Rough Tracks Ahead For High Speed Rail In Congress

Transportation consultant Ken Orski looks at post-election results in OH, WI, and FL as consistent with Newsweek's Robert J. Samuelson's pre-election column calling for an end to what he sees as wasteful and inappropriate high speed rail investment.

1 minute read

November 15, 2010, 11:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


"Samuelson's blunt verdict is likely to resonate strongly in the deficit-conscious next Congress and among fiscally-strapped state governments."

Noting OH Gov.-elect Kasich's and WI Gov.elect Walker's rejection of HSR in their states and the uncertainty of the FL project with Gov.-elect Rick Scott (who had called for "reconsidering the Tampa to Orlando HSR project if the federal government fails to fully fund it"), Orski also looks at comments of FL Rep. John Mica, "the presumptive chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committeee", as further evidence that HSR will have a rough time in the upcoming congressional session.

"The last thing we want is to build a dog that has to be highly subsidized by taxpayers," Mica said in a telephone interview.

[Contributor's Note: The anti-HSR resolve of Gov.-elects Walker and Kasich appears to be matched by the "use it or lose" resolve of DOT Secretary LaHood.]

Thanks to KEN ORSKI

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 in Innovation NewsBriefs via InfrastructureUSA

portrait of professional woman

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.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

3 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

5 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press