int cperative agreements fr planning activities (including develpment f crridr plans and State Rail Plans) using nn-american Recvery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) apprpriatins funds. This third apprach is intended t help establish a structured mechanism and funding stream fr future crridr develpment activities. ###

4 A Visin fr High-Speed Rail in America Highlights f Strategic Plan April 16, 2009 This plan utlines the President s visin t build a netwrk f high-speed rail crridrs acrss America. It is the first high-speed rail requirement under the American Recvery and Reinvestment Act 0f 2009 ( ARRA). VISION Prpsal is t transfrm the natin s transprtatin system, by rebuilding existing rail infrastructure while launching new high-speed passenger rail services in mile crridrs that cnnect U.S. cmmunities. Similar t hw interstate highways and U.S. aviatin system were develped in 20 th century: partnership between public sectr and private industry, including strng Federal leadership that prvided a natinal visin. OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS MOVING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO STAND UP THIS NEW PROGRAM Strategic rail plan issued just 58 days after passage f ARRA, befre the Cngressinal deadline. Applicatin prcedures expected t be published als befre Cngressinal deadline this spring. First rund grant awards expected t be annunced befre the end f this summer, up t three years ahead f the schedule required by law. COMMITMENT TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL Unprecedented $8 billin investment in highbudget). Cmpletin f visin will require lng-term cmmitment frm bth the speed rail: $8 billin in ARRA cnsidered a dwn payment n a natinal netwrk f crridrs, alng with $1 billin per year fr at least 5 years (prpsed in FY 2010 Federal Gvernment and States. BENEFITS OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL Prmtes ecnmic expansin (including new manufacturing jbs), creates new chices fr travelers in additin t flying r driving, reduces natinal dependence n il, and fsters urban and rural cmmunity develpment. HIGH-SPEED RAIL IS GREEN Tday s intercity passenger rail service cnsumes nespeed rail lines n all federally-designated crridrs (n map), it culd result in an third less energy per passenger-mile than cars. It is estimated that if we built highannual reductin f 6 billin punds f CO2.

5 TRANSPARENT APPROACH prjects selected fr funding based n merit/benefits f investment. First rund f applicatins will fcus n prjects that can be cmpleted quickly and yield measurable, near-term jb creatin and ther public benefits. Next rund t include prpsals fr cmprehensive high-speed prgrams cvering entire crridrs r sectins f crridrs. Additinal funds will be available fr planning t help jump-start crridrs nt yet ready fr cnstructin. Ten majr crridrs are being identified fr ptential high-speed rail prjects: Califrnia Crridr (Bay Area, Sacrament, Ls Angeles, San Dieg) Pacific Nrthwest Crridr (Eugene, Prtland, Tacma, Seattle, Vancuver BC) Suth Central Crridr (Tulsa, Oklahma City, Dallas/Frt Wrth, Austin, San Antni, Little Rck) Gulf Cast Crridr (Hustn, New Orleans,, Mbile, Birmingham, Atlanta) Chicag Hub Netwrk ( Chicag, Milwaukee, Twin Cities, St. Luis, Kansas City, Detrit, Tled, Cleveland, Clumbus, Cincinnati, Indianaplis, Luisville,) Flrida Crridr (Orland, Tampa, Miami) Sutheast Crrid r (Washingtn, Richmnd, Raleigh, Charltte, Atlanta, Macn, Clumbia,, Savannah, Jacksnville) Keystne Crridr (Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh) Empire Crridr (New Yrk City, Albany, Buffal) Nrthern New England Crridr (Bstn, Mntreal, Prtland, Springfield, New Haven, Albany) Als, pprtunities exist fr the Nrtheast Crridr (Washingtn, Baltimre, Wilmingtn, Philadelphia, Newark, New Yrk City, New Haven, Prvidence, Bstn) t cmpete fr funds fr imprvements t the natin s nly existing high-speed rail service, and fr establishment and upgrades t passenger rail services in ther parts f the cuntry. OUTREACH Administratin will take a cllabrative apprach t frmulate prgram; will wrk with stakehlders t gather feedback n strategic plan and help shape the prgram.