It's only $100 million - the President wants $8 billion - but it acts as a 'placeholder'. In any case, 4 Senators: Feinstein (CA), Durbin (IL), Lautenberg (NJ) and Landrieu (LA), all Dems', restored the funding after the sub-committee zeroed it.
Restoration of some high speed rail funding was critical after the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development had eliminated it.
"I offered this amendment because we can't turn our backs on a project that will invest in the future and put Californians back to work," Feinstein said in a statement.
"These numbers are by no means final. They vary widely from the FY2012 budget the House passed two weeks ago. At some point, the two chambers will have to find a compromise between two significantly different funding proposals, but for now, they're just trying to figure out an extension (or "continuing resolution") of the current year's budget in order to keep government programs funded past September 30."
The extension of the transportation budget at current spending levels has been approved for an additional six months.
Robert Cruickshank writes in his CA HSR blog: "So yeah, $100 million isn't very much. But it's a political victory nonetheless, showing that support for HSR remains in Congress, and that HSR supporters and advocates haven't given up in the face of Republican opposition".
Thanks to Streetsblog New York City
Read the full story: Senate Saves a Sliver For High-Speed Rail
High Hurdles Face Obama's $53 Billion HSR Investment
President Obama's six-year, $53 billion high speed rail funding proposal must overcome stiff opposition of a skeptical Republican congress, particularly by House Transportation Chair John Mica who referenced swindler Bernie Madoff in his response.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Trump: Federal Government Won’t Pay for California HSR
The President has targeted federal funding for the California bullet train project since his first administration.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
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.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority