WI & OH Rail Projects Killed by US DOT

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PRR 60

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Not waiting for the new governors to take office and stop the projects, US DOT Secretary LaHood has killed the High Speed Rail grants for Ohio and Wisconsin and has redirected the funds to a handful of other states.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 12/9/2010:

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that the federal government is redirecting nearly $400 million it had awarded to Ohio to build a high-speed rail project that would have linked Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. As promised, the money will go to other states.
...Also losing its rail money is Wisconsin, which had been awarded more than $800 million.
The full story is HERE.
 
And this from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/9/2010:

Feds will pull, redistribute state's high-speed rail money Wisconsin can keep only a fraction of the $810 million it won in federal high-speed rail money, while the rest will help fund train lines in California, Florida, Illinois and other states, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday.
That story is HERE.
 
Can't say that was a move that I expected to see.

In the grand scheme of things, I think that it's an overall good thing and ensures the money will go where it'll be better utilized.

I know I'm probably beating a dead horse here, but, could those funds possibly be put to use re-establishing the sunset east?
 
Can't say that was a move that I expected to see.

In the grand scheme of things, I think that it's an overall good thing and ensures the money will go where it'll be better utilized.

I know I'm probably beating a dead horse here, but, could those funds possibly be put to use re-establishing the sunset east?
DEAD horse and moot point. It has already been announced where the funds will be redistributed.

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot20810.html

WI can keep $2 million, and 13 other states get portions of the rest of the approx $1.2 billion. The largest shares go to CA (over $600 million), FL (over $300 million), and WA (over $150 million).
 
As much as I am disappointed that WI will not be seeing an extended Hiawatha anytime soon now, I share Ryan's belief that it is best the rail funding gets redistributed to states that are more receptive to intercity rail funding at this point. I am disapppinted how little funding stayed in the Midwest. I would have thought IL would have received a larger share and that MI would have received some funding.

I look forward to hearing more details about how the funds will be spent in the states that receive it.
 
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Seems like a pretty big power play by Secretary LaHood. New York state didn't do so great. I wonder if the extra 600 million in California could be used to extended that first segment from nowhere to nowhere to maybe Fresno, and somewhere.
 
Seems like a pretty big power play by Secretary LaHood. New York state didn't do so great. I wonder if the extra 600 million in California could be used to extended that first segment from nowhere to nowhere to maybe Fresno, and somewhere.
Yeah, that was the most shocking thing about the redistribution. Why did NY receive so little? Though my bet is because most of what they wanted to do was not "shovel ready" yet. I dont think the plan of adding another set of tracks to the Empire line has gone though the required environmental impact studies and the like.

In addition the fear that the new house might try to pull funding would lead all the more to picking projects that can use it faster.
 
Whatever I have to say about this issue would be censored by the boards... I am not pleased, in fact I might be a tad angry.
 
Though technically speaking it isn't a done deal, just medium-well. Unless Strickland cancels the project LaHood can't pull the money until Jan. 13th-- the date the office changes hands. And Strickland will not be backing down.

I see this as a power play to force Wis. and Ohio's hands.
 
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... Unless Strickland cancels the project LaHood can't pull the money until Jan. 13th ...
Really? "Can't" REALLY? Like if LaHood does and your gov pulls a last minute 'just kidding' that that somehow is gonna trump LaHood. hahahhahahaha

I see this as a power play to force Wis. and Ohio's hands.
I hope not. The President needs to take the fools at their word. "Don't want the $$$, then fine - its gone".

And that should go for ANY federal program.
 
Indiana gets money? Every other state that recieved funding has some sort of state-supported rail in place, or will in the future, but Indiana, at least the government, AFAIK, couldn't care less about rail. So why do they get funds, and what's it going toward, even if it is only $360,000?
 
Personally I'm fine with the money being taken back and redistributed to states that haven't voted in staunchly anti-rail politicians to speak for them. You elect a deceptive anti-rail blowhard, you lose your rail funding. Sounds about right to me. That's not to say the grassroots folks should stop their efforts. It may be too late to get the money back but that doesn't mean you can't make it sting like hell every time one of your ignorant politicians decides to take a **** on passenger rail.
 
I also feel like this puts a huge sting on the whole message of Mr. Walker's campaign since he was going to stop the train, and put the money into the highways, now that money looks like it will never make it to his state. That can't look to some voters.
 
Though technically speaking it isn't a done deal, just medium-well. Unless Strickland cancels the project LaHood can't pull the money until Jan. 13th-- the date the office changes hands. And Strickland will not be backing down.
The money isn't in Ohio's hands, it was only promised. And even then, they didn't have a Full Funding Agreement signed. That's an official promise to actually pay the monies to Ohio.

On the other hand, I believe that Wisconsin does have an FFA in place; I'm not sure if they got an FFA that weekend before the election or just permission to let all the contracts. That could make it a bit harder to just take away the money from them. I am however surprised that the Fed is leaving any money in place for Wisconsin, unless Mr. Walker has actually pledged to Mr. LaHood to spend that money on the Hiawatha service.
 
The problem I have with this is that it spreads the money a thousand different ways so that, in the end, each state will have about enough to buy a cup of coffee (provided they already have the cup).

That money should have been given to two or, at most, three states for the greatest visible impact.
 
Though technically speaking it isn't a done deal, just medium-well. Unless Strickland cancels the project LaHood can't pull the money until Jan. 13th-- the date the office changes hands. And Strickland will not be backing down.
The money isn't in Ohio's hands, it was only promised. And even then, they didn't have a Full Funding Agreement signed. That's an official promise to actually pay the monies to Ohio.

On the other hand, I believe that Wisconsin does have an FFA in place; I'm not sure if they got an FFA that weekend before the election or just permission to let all the contracts. That could make it a bit harder to just take away the money from them. I am however surprised that the Fed is leaving any money in place for Wisconsin, unless Mr. Walker has actually pledged to Mr. LaHood to spend that money on the Hiawatha service.
Alan, that is my understanding -- $2,000,000 will be used for the Hiawatha line from CHI-MKE.

I don't know what that will be for -- but my vote would be for adding crews to allow for an early morning train from MKE to CHI that would connect with #350,#381, and #391. And, an late night train leaving Chicago around 10:30PM that would allow connections with #304, #306, the late Michigan train, #382, and be a "clean up" train for LD passengers connecting on late trains from the west.

Also, a late night train would let us Milwaukee folks head down to Chicago for the day to catch dinner or a play or something. Right now, the last train out of CHI is 8:05PM, meaning no plays, musicals, or late dinners in CHI are possible.
 
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Alan, that is my understanding -- $2,000,000 will be used for the Hiawatha line from CHI-MKE.

I don't know what that will be for -- but my vote would be for adding crews to allow for an early morning train from MKE to CHI that would connect with #350,#381, and #391. And, an late night train leaving Chicago around 10:30PM that would allow connections with #304, #306, #382, and be a "clean up" train for LD passengers connecting on late trains from the west.

Also, a late night train would let us Milwaukee folks head down to Chicago for the day to catch dinner or a play or something. Right now, the last train out of CHI is 8:05PM, meaning no plays, musicals, or late dinners in CHI are possible.
The $2 million is for improvements at the Milwaukee Airport station.
 
Seems like a pretty big power play by Secretary LaHood. New York state didn't do so great. I wonder if the extra 600 million in California could be used to extended that first segment from nowhere to nowhere to maybe Fresno, and somewhere.
Why do people keep incessantly worrying about this nowhere to nowhere thing? Do they realize that the none of the French HSRs really begin or end at any big place but at far suburbs? The much vaunted LGV Nord Europa begins not in Paris but in a little village called Villiers-Le-Belle-Gonesse, a little beyond Charles De Gaulle Airport, which is way outside Paris. Access to big cities typically are via upgraded classic lines. The true high speed line for HS1 in UK actually begins at Ebbsfleet and not in London, though the line connecting Ebssfleet to St. Pancras is also a new line but lower speed. Typically it has always been the case that the HSR either begins or ends or both, in the middle of nowhere and then trains get to city center over upgraded classic line. The new high speed LGV Est ends in the middle of nowhere at a little place called Baudrecourt, from where three classic upgraded lines branch off to Nancy, Metz and Strasbourg.

So at least I would not worry about the first segment of CA HSR being built where it is, as long as it is connected into the network around there allowing trains to get to useful places. That is exactly the way it is at many of the most successful HSRs. In general worrying about that without taking a closer look at the plans is more indicative of ignorance of how these things work than a general major concern.
 
I am just heartbroken that Wisconsin (and Ohio) is going to be left behind in all of this... its just crazy!! Walker is turning down $800,000,000 because he doesn't want to pay $750,000 a year for the upkeep of the rail line and operating costs? Just doesn't seem right to me. I hope he's happy the money is not going to Wisconsin at all now!!

I am glad Illinois is atleast getting some of the money... because I'm just 23 miles across the IL-WI state line and atleast the fast trains will be within DRIVING distance.
 
I cannot think of a politician that I hate more than Walker. He is a disgusting, incompetent individual. I think they should have some sort of intelligence screening for politicians. This guy is a complete failure before he even enters office.
 
... Unless Strickland cancels the project LaHood can't pull the money until Jan. 13th ...
Really? "Can't" REALLY? Like if LaHood does and your gov pulls a last minute 'just kidding' that that somehow is gonna trump LaHood. hahahhahahaha

I see this as a power play to force Wis. and Ohio's hands.
I hope not. The President needs to take the fools at their word. "Don't want the $$$, then fine - its gone".

And that should go for ANY federal program.
Look I'm not saying it's going to happen, but if by some miracle Kaisich or Walker changed their minds before the end of the year it's possible the decision will be reversed or otherwise altered so the states recieve money.
 
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