Cascadia HSR Awarded Planning Grant

The $49.7 million federal grant will allow WSDOT to move forward with public outreach and planning work.

1 minute read

December 19, 2024, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Railroad crossing sign next to tracks along rocky coast in Oregon.

mikespixels / Adobe Stock

Advance planning work on the Cascadia High-Speed Rail program will proceed thanks to a $49.7 million grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The proposed rail line would connect Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, British Columbia.

According to an article in Big Country News, “This marks the second federal grant award for Cascadia High-Speed Rail, now part of the federal funding pipeline for passenger rail development. The program will also receive $5.5 million in matching funds from the Washington State Legislature.”

This is the first major investment secured for the project to advance technical and public engagement work. “The jurisdictional partners will continue to work with the Federal Railroad Administration through the Corridor Identification and Development Program to fund future phases of work, including further environmental review of potential route options.”

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 in Big Country News

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A Firefighter sprays water from a hose at a tall blaze.

US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060

Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.

5 hours ago - Inside Climate News

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

6 hours ago - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

7 hours ago - Yahoo News