15 Years of ELPC Advocacy: $9.3 billion for High Speed Rail, with $2 Billion or More Likely for the Midwest

We’re doing handsprings at the ELPC office! The breakthrough $9.3 billion of high-speed rail development funding in the economic stimulus legislation results from the Environmental Law & Policy Center spending years building the coalitions, making the policy, economic and environmental case, and briefing and gaining support from then-Congressional candidate Rahm Emanuel, then-Congressman Dick Durbin and then-Senator and then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama. The long-delayed vision of modern, fast, comfortable and convenient higher-speed rail passenger service linking Midwest cities and structural transportation reform for the nation is now moving forward.

On April 23, 2009, ELPC held a webinar briefing on new developments and funding affecting the Midwest High-Speed Rail Network

See a recorded version of the briefing here

View the slides from the briefing here

Please take a look at the attached ELPC press release, and a recent Politico.com story that underscores how President Obama and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel drove forward this new federal high-speed rail development program at the Conference Committee stage of the economic stimulus legislation. ELPC’s investment of time with them over the years has paid off wonderfully for the public and for transportation innovation for the Midwest and the nation.

Read about the benefits of high speed rail.

Choosing Mass Transit, Minimizing Road Growth

As Midwestern communities continue to grow, public officials propose new roads to alleviate increased traffic congestion. Unfortunately, studies have shown that building new roads increases rather than decreases the amount of traffic by allowing more commuters to choose driving over mass transit and by increasing urban sprawl.

ELPC is working to promote the availability of mass transit options, encourage the repair of existing roads, and prevent the construction of unnecessary roads which inevitably results in a diminished quality of life for residents.