What kind of jobs? Planning rail networks; designing, producing, and laying miles and miles of track; building, installing, maintaining, and operating equipment; constructing or upgrading stations, tunnels, and bridges; operating the routes.
It's pretty clear we're talking about a lot of jobs--tens of thousands. And let's be clear about this: that $8 billion will do its job-creation work right here in America.
High-speed rail reduces oil use and the environmental costs of the mobility we prize so dearly. Hey, I'm an old-fashioned guy who grew up in the Midwest--I love cars. But let's be realistic; cars are the least efficient method of travel we have, even with our fuel-economy standards. Rail ridership takes cars off the road.
Now, before we get too carried away with the very near future, I have to remind everyone about the past. The interstate highway system that we take for granted today did not materialize overnight. It has taken over a half-century, and we're still building onto the network.
But, the point is that today we can take it for granted. Our highways take us where we need to go, and the nationwide coast-to-coast system has been a model for the rest of the world.
And President Obama’s vision for high-speed rail mirrors that of President Eisenhower, the father of that Interstate highway system.
It's also worth pointing out that designing, building, expanding, and maintaining those highways has created job after job after job for decades. When completed, the highways brought people. People brought small businesses and more jobs.
We have no reason to expect that developing high-speed rail will not also be an engine of jobs and economic development.
And someday--tens of thousands of good-paying jobs from now, one reborn American manufacturing sector from now, and many federal-regional-state and public-private partnerships from now--we will be able to take for granted an efficient high-speed rail network that is equally the pride of our nation and an engine of growth.
Until that day, we do have some learning to do. I have seen high-speed rail working in Spain and just being introduced in Russia. Only last week, I heard lessons from the experience of developing a network in Japan.
These countries have all seen the future; these countries have allmade the commitment that we make today with President Obama's initial investments in Florida and 30 other states.
And I assure you that one day, not too many years from now, ours will be the go-to network, the world's model for high-speed rail.
Today we embark on the first step of that exciting journey. Today, as promised, we change the game.
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Comments
Mr. Secretary, it's Christmas in January.
Posted by: Harry |
Awesome news. While the Rockford Illinois area is disappointed we are not included in the this round of funding....I am pleased to see the progress being made under your leadership Ray! Thank you for all you are doing from a former St. Bernard's classmate!
Posted by: Mary Kay Wiltz Morrison |
Here are the detailed plans for the Orlando to Tampa link: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jan-florida-high-speed-rail-officially-announced
Posted by: Dan |
Would it be possible to get a higher resolution image of the proposed funding map? The one on the web is not that clear.
Posted by: Wade White |
Thank you President Obama and Secretary Lahood. We love you guys for this!! (and my dear state of Georgia isn't even getting funding) Keep up the good work!
Posted by: John Matthews |
This makes very little sense to me, to spend billions of dollars we obviously don't have, judging by the shape the roads are, in order to give someone a ride on a train at over 2oo mph. I say this because, unless the train pulls up to exactly the place the person is going to, you still will need a car or bus to get there.
Posted by: Truckdrivernews |
Everything has advantages and disadvantages. Sure the rail transportation idea is great, its been practiced for decades now in countries all over Europe and Asia. Anyone that has travelled to Europe can attest to the distance you can travel on $30.00 US dollars. I personally live in Boston and you can't even get halfway from Boston to New York City with $30.00 dollars. Yes, this will create jobs paid for with US taxpayers dollars and will push the country into a larger black hole of debt. I would like to see the actual numbers for development, construction, operation and maintenance cost. Let's be real, if money is invested it has to be recovered, what is going to be the price for an average roundtrip fare from Boston to New York? I am all for new technology and transportation improvements but would like more details. I think that if this option is so viable the public should know up front how long it will take to be self sustainable, 50 years, 100? I'm sure someone will comment on reduction of carbon and saving the planet with this technology. This new system will obviously not be powered by coal but electrical "efficient" energy. Let's see now, nuclear energy=clean energy right? Wrong, what is the current plan for nuclear waste, dump it into the mountains or somewhere outside US borders. Its a scientific fact the nuclear waste is radioactive and is worst for the environment if not disposed of correctly. Residents of the US, not just citizens, please let’s do our part and ask more questions and state our thoughts before things just happen and we are forced to go along with it.
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