There seems to have been a huge number of applications for federal high speed rail funds; over $100 Billion so far. Therefore, the House has decided to up the pot of money from $8 Billion to $12 Billion. See below for more:
House passes increase for housing, high-speed rail
By ANDREW TAYLOR (AP) – 5 days agoWASHINGTON — The Democratic-dominated House Thursday approved generous funding for housing subsidies for the poor and President Barack Obama’s initiative to build high-speed railroads as it passed a $123.1 billion transportation and housing bill.
The measure, approved 256-168, provides a 13 percent increase in total funding for the programs it covers, including $4 billion for Obama’s high-speed rail initiative, which was launched in February with an $8 billion infusion from the economic stimulus bill. Obama had only sought $1 billion in additional money for high-speed and other intercity rail lines.
The earlier $8 billion appropriation has generated a “huge demand” of more than $100 billion in projects submitted by more than 40 states, said Rep. John Olver, D-Mass., the main author of the bill. “We must keep this momentum going,” Olver said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said Ohio has a fair shot at some of the money:
Competition is steep for rail stimulus money
Friday, July 24, 2009 2:28 PM
By Jonathan Riskind
The Columbus DispatchWASHINGTON – Ohio should have a “strong application” to win federal stimulus dollars for high-speed rail, but also faces strong competition nationally for the money, says Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.
LaHood said in an interview today that he has spoken “extensively” with Gov. Ted Strickland on at least two occasions about the state’s desire to link Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton with a passenger line heading to Chicago as part of a Midwest rail corridor.
“We will give it good consideration,” LaHood said of Ohio’s application to connect its largest cities via trains that eventually would go 110 mph for $1.53 billion, or via slower trains of up to 79 mph for up to $400 million.
Still, California and states in the Northeast are among other applicants across the country seeking large shares of an $8 billion high-speed rail stimulus pot, so there is “lots of competition,” LaHood said.
John,
Hey, I have been looking around, because I am confused. Originally, Obama wanted 8 billion in the stimulus package, plus 1 billion each year after that for five years. That would total $13 billion. What is this $4 billion then? Is this an add-on? $4 billion in this first year, making it $12 billion, then an additional 1 billion each year, for a total of $17 billion? I don’t know if you know, because I have been unable to find out. Let me know if you figure this out!!
CBT
My impression was that it is an add-on to this year’s budget bill, which the Senate still needs to pass as well to be finalized. Next year’s budget would be decided next year, as will the six-year transportation bill hopefully. It sounds like you’ve read more about it than I have though.
I think the $4B is in leiu of the $1B requested by the Obama Administration. The House essentially increased the Administration’s request. The Senate has decreased that $4B figure to $1.2B. I’m guessing that it has to go to a conference committee to determine the final figure.
I could be wrong in the math, but the total for high speed rail is $8B (stimulus program) + $4B (federal budget) = $12B. Of course, the $4B figure could decrease based on what the senate/house committee decides. There is also high speed rail funding in the PRIIA of 2008, which was passed last fall.
Early reports of the federal transportation bill had language in it that had high speed rail funding reaching $50B over six years – that bill is still very early in the legislative process.
Finalists may be Florida, Texas, California, and Chicago. If true, that would leave out the 3C, at least as a high speed service.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/os-high-speed-rail-finalists-florida-20091218,0,7863293.story?track=rss-topicgallery