Despite 2012 Spending Bill, High-Speed Rail Will Find Some Funding

The Associated Press has reported that predictions were correct and Congress has voted by a strong majority to kill high-speed rail funding for 2012.  Both the House and Senate agreed earlier in the week to eliminate any money specifically dedicated to high-speed projects.  The House of Representatives voted 298-121 on the bill and the Senate voted 70-30.  This vote culminates goals set out by Republicans since last year to end President Obama’s high-speed initiative, which was felt to be both costly and unrealistic. It is the belief of several Republicans, including Transportation Committee chairman John Mica, that high-speed rail can only be successful if it is focused in the Northeast Corridor and not the rest of the country. According to Republican Bill Shuster, “the bill marks and end to the president’s misguided high-speed rail program, but it is not the end of American High-Speed Rail.” Shuster continues to say, “We are being given a chance to refocus and reform the high-speed rail program.”

Although Congress did pass a spending bill without high-speed funding, there is still hope for high-speed rail projects in 2012.  Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood announced earlier in the week that he believes $1 billion will be spent on high-speed rail construction in the country next year.  High-speed rail can also compete for the $500 million in funds allocated to the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.

There will be some money available, but an overall lack of funding in 2012 will threaten the future of several high-speed rail projects throughout the country.  California’s proposed San Francisco – Los Angeles high-speed connection is one of the aforementioned projects.  Without funding to finish the project, which is planned to start construction as early as next year, California officials fear that $171 billion will eventually have to be used to build 2,300 miles of freeways, additional airport runways and gates to accommodate projected travel demands in 2050.

Its not a surprise that Congress voted to essentially kill Obama’s high-speed rail program, but it does not make the decision right.  2012 will be a very tough year for high-speed rail and even though funds can potentially come from the TIGER program, competition with highways, transit, port and freight rail will make this difficult. Republicans feel that they are doing a service by allowing a more focused high-speed rail initiative to be formulated, but in reality they have put many important rail projects on life-support.  In ten years, it would be unfortunate to look at this Congressional bill as the event that ruined high-speed rail in the United States.