Eight Midwestern states have agreed to work together to develop a corridor for high-speed rail and apply for federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
On Monday, eight states signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit in Chicago.
“We are stronger working as a region than we are individually, and I want to thank the other Midwest Governors for their cooperation and commitment,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said. “We are determined to take full advantage of federal recovery funds and bring high speed rail to Illinois and the Midwest.”
Governor Pat Quinn was joined by Senator Dick Durbin and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to host Midwest Governors and rail executives at the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit. The Governors today announced an agreement between the eight states to work cooperatively to achieve funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to develop the Midwest corridor.
The MOU is designed to coordinate each state’s individual applications to the Federal Railroad Administration for ARRA funding to develop the Chicago Hub High Speed Rail Corridor (also known as the Midwest corridor). The Midwest corridor will connect cities throughout the region with high speed and conventional intercity rail service.
Participating states agreed to establish a steering group to provide a single voice in support of the region’s collective high speed rail priorities.
High speed trains would be capable of travelling up to 110 miles per hour and have the potential to decrease automobile travel, traffic and emissions.
Under ARRA, President Obama has made $8 billion available nationwide for high speed passenger rail, the largest investment that the federal government has made in over a decade.
The American Association of Railroads estimate that every dollar spent on investments in our nation’s railroads–tracks, equipment, locomotives, bridges–yields $3 in economic output. In addition, each $1 billion of rail investment creates 20,000 green jobs.
Governors attending the summit included: Iowa Governor Chet Culver; Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle; Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Eight Midwest states signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Mayor Daley also signed the MOU on behalf of the City of Chicago.
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