Insufficient Funding for High Speed Rail?

The stimulus plan includes $8 billion for investments in high-speed rail, but some critics point out that this isn't nearly enough to bring these plans to fruition.

1 minute read

March 30, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"To Americans, high-speed trains evoke the gee-whiz factor of a trip to Tomorrowland: Ride futuristic cars that zoom you to a destination in a fraction of the drive time - without having to fight your way through an airport. Read a book, do paperwork, take a nap while you whoosh ahead in high-speed comfort. To governments, they evoke benefits to the common good - reduced freeway traffic, lower carbon pollution and more jobs.

But...President Barack Obama, intent on harnessing new technology to rebuild the devastated economy, made a last-minute allocation of $8 billion for high-speed rail in his mammoth stimulus plan.

It sounds good, but that amount isn't enough to build a single system, or to dramatically increase existing train speeds, transportation experts say."

Thursday, March 26, 2009 in MSNBC

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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