Please interpret what Mica is saying here, its cryptic: 

 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dr-gridlock/2011/02/feds_to_spend_53_billion_on_ra.html

 

Is he just saying he wants the private sector to manage the projects, or is he calling for true HSR development?

Except that the chair and the vice chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee is supportive of high-speed rail. It is up to them to marshal this through the House.

This is supportive? I'd hate to see hostile.

"Amtrak's Soviet-style train system is not the way to provide modern and efficient passenger rail service," Mica added.

 

Mica is very supportive of High Speed Rail.  See: 

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/02/01/improving-the-northeast-corridor-could-take-private-funding/

 

I think hes playing the part of the standard partisan skepticism and maybe trying to box in the funding to projects he supports; but ill leave others with more knowledge to interpret.

Mica favors public-private partnerships. He doesn't care what the project is as long as it follows this model. He does not want to see a public sector-led project, but rather a project is led by the private sector with the public sector supporting it with financing and other incentives.

 

Thankfully, Ohio's state government under Kasich is not needed to undertake high-speed rail. It would certainly be aided by their assistance, but the private sector has too much to gain from having population centers in the Midwest and the East Coast no more than four hours apart (and many would be much closer than that) by surface, electrified transport. The operating profit, station-area development and project sourcing benefits from such well-placed projects are immense.

Well the biggest companies that would have serious interest in this would be the electric utilities.  This is especially true if the high speed rail were "electric"..  Maybe we will see a serious shift then in federal policy to allow electric utilities to move back into transportation services again..  I believed they are likely hampered by that in federal regulations.. If I recall why they had to sell off their rail lines in the 20s or 30s.

 

That would bring more competition for big oil.  We'll have more electric cars on the road and potentially a lot more electric trains.  What other industry can really stand up to big oil except big coal alongside the electrical industry..

Obama urges $53 billion for U.S. HSR   

Tuesday, February 08, 2011 

 

President Obama is advocating a six-year, $53 billion investment in high speed rail (HSR) as part of his thrust to use infrastructure spending to create jobs. The President will call for an initial $8 billion HSR investment in the budget he is set to release next week.

 

In his State of the Union address last month, the President said he hoped to created HSR access to 80% of all Americans within a 25-year period.

 

Should the divided Congress approve Obama's budget, the initial rail spending would focus on developing or improving trains that travel up to 150 miles per hour, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. Republicans control the House of Representatives, while Democrats hold a small majority of Senate seats.

Full story at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/obama-urges-53-billion-for-u.s.-hsr.html

With a lot of need for new investment in electric plants that aren't coal burning, it seems that a regular and sizable demand from electrified rail might be a good way to get a bunch of nuke plants built that also reduce carbon emissions. This would also allow for the acceleration of the electrification of a greater percentage of the automobiles as well.

would love to see a partnership between one of the freight companies, a manufacturer, an urban developer, and a power company!

Who's to say this wouldn't be the preferred method for US Mail to travel or for Fed-Ex or UPS to also take advantage of the speed and destinations.  That is how trains previously subsidized their passenger service.. Why not again..  Certainly cheaper than maintaining a huge fleet of aircraft to move small packages around..

For source info web links, see the press release posted at:

http://allaboardohio.org/2011/02/08/ohio-could-benefit-greatly-from-obamas-huge-hsr-program/

 

Ohio to benefit greatly from President’s “Sputnik-moment” HSR program

 

Contact:

Ken Prendergast

All Aboard Ohio Executive Director

(216) 288-4883

[email protected]

 

CLEVELAND – All Aboard Ohio applauded the Obama Administration’s announcement today for investing $53 billion over six years into high-speed rail projects nationwide to help diversify America’s transportation system after completion of the Interstate highway program.

 

The nonprofit educational association seeks a 220-mph high-speed rail corridor linking a Chicago-based Midwest high-speed system and the Northeast Corridor. This will serve more population than China’s 818-mile Jinghu high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai due to open in 2011. All Aboard Ohio urges that an interim 90 mph service be implemented while the planning, design, property acquisition and construction is carried out on the 220-mph corridor over 15-30 years. See our Midwest-East Coast HSR report at http://freepdfhosting.com/d76cf523fc.pdf (2.7MB).

 

“We look forward to a good working relationship with the Obama Administration and Congress to continue America’s leadership in transportation and infrastructure development,” said All Aboard Ohio President Bill Hutchison. “We need to diversify our transportation system to create jobs, accommodate future growth in light of our overburdened highway and airport networks, respond to a changing travel marketplace and population demographics while acknowledging constrained global oil supplies and environmental concerns.”

 

He added: “It isn’t just Europe and the Pacific Rim that are adding 21st-century high-speed rail, but Turkey, Brazil, Iran, Morocco, Russia and others. If that isn’t a Sputnik-like warning to America that we cannot ignore modernizing our infrastructure any longer and expect to compete globally, I don’t know what is.”

 

High-speed rail offers low-cost travel comparable to the low-fare airlines but with greater on-board amenities and comfort, downtown-to-downtown convenience, plus a mix of service classes including express, regional and local services. The latter two often serve smaller cities, suburban stations and airports in addition to major city centers.

 

All Aboard Ohio noted that federal leadership for a public-private partnership approach to developing high-speed rail can achieve bi-partisan support. U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), the Republican chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), ranking member of the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee have both supported public-private partnerships to advance high-speed rail projects.

 

All Aboard Ohio said the president’s announcement today could soon mean good things for Ohio. Specifically, the nonprofit educational association noted that following:

 

+ Recent feasibility studies were conducted of a Chicago-based 220-mph high-speed rail network, including from Chicago to Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland. French national railroad SNCF has offered to lead a partnership to develop these services by the end of this decade;

 

+ Amtrak conducted a high-level feasibility study of 220-mph service in the Northeast Corridor last year. For Midwest-Northeast HSR, this would address high-speed rail infrastructure for accessing many Northeast Corridor central business districts;

 

+ The Federal Railroad Administration last month awarded $750,000 to PennDOT (which is matching the amount) to plan for an extension of the Keystone Corridor’s 110-mph electrified passenger rail service west from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh.

 

All Aboard Ohio pointed out that Ohioans will benefit from high-speed rail investments in many ways:

 

++ Ohio is already the nation’s fifth-largest rail industry supplier, as ranked by employment of 26,000 employees at more than 200 companies (SOURCE: Ohio Department of Transportation);

 

++ Ohio, one of the nation’s top-ten most-populous states, is geographically positioned between the emerging Chicago- and Northeast Corridor-based high-speed rail systems (SOURCE: U.S Census).

 

++ Travel to downtown Chicago from Cleveland, Columbus or Cincinnati could be 2-3 hours; travel to midtown Manhattan from Cleveland could be about 3 hours, or from Toledo in about 3½ hours; and travel to Washington DC from Cleveland could be about 2½ hours (SOURCE: based on China’s Jinghu HSR average speeds).

 

“The planning for high-speed rail is already underway between the Midwest and Northeast and will continue to progress. And now the President of the United States has offered a means to start financing that vision. We urge Ohioans to join with the president in bringing our state into the 21st century,” Hutchison concluded.

 

END

Awesome

that is the vision this needs to get people behind it when they ask "why" HSR.  Cleveland and Pittsburgh will benefit the most from that system IMO as centerpoints with service in either direction! :clap:

That's an inspiring press release.

 

8-)

If Ohio construction starts on this before November 2014, Kasich will have a lot of 'splaining to do, re:3C. Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus will have lost the chance of using the Chicago-Northeast Corridor line.

 

Columbus will be the biggest loser.

yes, but columbus and dayton will do OK if there is a decent connection to pittsburgh and toledo to further connect to Chicago, NY, DC. 

 

If the 3C is built at 220+ and extended southward, it would provide a fast connection to louisville, nashville, atlanta etc. That is where a big chunk of the population growth is anyway. 

yes, but columbus and dayton will do OK if there is a decent connection to pittsburgh and toledo to further connect to Chicago, NY, DC.

 

If the 3C is built at 220+ and extended southward, it would provide a fast connection to louisville, nashville, atlanta etc. That is where a big chunk of the population growth is anyway.

 

I don't see those connections happening with a state government hostile to rail. Chicago-Toledo-Cleveland-NEC, yes. Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati, maybe. Anything else, I doubt it.

With a lot of need for new investment in electric plants that aren't coal burning, it seems that a regular and sizable demand from electrified rail might be a good way to get a bunch of nuke plants built that also reduce carbon emissions. This would also allow for the acceleration of the electrification of a greater percentage of the automobiles as well.

 

The electric utility demands of a high-speed rail line are actually pretty small. For example, Amtrak owns a small hydro-electric dam on the Susquehanna River south of Harrisburg called the Safe Harbor Dam (look for a satellite image of it on Google or Bing to see how small it is). That dam powers the entire 105-mile Keystone Corridor between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, including Amtrak's 28 daily 110-mph trains and SEPTA's 80+ trains per weekday trains and 30-40 trains per weekend day between Thorndale/Paoli and Philly. And the hydro-electric dam used to power freight trains as well, prior to 1980 when dozens of daily freights east and south of Harrisburg on several rail lines were hauled by electric locomotives.

 

Today most electric locomotives use regenerative braking and generators from the wheels turning to produce their own electricity and feed it back into the overhead wires. So the only time a train draws electricity is to accelerate or to maintain speed.

If Ohio construction starts on this before November 2014, Kasich will have a lot of 'splaining to do, re:3C. Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus will have lost the chance of using the Chicago-Northeast Corridor line.

 

Columbus will be the biggest loser.

 

It took 20 years for the Beijing-Shanghai Jinghu high-speed rail project to go from idea to construction -- that in country where being a NIMBY could get you time scrubbing toilets at the local work camp. Granted, they debated for years over whether the project should be maglev or steel-wheel HSR. In America, no federally funded construction project goes from idea to construction in four years. Few do it in less than 10. And for a project of this scale that will require finding $100 billion to $200 billion, conducting of route alternatives analyses, environmental impact studies, public reviews and comment periods, preliminary engineering, final engineering, property acquisition (and lots of lawsuits), demolitions, grading, tunneling and more -- if a Midwest-East Coast high-speed rail corridor sees construction in less than 15 years I will be shocked!

 

If there is any question whether the current Governor would support HSR in Ohio....read the quote in the following story...

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/09/odot-cuts-funding-for-transit-agencies.html?sid=101

 

 

At the end of the day, isn't Ohio's chances of high-speed rail directly related to Indiana's desire to spend money on it. Last I checked, Indiana's governor is Kasich-like except that he's a nice guy.

ODOT Director is quoted in today's Columbus Dispatch as saying Ohio will not pursue any HSR funds under this new plan....

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/09/odot-cuts-funding-for-transit-agencies.html?sid=101

 

^This administration is pursuing a policy of economic suicide

 

There are a number of ways around state "leaders" who refuse to save their state. All this federal funding will require a 20 percent nonfederal match. A state or There is already foreign interest by the French, Chinese and others to invest in high-speed rail in the U.S. Plus a number of rail industry suppliers are willing to take the lead on these projects. So if the federal government is willing to provide 80 percent, the rest can be cobbled together from other sources who are interested. Clearly the backwater leadership from Ohio and Indiana aren't among the interested parties, so we will have to proceed without them.

I would think that if Ohio had a great plan and some public-private partnership with capital ready to go, we would become a high priority for federal money as this type of model would make for an example of bipartisan political mechanics... 

Ohio's exclusion won't harm new nationwide high-speed rail initiative, Transportation Secretary says

Published: Wednesday, February 09, 2011, 3:28 PM    Updated: Wednesday, February 09, 2011, 4:10 PM

By Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer

 

For the time being, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is counting Ohio out of President Obama's newly announced $53 billion six-year plan to build a nationwide high-speed rail network.

 

Newly-elected Ohio Gov. John Kasich rejected $400 million Ohio got in an early round of high-speed rail funding, and LaHood doesn't expect he'll want the state to participate in the program that Vice President Joe Biden announced yesterday.

 

"The applicants for high-speed rail money have come from the states," LaHood told reporters at a Wednesday afternoon briefing. "The executive of the states are governors. That's who we've worked with on high-speed rail. At this point, I do not anticipate an application for high-speed rail from the executive of Ohio. I hope that changes."

 

Read more at: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/02/ohios_exclusion_wont_harm_new.html

^This administration is pursuing a policy of economic suicide

 

Hmmm. Lemme see.

 

Which war did this administration pursue (with the cost of the war in Iraq estimated at $6 trillion)? The DOW was under 8000 when Bush left office; it closed above 12,000, today. The meltdown of the financial industry started with easy credit and lax financial regulation during the Clinton years but ballooned under the Bush years.

 

Corporate America is sitting on $2.1 trillion in cash reserves. Does that look like the private sector is going  to take the lead?

 

By all accounts, the "economic stimulus" was not enough but the Democrats were afraid to push for more, still, there is little doubt that without TARP (started under Bust), the ARRA (Obama) and the Obama decision to intervene in the affairs of GM, Chysler and AIG, to name a few, the recession would have been much worse.

 

So be specific. What policies are "economic suicide" and have the historical facts, not the Faux News "facts" to back up your assertions?

 

The Obama administration was smart and courageous to back their transportation strategy in the midst of a mindless discussion about balancing the budget through cuts, alone. And, to be fair, the total package includes other, non-rail, transportation investments, as well.

 

 

 

^I think gildone meant the Kasich administration is pursuing a policy of economic suicide.

^ and ^^

 

LOL.

^I think gildone meant the Kasich administration is pursuing a policy of economic suicide.

 

Aha. Well, one should be more specific. I didn't think that Kasich is worth discussing. His lack of thoughtfulness and reason is, unfortunately, appealing to many Ohioans. Sad that such a beautiful state should be relegated to a person who will plunge Ohio into the bowels of poverty. But, hey, our empty highways will sure be a great way for the horse carts to deliver ice blocks to the cold chests that we'll need, once electricity becomes too expensive.

 

Ohio's exclusion won't harm new nationwide high-speed rail initiative, Transportation Secretary says

Published: Wednesday, February 09, 2011, 3:28 PM    Updated: Wednesday, February 09, 2011, 4:10 PM

By Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer

 

For the time being, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is counting Ohio out of President Obama's newly announced $53 billion six-year plan to build a nationwide high-speed rail network.

 

Newly-elected Ohio Gov. John Kasich rejected $400 million Ohio got in an early round of high-speed rail funding, and LaHood doesn't expect he'll want the state to participate in the program that Vice President Joe Biden announced yesterday.

 

"The applicants for high-speed rail money have come from the states," LaHood told reporters at a Wednesday afternoon briefing. "The executive of the states are governors. That's who we've worked with on high-speed rail. At this point, I do not anticipate an application for high-speed rail from the executive of Ohio. I hope that changes."

 

Read more at: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/02/ohios_exclusion_wont_harm_new.html

 

Here in Philly, it didn't take until sundown before a local, radio, idiot-right wing nutjob to trash "Obama's Choo-Choo" and belittle LaHood as "Everybody Loves Raymond".  ... with this kind of intellectual discourse, you'd think it won't belong before this seriously fractured, Palin-loving country rediscovers the horse & buggy... and, mind you, this is in Northeast Corridor Philadelphia...

^I think gildone meant the Kasich administration is pursuing a policy of economic suicide.

 

Aha. Well, one should be more specific. I didn't think that Kasich is worth discussing. His lack of thoughtfulness and reason is, unfortunately, appealing to many Ohioans. Sad that such a beautiful state should be relegated to a person who will plunge Ohio into the bowels of poverty. But, hey, our empty highways will sure be a great way for the horse carts to deliver ice blocks to the cold chests that we'll need, once electricity becomes too expensive.

 

 

Just in: Kasich will push coal fired bicycles to use those empty, post peak oil highways.

Not if Chris Matthews has his way. This is awesome. Please share (and be patient as the video takes a few moments to load!)

 

Americans 'Gotta get movin'

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/ns/msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews#41481272

Ryan's office tells me they want this to be a Cleveland - Youngstown - Pittsburgh Corridor, which is no surprise considering that would go through his district....

 

Ohio Congress members seek Lake Erie high speed rail corridor

Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 7:58 PM

By Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ohio may yet get on track with President Obama's newly announced $53 billion initiative to build a nationwide high speed rail network.

 

A bipartisan group of northern Ohio Congress members met Thursday with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss building a high speed rail line along Lake Erie that would link Cleveland with Chicago, Detroit, Toledo and Buffalo, and also include routes to Youngstown and Pittsburgh. Building a line along the lake is a top tier part of Obama's rail program.

 

Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Steve LaTourette said he plans to work with Republicans and Democrats from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan "to see if there's a way we can help restore some of what the President's vision is on high speed rail in our part of the world."

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/02/ohio_congress_members_seek_lak.html

Congressman LaTourette has redeeming qualities:

 

"If we can go to him with a proposal that doesn't cripple Ohio's general fund and puts people to work and moves us into the 21st century when it comes to passenger rail, I'm sure he'll listen to us," LaTourette said of Kasich.

 

Kasich, asked about the proposal following a speech Thursday in Columbus, said he's open to considering any rail plan apart from the route he rejected.

Kasich, asked about the proposal following a speech Thursday in Columbus, said he's open to considering any rail plan apart from the route he rejected.

 

Of course because the rejection of the 3c was purely political.  As long as the project makes Kasich look good he will consider it.

Creating a true hi-speed rail line from Chicago to NYC should've been the focus all along.

I'd take Ohio to D.C. or Philly rather than NYC direct.

A staff editorial.....

 

All aboard: The president is right to push high-speed rail

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

If one issue epitomizes the United States falling behind the rest of the world in infrastructure and technological progress, high-speed rail might be it. This nation took railroading to greatness in its early years (thanks in part to George Westinghouse and his famous airbrake made here in Wilmerding). And look at us now.

 

While Amtrak does run its fast Acela trains in the Northeast Corridor, the service is a shadow of that provided by bullet trains elsewhere -- in places like Japan and France for many years, in China recently. But don't just look at the wide gap between the wonderful trains that those counties have and the meagerness of what we have; look at the shortsighted political arguing that goes on about narrowing that gap.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11044/1124874-192.stm

If only the dispatch and enquirer were so enlightened....

Or the Blade?

 

Article published February 15, 2011

Toledo Blade

All aboard

 

IF ONE issue epitomizes how the United States has fallen behind the rest of the world in infrastructure and technological progress, high-speed rail might be it. This nation took railroading to greatness in its early years, Look at us now.

 

There are a few fast trains in this country, but the service they offer is a shadow of that provided by bullet trains in places such as Japan and France for many years, and in China recently. Don't just look at the wide gap between the wonders of what those counties have and the meagerness of what we have. Look also at the shortsighted political arguing that goes on about narrowing that gap.

 

President Obama has been a supporter of high-speed rail, having committed some $10.5 billion -- including $8 billion in stimulus funds -- as a down payment on a fast national rail system. But Gov. John Kasich has turned down nearly $400 million in federal aid to build an advanced-rail system that would link Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, calling it "unnecessary spending."

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20110215/OPINION02/102140349

Since the 3C is now on the back burner, as it were, and attention is shifting to the Chicago-East Coast high speed rail plan put forth by the Midwest High Speed Rail Coalition (and endorsed by All Aboard Ohio), perhaps we need a Chicago-East Coast HSR thread that is stickied rather than this one?  Just a thought...

And another one, this one from Warren.....

 

Hop aboard the latest rail proposal

February 15, 2011 - Tribune Chronicle editorial

 

Now we're talking about the right high-speed rail plan.

 

A bipartisan group of northern Ohio congressmen met Thursday with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss building a high-speed rail line along Lake Erie that would link Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, Chicago and Buffalo, and also include routes to Youngstown and Pittsburgh. Building a line along the lake is a top-tier part of President Obama's rail program.

 

Last year, former Gov. Ted Strickland accepted $400 million in federal money to advance a passenger rail plan that would connect Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, endorsed the idea, probably to keep friendly with Obama and the Democrat leadership, even though rail through the Mahoning Valley was a distant spur off that route.

 

New Gov. John Kasich sent the money back, citing many factors we had already pointed out in this space. One factor is that the plan wasn't for high-speed rail and would probably saddle taxpayers with eternal financial upkeep.

 

We opposed the so-called Tri-C route because Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are small towns. For robust ridership, rail should connect with big boys - Chicago and / or New York.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/553256/Hop-aboard-the-latest-rail-proposal.html?nav=5007

here

there?

Great editorials....but did the Toledo Blade really re-print the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's editorial and not even credit them? What.....the Blade couldn't think of anything to say in their own words?  :roll:

High-speed train system has a long way to go

By Charisse Jones, USA TODAYUpdated 3h 35m ago |

 

Amtrak's Acela trains travel from Washington to Boston. Obama's goal is to provide high-speed train access to 80% of Americans in 25 years.

President Obama's 2012 budget unveiled Monday includes $8 billion for high-speed rail next year, part of a planned $53 billion investment in enhanced train service over six years.

 

The money would further Obama's vision of providing high-speed train access to 80% of Americans in 25 years.

 

Read more at: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2011-02-15-businesstravel15_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Great editorials....but did the Toledo Blade really re-print the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's editorial and not even credit them? What.....the Blade couldn't think of anything to say in their own words?  :roll:

 

The Toledo Blade owns the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

here

there?

 

Yep. I start a new thread and type something, anything, then merge with an existing thread to the change the subject title in all of its messages. This thread was formerly: "What is your ideal high-speed rail network?" Usually I delete the new message unless I forget. Onward....

Idk how old this video is but its from fox. The lady is the only one that seems pretty dumb. They mention Cleveland once

 

Oh and the video quality sucks

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9a3_1297201245&c=1

 

I'm afraid to even click on it. I'm pissed off enough today as it is.

I'm afraid to even click on it. I'm pissed off enough today as it is.

 

Its not bad