Funding for High-Speed Rail Moving Swiftly

August 10, 2009

Orange County could benefit from federal investment in California  

ORANGE – Transportation officials in Orange County expressed their support on Monday for Caltrans’ request of $3.4 billion of federal dollars for the Anaheim to Los Angeles segment of the California high-speed rail project.

The rail project is one of 11 federally designated high-speed rail corridors in the nation and eligible for funding under the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
 

Environmental work on the 27-mile segment is on track to be completed next year. Funded with $7 million from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), the segment could transport passengers from Anaheim to Los Angeles in 20 minutes, a trip that currently takes 40 minutes by train and up to an hour or more by car.

“These stimulus funds could be the walk-off home run that puts high-speed rail on the track to success,” said OCTA Chairman Peter Buffa. “High-speed rail is an incredible opportunity to promote economic growth, create jobs in the region and relieve pressure on the I-5 and our local airports.”

Approximately 160,000 construction-related jobs could be created statewide to plan and build the system. An additional 450,000 permanent jobs are estimated by 2035 as a result of economic growth the train would bring to California.

OCTA has worked closely with the California High-Speed Rail Authority, Caltrans and local agencies on a collaborative approach and rapid timeline to develop eligible projects.

In addition to the high-speed rail request, Caltrans also will apply for $340 million to advance 18 rail projects in Southern California that would connect to high-speed rail, six of which are in Orange County.

The stimulus plan includes $8 billion for high-speed rail nationwide and money is expected to be awarded by the end of the year.

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