Is High-Speed Rail Becoming More Viable In The Intermountain West?

The Department of Transportation's reimbursements to states to pay for stimulus-backed projects swelledn to $23, 426 billion as of Nov. 26 and GE is set to invest $50 million in high speed rail. Read more on this in Infrastructure in the News.

National News

New West Development: Is High-Speed Rail Becoming More Viable In The Intermountain West?
If you look at a map showing federally designated high-speed rail corridors in the United States, the Great Plains and intermountain West look like some kind of giant inland sea. From Kansas City to Sacramento, it’s all blank.

Journal of Commerce: DOT Stimulus Payout Top $23.4 Billion 
The Department of Transportation’s reimbursements to states to pay for stimulus-backed projects swelled to $23.426 billion as of Nov. 26, an increase of more than $1.4 billion from Oct. 29.

National Journal: Obama Calls for Second 'Sputnik Moment' in Speech
“The winners of this competition will be the countries that have the most educated workers, a serious commitment to research and technology, and access to quality infrastructure like roads and airports and high-speed rail, high-speed Internet. Those are the seeds of economic growth in the 21st century,” Obama told the crowd. And in the race for the future, he said, America is in danger of falling behind.

Zacks: GE to Invest in High Speed Rail
The investment is of $50 million with the capacity to create 250 jobs by 2012, at the end of the first phase of the agreement.

Streetsblog Capitol Hill: Why Reformers Should Care How We Pay for Transportation 
TIFIAs and TIGERs and NIBs — oh my! The alphabet soup of infrastructure funding mechanisms can be alienating even to committed transportation advocates. But with the power of the gas tax diminishing and elected officials refusing to raise it, other financing options are taking on increasing importance. If you’re interested in reforming our transportation system for the 21st Century, it pays to know the differences between them.

State News

Mount Vernon Patch: Virginia Should Address Serious Transportation News 
Virginia has critical transportation needs and a shortfall in funds to meet those needs, emphasized several speakers at a Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) workshop in Richmond on Saturday.

ARL Now: Gov. McDonnell Announces Funding for Transportation Projects 
The Route 50/Courthouse Road interchange project is among the projects receiving funding under a new transportation push by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

San Jose Mercury News: Experts criticize high-speed rail financial plan
As California prepares to start construction on its $43 billion high-speed railroad, another group of experts has cast doubt on whether the project can succeed.