About two weeks ago, the Obama administration delivered its first round of high-speed rail grant money to state transportation agencies. Wisconsin was an early beneficiary, taking in
$5.7 million for an environmental assessment of newly-proposed train
stations between Milwaukee and Madison. Rail fans here might not have
to wait much longer for the state to pocket our $1.1 billion in
dedicated stimulus cash. Following a discussion
with some of the nation’s leading freight railroad executives today,
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says federally funded high-speed
rail projects in Illinois might be launched sometime in the next two weeks. "There’s a sense of urgency," he told Crain's. "We need to get going. We want some of this work to begin this year."
This is good news for the state, as the projects will
create jobs in the short-term and lower carbon emissions in the long-term. As we've written before, it's
also good news for Gov. Pat Quinn and Alexi Giannoulias, both of whom
would be wise to turn rail funding into a campaign issue this fall.
