FRA receives 77 applications for high-speed passenger rail funding

In an overwhelming show of support for the Administration's high-speed rail initiative, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said that the Federal Railroad Administration has received 77 applications from 25 states for the most recent round of High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) grant funding. Application requests total more than $8.5 billion and will be considered for funding from more than $2.3 billion appropriated in FY 2010.

This is in addition to
the $8 billion appropriated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a
down payment for the HSIPR program. 
 


"The response to our
call to transform America’s transportation landscape has been tremendous and
shows the country is ready for high-speed rail," Secretary LaHood said. "We
have received strong bi-partisan support for President Obama’s bold initiative
that will enhance regional mobility, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, ease
highway and airport congestion and reduce our carbon footprint."

FRA received 20
applications from 10 states totaling $7.8 billion for high-speed rail corridor
development programs. FRA also received 57 applications from 18 states totaling
$700 million for smaller, individual projects within rail corridors that are
ready to begin construction. While not all proposed projects can be funded, the
Department will evaluate the applications to identify the projects that will
deliver the greatest public benefits and give American taxpayers the highest return
on their investment.

"These historic
investments will allow states to take the next step in making their high-speed
intercity passenger rail development plans a reality," said FRA Administrator
Joseph Szabo. "The states and FRA have been working hard to establish a solid
foundation for a long-term program that will reshape our transportation system."

Total funding to date for
the HSIPR program comes from several sources:

• American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009: $8 billion.

• FY2009
appropriations and remaining funds from a related FY 2008 appropriations funded
program: $95 million.

• FY2010
appropriations: $2.125 billion (HSIPR service development projects), $245
million (HSIPR individual projects), and $50 million (HSIPR planning and
multi-state proposal activities).


Grant selections for the
$2.345 billion in FY2010 appropriations are intended to help states further
develop their corridor plans. From this amount, $245 million has been reserved
for individual projects within a corridor that is ready to begin construction.
Recipients of this funding will be announced in the fall of 2010.

To date, FRA has awarded
more than $583 million to states for HSIPR.