Passenger Trains > Redirected HSR Funds chopped and distributed

Seems $300 million of the $2.4 billion in HSR funds rejected by FL Govenor
Rick Scott has been distributed with the rest likely to go towards paying
off the debt (or rather, simply not being issued at all for brand new
requests).

From the Gulf Coast Business Review:
http://www.review.net/section/detail/4-11-11-florida-rail-money-redirected/

"The largest portion of the investment — $145 million — will go to the state of Washington to pay for “rail corridor improvements and new equipment” for an existing route connecting the U.S. to Vancouver. Another $60 million will go to Maryland for a “preliminary engineering and environmental analysis,” which will create a plan for replacing an existing Amtrak service route.

Connecticut received $40 million to add 10 miles of double rail to an existing line, and New Jersey received $38.5 million to replace a 100-year-old bridge, a DOT release shows. Other states receiving money were California ($22 million for the refurbishing of existing locomotives), Missouri ($3.8 million, mostly to fund studies), New York ($3.3 million to expand existing rail) and West Virginia ($1 million to create a state rail plan).

In the recently completed deal to keep the federal government operating, both parties agreed to cut $1.5 billion from the high-speed rail budget in 2011."

On a personal side note: Why the hell are studies being funded at a cost of $64.8 million dollars when there is little to no chance of funds being available to act once completed??? Tis a damn shame Amtrak was not able to
get some of those funds to at the very least upgrade the cantenary system and allow for advertised running speeds
up to 160 mph. Sometimes its more about sound bytes then results, yet this would have provided both.

/Mitch

Sometimes it seems that despite the presence of "Amtrak Joe" Biden somewhere in the vicinity of the Executive Branch,
Amtrak appears to have fallen upon disfavor when it comes to getting what it wants from the Obama Administration.

But if you look at the way politics works, maybe you can figure out that most who support Amtrak will likely vote Democratic
anyway. There is no need to buy their votes. But spread some High Speed Rail dollars into states where there could be a contest
for Presidential, Senatorial or Congressional elections...on Capitol Hill, that's called "Bang for the Buck."

If anything, Amtrak has made its own image so partisan, one can hardly help but think that it, its management, its employees and
its supporters are taken for granted by the Dems.

Some corrections are in order - I know this stuff is hard to keep track of. The 1.5 billion cut that will be part of the budget "bargain" is for FY11 funds, representing a cut from the 2.5 billion proposed for that fiscal year in the President's budget. This does not in any way affect the 8 billion in high speed rail stimulus money, plus the 2.5 billion in FY10 money. Of that total amount, 2.4 billion was rejected by Florida. Any way you slice it, there's still a lot of high speed funds in play.

IMHO, the money would be much better spent BUYING EQUIPMENT. Even if frequencies cannot be added, at least expand/modernize the fleet.. This would do wonders for customer service, rather that billions for studies that will never get anywhere.

caprail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some corrections are in order - I know this stuff
> is hard to keep track of.
>
> ...Of that total amount, 2.4 billion was rejected by
> Florida. Any way you slice it, there's still a lot
> of high speed funds in play.

I believe the linked article states that most of the
2.4 billion that was rejected by FL is no longer
available for allocation. Only a portion was redirected
to states such as WA, MD, WV, NJ ect., and for small
projects and in this case, completely wasteful studies
which have no funds to initiate construction afterward.

/Mitch

I can't say for sure, but I think Caprail might be right. The rejected Florida money was never part of the 2011 Budget, which is subject to the "deal" agreed to to prevent the Gov. shut down.

The rejected Fla. money came from the 2010 Stimulus Bill, and I don't think the House has officially passed a bill to rescind any stimulus money--at least not yet. (that's why LaHood had better act fast and re-direct this cash pronto!)

Hope I'm right on this.

Joe



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/11 17:50 by floridajoe2001.

I believe the $145 million that was awarded to Washington State is actually the funding from Ohio/Wisconsin... If we received ANOTHER $145 million, then by all means, THANKS FLORIDA!

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/04/8_WASecuresOHWIRailFunding.htm

Macster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe the $145 million that was awarded to
> Washington State is actually the funding from
> Ohio/Wisconsin... If we received ANOTHER $145
> million, then by all means, THANKS FLORIDA!
>
> http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/04/8_WASecuresOH
> WIRailFunding.htm

WSDOT applied for part of the FL money, the cited article refers to the FL money, and WA certainly has the homework ready to score additional money (y'know, those useless studies that make consultant leeches really rich), so maybe it is yet another 145 Megabucks. I'm no longer close to the program like I used to be, so I'm waiting to see too.

TAW

The "Huff Post" states:

"Already there have been several Republican governors who have refused to accept
federal money to build high-speed rail projects in their states. Florida Gov. Rick
Scott turned down $2 billion alone, citing concerns that the state’s portion of the
funds would go well beyond projections. That money was, in turn, sent to the
Department of Transportation to be awarded to other interested states. Now it
appears a good chunk of it will go towards deficit reduction."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/11/obamas-high-speed-rail-budget-deal_n_847587.html

Yet, Tampa Bay dot com states:

"But the money left on the chopping block Friday is not part of the $2.4 billion that
Scott rejected, but rather it was a part of additional budgeted appropriations. Florida's
rail money is still set aside and about two dozen states have applied for those funds."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/the-buzz-sorry-gov-scott-but-that-cash-didnt-come-from-florida/1163140

Good thing I double checked the FACTS...

/Mitch

Mitch,

Two of the mentioned projects are for Amtrak: the Baltimore tunnel engineering and the new Portal bridge. Both of the items mentioned are in danger of collapse in the ten to fifteen year time frame, so we may as well get it started now.

Cashfare,

There is money for equipment, part of the Washington money is going for more Talgo equipment for the Cascades.

TL

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If anything, Amtrak has made its own image so
> partisan, one can hardly help but think that it,
> its management, its employees and
> its supporters are taken for granted by the Dems.

The funny thing is, most Amtrak managers I have met are conservative Republicans, and they are all very conscious of the need to make the most out of what they get and limit what they ask for to what is reasonable.

Could someone elaborate on what West Virginia plans to do with its money?

Nick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Could someone elaborate on what West Virginia
> plans to do with its money?


Spend it.

Supposedly in a study to determine the viability
of initiating a commuter system in the state
somewhere down should a bag of cash fall from
the sky. By that time, a new study will be
required updating this one.

/Mitch