December 15 - U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and Congressman John Mica (R-FL) joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City today to announce the Department of Transportation's request for proposals for high-speed rail investment in corridors across the United States. Citing the energy efficiency, convenience, and economic competitiveness benefits of high-speed rail, the political leaders lamented the slow progress of the U.S. in implementing modern high-speed rail technology.

The new high-speed rail initiative announced today by the U.S. DOT is a small program in  the recently enacted Rail Safety Act, signed into law by President Bush in October 2008. Much more significant is the authorization of approximately $13 billion for Amtrak and U.S. states for operating and capital costs related to intercity and high-speed rail. The focus of today's press conference, the issuance of a request for proposals for private investment in high-speed rail should result in an interesting preview of whether private investors consider rail a profit-making enterprise. At best, it should garner some new energy, ideas, and proposals for how to make this long overdue technology available in the U.S. At worst, it could distract from the urgent task at hand --bringing America's existing rail network up to a state of good repair and implementing dependable, regular, and more frequent intercity services in corridors around the U.S. 

New York Channel 4 reported on the new conference below.

A coalition of leading civic, business, environmental organizations and transportation officials convened by America 2050 released a statement today calling on the incoming Obama administration and the U.S. Congress to invest wisely in the proposed economic stimulus plan focused on infrastructure.

Responding to President-elect Obama's video address on December 6 announcing the "largest investment in infrastructure since the National Highway System," the group urged the President-elect to get this investment right with a five-step program: Fix, Phase, Green, Train and Count.

America 2050 Infrastructure Recommendations: Stimulus-Economic Recovery-Renewal

I.    FIX: To immediately create jobs and stimulate economic growth we need to "fix it first," that is, invest in the repair and maintenance of the country's deteriorated bridges, roads, public transit, passenger & freight rail, electric grids and other essential infrastructure components that have been neglected for decades. 

II.    PHASE: All the monies cannot be spent at once. While we must get a first group of "shovel ready" projects under construction as soon as possible, there are limits to the number of projects that can be initiated immediately. A series of phases should allow for the development of strategic projects, job training, and the building of capacity in construction, manufacturing, engineering and project management fields - all of which are essential to successfully carrying out the work.

III.    GREEN: Priority should be given to projects that foster energy independence, safeguard the environment, promote healthy & compact communities, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

IV.    TRAIN: Investment in America's infrastructure will create hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs, both immediately and for decades to come. To ensure that these large-scale projects are completed quickly and successfully, we need to invest in job training programs that will provide our workforce with the required skills. And, equally important, the jobs should be accessible to the people in the communities most deeply affected by the current economic crisis.

V.    COUNT: Funding must be set aside to measure and analyze the results of these federal investments and their outcomes: job creation, cost-effectiveness, greenhouse gas reductions, increased energy efficiency, etc.

ACCOUNTABILITY - NEW OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

If America is to remain economically competitive, we cannot afford "business as usual" when it comes to infrastructure investments. Therefore, a new federal oversight committee is required to both streamline the investment process and also establish accountability.

We propose creating a National Recovery and Renewal Council, comprised of representatives from federal, state, and city agencies, as well as the private sector. The Council would report directly to the White House, charged with eliminating the red tape in implementing projects, as well as developing criteria and accountability measures that will guarantee that America meets its infrastructure goals, from energy independence to reduced carbon emissions to increased mobility.

Download the Statement here.

October 15: On the eve of the final presidential debate, civic leaders gathered with government officials in multiple cities across the country to launch the "Build for America" campaign, making the link between strengthening America's economy and building a 21st century transportation system. In New York, America 2050 joined with Transportation For America, Regional Plan Association, The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign, Transportation Alternatives, and the New York General Contractors Association at Grand Central Terminal to call on the Presidential candidates and the next Congress to boost America's economy by building 21st Century transportation in America.

Speakers at the New York City event included DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, MTA chief executive Lee Sander, and U.S. representatives Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney.  These leaders focused on the potential positive economic impact of federal spending on infrastructure in the face of a private sector slowdown.  They stressed that in contrast to short term stimulus packages, these transportation investments would provide both short term and long term benefits: boosting the economy in the short term by providing jobs, and ensuring long term competitiveness as a country by providing capacity for efficient and sustainable economic growth. View press coverage of this event here.

For almost a year now, Americans have felt the burden of surging gas prices and have shifted to intercity rail.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, ridership on Amtrak increased 14 percent last month from last July.  The Capitol Corridor, which serves the San Francisco and Sacramento market, has seen ridership increase by 33 percent.  Overall gains across the nation on Amtrak's routes seem to support its projected total ridership of 28 million for the current fiscal year.  It is clear that some of the nation's busiest highways, airways and rail corridors have reached or are near capacity.  Leaders in Washington have responded to these trends as evidenced by passing legislation in both the House and Senate to reauthorize Amtrak.  The increased funding could help Amtrak fix existing infrastructure deficiencies, such as dilapidated catenaries, and aging bridges and tunnels, as well as finance a long awaited capital program to expand services. 

Read the full WSJ article.

July 15: Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced a bill recently that addresses rising energy and transportation costs, and offers potential solutions to relieve the pressure off of the American public.  Titled, "H.R. 6495: Transportation and Housing Choices for Gas Price Relief Act of 2008", the proposed bipartisan legislation was referred to the House Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Financial Services and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.  By offering housing and transportation choices, Blumenauer and co-sponsors Reps. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) aim to relieve the added burden of energy costs and gas prices that have tripled over the last decade. 

Specifically, the bill provides the following alternatives: 1) Increasing commuter choices by making public transit more accessible, encouraging transit-oriented development, and incentivizing car and van-pooling, bicycling and using public transit; 2) Helping transit agencies by providing fare subsidies, and funds for service improvements; 3) Assisting communities by increasing funding for Safe Routes to School programs which encourage walking and biking to and from schools and expand program to high schools; 4) Providing housing assistance to homeowners who chose to live near public transit, and provide increased funding for states to build more affordable housing near transit; and 5) Increasing federal role in local transportation management that encourages more efficient use of transportation assets, and increasing transportation fringe benefits to all federal employees.  

Click here to read the text of H.R. 6495