Republicans are taking a strong position against high-speed rail funding, and with the increasing likelihood that November will see a strong showing from the GOP the national HSR plan could be in serious jeopardy.
Yonah Freemark points out that with states being required to put up 20% matching funds to get high-speed rail grants, governors will be able to sink programs in their state by blocking the state funds:
"If Republican-led state governments are unwilling to commit to spending their own dollars on these projects, they simply will not be built. Since intercity rail projects are long-term investments, even if the federal government has already agreed to sponsor some investments, the takeover of a governor's mansion by an anti-rail Republican could mean putting a full-stop in infrastructure development. As New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's announcement last week of a work stoppage on the ARC tunnel project shows, this could affect even projects that have already entered the construction phase."
This story is cross-posted with HSR News, a Planetizen project bringing you the latest news and information on high-speed rail in the United States and beyond.
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