President Obama’s high-speed passenger rail strategic plan will help address the Nation’s transportation challenges by investing in an efficient, high-speed passenger rail network of 100- to 600-mile intercity corridors that connect communities across America.
This plan lays the foundation for that network by investing in intercity rail infrastructure, equipment and intermodal connections, beginning with an $8 billion down payment provided under ARRA, and continuing with a high-speed rail grant program of $1 billion per year (as called for in the President’s FY2010 budget proposal). These first steps emphasize strategic investments that will yield tangible benefits to intercity rail infrastructure, equipment, performance, and intermodal connections over the next several years, while also creating a “pipeline” of projects to enable future corridor development.
Status Update
On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, WSDOT received notification that Washington State had been awarded $590 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds through the High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program. The award is based on the over $1.3 billion application that Washington State submitted to the HSIPR program in October 2009 for the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (PNWRC).
President Obama announced the designations from the $8 billion in ARRA funds for the High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program during his State of the Union address. A total of 31 states received a portion of the $8 billion, with California receiving the largest amount of $2.25 billion, nearly 28 percent. The new program represents the federal government’s first significant investment in the nation’s passenger rail transportation network. This funding will serve as a down-payment on developing or laying the groundwork for 13 new, large-scale high-speed rail corridors across the country.
As a result of this funding, two additional daily round trips may be added between Seattle and Portland, for a total of six; travel time will be reduced by at least 5 percent; and on-time performance will increase substantially, from 62 to over 90 percent. Washington will benefit from critical infrastructure investments that will improve mobility in congested areas along the corridor, create and preserve jobs, foster economic growth, and improve air quality across our state.
Washington will apply for more federal funding for the rail program this year from the $2.5 billion set aside for high speed rail in the federal transportation appropriations bill approved in December 2009.
Application process
In order to address the wide range of potential applicant goals and the varying stages of project development within statutory and program constraints, there were four funding “tracks” through which applications may be submitted:
Track 1 – Projects
This track is intended to satisfy the economic recovery goals of ARRA through construction of “ready-to-go” intercity passenger rail projects. Eligible projects include the acquiring, constructing, improving, or inspecting equipment, track and structures, or a facility; expenses incidental to the acquisition or construction of them (including designing, engineering, location surveying, mapping, environmental studies, and acquiring rights-of-way); payment for capital cost of rail trackage rights; highway-rail grade crossing improvements; mitigating environmental impacts; communication and signalization improvements; acquiring, constructing, relocating, and rehabilitating replacement housing; and rehabilitating, remanufacturing, or overhauling rail rolling stock. Environmental and preliminary engineering activities for these projects are generally complete.
Track 2 – Service Development Programs
This track is intended to develop new high-speed and intercity passenger services, including substantial upgrades to existing services. Projects do not need to be ready-to-go and the Federal Government may commit to fund the entire program through a Letter of Intent (LOI), and obligate funds through cooperative agreements that establish deadlines for completion of environmental, engineering, design and other work. Eligible projects are essentially the same as those listed in Track 1.
Track 3 – Service Planning Activities
Funded under the FY 2009 and FY 2008 DOT Appropriations Acts, this track is aimed at helping establish a pipeline of future projects and service development programs by aiding applicants advance planning activities for future implementation, requiring a 50 percent non-Federal match.
Track 4 – Appropriations-Funded Projects
This track provides an alternative for state applicants offering at least a 50 percent non-Federal share of financing through simplified grant agreement terms, and up to five years to complete projects. Eligible projects must be specifically included in a State applicant’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) and are similar to those under Tracks 1 and 2.
Key Dates:
- August 24, 2009 - Applications for funding for Track 1 (Projects), Track 3 (Planning), and Track 4 (FY2009 Appropriations Projects).
- October 2, 2009 - Applications for funding Track 2 (Service Development Programs).
- January 27, 2010 - President Obama announces recipients of $8 billion HSR funding.
Last revised on January 29, 2010