California receives $2.3 billion in stimulus funding
ORANGE – Officials from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) praised the announcement this morning that $2.3 billion is headed to the state to help build a project that will bring transportation into the 21st Century.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are vital to the continuation of the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) project, which voters overwhelmingly supported with the passage of Prop. 1A – a $9 billion bond measure.
“Building high-speed rail in California will vastly improve our transportation network and provide significant relief to our clogged highways and crowded airports,” said OCTA Chairman Jerry Amante, also the mayor of Tustin. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to enhance mobility in the region by linking Orange and Los Angeles counties and at the same time deliver much-needed jobs and boost the economy.”
The Anaheim to Los Angeles segment is poised to be the first built in the statewide system. OCTA contributed $7 million to advance the environmental review process, which is anticipated to be completed early next year.
The $2.3 billion awarded to California was more than any other state and will benefit every section of the planned system.
“California’s success in winning a significant portion of this federal funding, for which there was tremendous competition, is a tribute to our partnerships with our Legislature, with local governments, and to the hard work and leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger and California’s senators and congressional delegation,” said OCTA Director Curt Pringle, also the mayor of Anaheim and CHSRA chairman.
The 27-mile Anaheim to Los Angeles segment is expected to break ground in 2012 and will create more than 90,000 construction jobs for the region. Statewide, an additional 450,000 permanent jobs are expected to be created because of high-speed trains.
Once complete, passengers will be able to travel between Anaheim and Los Angeles Union Station in 20 minutes, a trip that currently takes more than an hour by car.
“The federal government is serving as a catalyst for dramatically improving our nation’s infrastructure,” said OCTA CEO Will Kempton. “Southern California now stands ready to launch the first link in the country’s first truly high-speed rail system.”
For a complete list of the stimulus awards for high-speed rail, visit www.dot.gov .
For more information on the CHSRA, visit www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov .
