The stimulus plan includes $8 billion for investments in high-speed rail, but some critics point out that this isn't nearly enough to bring these plans to fruition.
"To Americans, high-speed trains evoke the gee-whiz factor of a trip to Tomorrowland: Ride futuristic cars that zoom you to a destination in a fraction of the drive time - without having to fight your way through an airport. Read a book, do paperwork, take a nap while you whoosh ahead in high-speed comfort. To governments, they evoke benefits to the common good - reduced freeway traffic, lower carbon pollution and more jobs.
But...President Barack Obama, intent on harnessing new technology to rebuild the devastated economy, made a last-minute allocation of $8 billion for high-speed rail in his mammoth stimulus plan.
It sounds good, but that amount isn't enough to build a single system, or to dramatically increase existing train speeds, transportation experts say."
FULL STORY: Billions for high-speed rail; anyone aboard?
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research