The Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project is a big winner in President Obama's fiscal 2012 budget. The U.S. Department of Transportation's FY2012 Budget Highlights released with the president's budget shows funding for Central Corridor quadrupling from $45 million recommended in fiscal 2011 to $200 million in fiscal 2012. "This is another concrete example of the administration's strong support for the Central Corridor LRT Project," said Chair Susan Haigh of the Metropolitan Council. The Central Corridor project is poised to create at least 3,400 jobs since the FTA forwarded the Full Funding Grant Agreement earlier this month to Congress. An FFGA is the federal government's contractual commitment to pay half the cost of building the $957 million line. A 60-day courtesy review will occur prior to execution. The project already has spent $145 million for design, property and construction. With support of both past and present federal and state administrations for the Central Corridor FFGA, the Met Council awarded the major construction contracts last year and began work after receiving sufficient advance funding commitments from local funding partners, creating 571 jobs. The 3,400 jobs would be for engineering, construction, management and operations personnel.

In a state-of-the union speech on January 25, 2011, the United Transportation Union reports, President Obama singled out high-speed rail as "the most reliable way to move people," saying that "within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail, which could allow you go places in half the time it takes to travel by car."For some [high-speed rail] trips, it will be faster than flying -- without the pat-down," said the president. "As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already underway." The White House press office said the president would release more details on his desires for high-speed rail, transit and Amtrak improvements when he delivers his fiscal year 2012 budget request to Congress in early February."Countries in Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do," said the president in his speech. "China is building faster trains ... We have to do better. America is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad."Many Republicans, however, have signaled they will oppose Obama's high-speed rail spending proposals and also seek to reduce federal subsidies for Amtrak during congressional budget deliberations.However, the chairman of the House Rail Subcommittee, Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), indicated he is not opposed to more spending on high-speed rail and Amtrak, but has reservations.He said, "The Obama administration's high-speed rail grants, rather than focusing on a small number of projects with the most potential for success, have been spread among numerous projects. Most of these have been grants to Amtrak, and nearly all are slower-speed rail projects. "In addition, the administration has virtually ignored the one region of the United States where high-speed rail makes the most sense and would have the most national benefit -- the Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston. Amtrak's Acela currently serves this route, but at an average speed of only 83 mph."Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the subcommittee's parent, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has voiced support for more high-speed rail funding in the Northeast Corridor and for a limited number of high-speed rail projects -- but with private sector investment in addition to federal funding.