by travelrobb
And just in time for the mid-terms! While another thread focuses on $121 million for Connecticut, other officials are making new announcements. The money appears to be drawn from the $2.5 billion appropriated for high speed rail in 2010. Enjoy that money while it lasts...
California, $902 million. According to the San Jose Mercury-News and the San Francisco Chronicle, $715 million will go to the Central Valley. Meanwhile, the city council in Palo Alto voted to oppose a station there, in part because it might "adversely impact regional airports such as San Jose International." (That, to me, sounds like a reason to build it.)
Tampa to Orlando, $800 million. Details at The Ledger, of Lakeland, FL.
Chicago to Iowa City, $230 million. From the Quad City Times:
Kalamazoo to Detroit, $160 million. From the Detroit Free Press:
California, $902 million. According to the San Jose Mercury-News and the San Francisco Chronicle, $715 million will go to the Central Valley. Meanwhile, the city council in Palo Alto voted to oppose a station there, in part because it might "adversely impact regional airports such as San Jose International." (That, to me, sounds like a reason to build it.)
Tampa to Orlando, $800 million. Details at The Ledger, of Lakeland, FL.
Chicago to Iowa City, $230 million. From the Quad City Times:
The money will pay for service between Chicago and Iowa City that will run at a maximum speed of 79 mph. Average speed is expected to be 53 mph. Trains will run twice daily, said Tammy Nicholson, the director of Iowa’s office of rail transportation....The service should be operational in 2015, according to the application. Overall, the application for rail funding was for a $310 million project. The state of Illinois has committed $45 million while Iowa and cities and organizations in that state have pledged another $20.6 million.What a waste. With respect to my former fellow Iowans, that's money that could be better spent elsewhere. Almost anywhere elsewhere. And I wonder if Gov.-to-Be Branstand will pull the plug on the train when he takes office, like fellow GOP candidates promise.
Kalamazoo to Detroit, $160 million. From the Detroit Free Press:
U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan put out news releases saying the funding will go toward purchasing and restoring the 135-mile-long track.Once it's restored, trains will be able to travel at speeds up to 79 m.p.h., with the ultimate goal of creating a rail line capable of handling speeds up to 110 m.p.h. "Our people want alternative transit options, and this grant will help Michigan, and the United States, to compete with our neighbors abroad," Dingell said. A grant of $3.2 million will help pay for planning involved in the project. In addition, $7.9 million will go to the West Detroit connection project to connect the Chicago-Detroit High Speed line to Detroit New Center Station.According to AnnArbor.com, "either the state or Amtrak to purchase a portion of track between Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo from Norfolk Southern."