Obama's Eight High Speed Routes
In April of 2009, President Obama announced a plan to revolutionize America through a network of high-speed rail routes. Several particular corridors were named as the most likely candidates, including a hub centered on Obama's hometown of Chicago and the well-known California railway that remains in planning.
Obama and his vice president, Biden, have long been proponents of the rail system. Biden himself used the train during his time as a senator for the commute between Delaware and Washington, and he has retained a strong fondness for the system. In addition, Obama has always dedicated himself to improving public transport and reducing America's dependence on cars and, with it, foreign oil.
However, the statement was vague on some points, such as the exact distribution of funding involved and who would be contracted to the project. General Electronics is likely to be involved, given that they manufacture many of the parts and components that would be needed for the railways. In addition, the funding is likely to come from the $48 billion transportation budget, but beyond vague figures of around $5 and $8 billion the details are somewhat less clear. While Obama promised that the transport network would not just be an idle fantasy, there remains much to clarify before the networks can be built.
The currently proposed corridors are as follows:
- the California high-speed rail network, connecting the state from San Diego to the Bay Area
- a corridor through the Pacific Northwest that connects Oregon, Washington, and part of Canada
- a South Central corridor focused mainly on Texas
- the Chicago Hub network, which would connect most of the area near the Great Lakes
- a network running along the Gulf Coast, connecting to the Florida network and the Southeast network (which in turn connects to the existing North Eastern Corridor)
- a "Keystone" network in the Northeast
- a "Empire" network, also in the Northeast
- a Northern New England network
Hopefully this network will allow for faster transportation, unclog existing transport networks, and reduce both pollution and dependence on oil. If America can be crossed by rail lines, transport will be revolutionized for the better once and for all.