Case Report 2: High Speed Rail for America Photo Courtesy of the Federal Railroad Administration Nicklaus Ollrich, Brandon Klukow, Zhiyi Xu CE 5212/PA 5232: Transportation Policy, Planning, and Deployment University of Minnesota Professor Levinson 30 September 20092 Summary High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that runs significantly faster than normal passenger rail. There is not a universal definition for how fast a rail could be to be considered high speed. The European Union employs a standard of 200 km/h (125 mph) and faster. However, over 90 mph (145 km/h) is considered to be the American standard. Also, the speed of rail could be constrained by technical or geographical reasons. Due to its high speed, high efficiency, low environmental impacts, and its potential economic and social benefits, high-speed rail is very popular in Europe and in some Asian countries. Since the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama, high-speed rail became a much more main stream topic to the public. Debate and report on high-speed rail are increasing among the media, the government officials and the public. In this case study, we reviewed the history and current status of high-speed rail development in America and checked the international experience in Europe and Japan. Then we investigated the impact high-speed rail would have on social, economic, and natural environments. We reviewed the policy issues related to this topic, from the government, the private, as well as the public perspectives. Is the high-speed rail really good for America? After reviewing this case, hopefully you will be able to develop your own opinion.3 Timeline of High Speed Rail Events Since December 18, 1991, eleven high speed rail corridors have been authorized. Five corridors were authorized under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and six were authorized under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) . To date, the U.S. Department of Transportation has designated ten of these corridors and numerous corridor extensions. Some of the designations were specifically mandated by Congress. The corridor designations and extensions (including a clarification of the California corridor) are listed below in chronological order from the initiation of the program on December 18, 1991 to the latest extension approved on July 2nd, 2009 (U.S. DOT, Federal Railroad Administration). Also listed below are the recent occurrences pertaining to high-speed rail that have been set forth by President Obama. - December 18, 1991. Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) (PL 102-240) became law. Section 1010 calls for selection of not more than five corridors to be designated as high-speed rail corridors. - October 15, 1992. The Midwest line, linking Chicago , IL with Detroit , MI , St. Louis MO and Milwaukee WI, was designated to be the first high-speed rail corridor. - October 16, 1992. The Florida high-speed rail corridor linking Miami with Orlando and Tampa was designated. - October 19, 1992. The California high-speed rail corridor, linking San Diego and Los Angeles with the Bay Area and Sacramento via the San Joaquin Valley, was designated. - October 20, 1992. The Southeast high-speed rail corridor, connecting Charlotte, NC, Richmond, VA, and Washington, DC, was designated. - October 20, 1992. The Pacific Northwest high-speed rail corridor linking Eugene and Portland, OR with Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC, Canada, was designated. - December 14, 1995. The Southeast corridor was extended from Richmond, VA to Hampton Roads, VA. - June 9, 1998. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (PL 105-178) became law. Section 1103 (c) authorizes six additional corridor designations for a total of eleven. - November 18, 1998. The Gulf Coast high-speed rail corridor was designated under the TEA-21 Act. - December 1, 1998. The Southeast corridor was extended from Charlotte to Greenville , SC to Atlanta , GA to Macon ; and from Raleigh to Columbia , SC and to Savannah , GA and Jacksonville , FL.4 - December 10, 1998. Keystone and Empire State corridors were designated under TEA-21 Act. - December 11, 1998. Under the TEA-21 Act, the Midwest High-Speed Rail Corridor (now called the Chicago Hub corridor) was extended from Milwaukee, WI to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, in the Federal Register. (Vol. 63, No. 238/ page 68500). - January 28, 1999. The Chicago Hub corridor was extended to Indianapolis, IN and Cincinnati, OH. - October 11, 2000. Two new high-speed rail corridors were designated for a total of ten and four corridors were extended. o Newly designated corridors: Northern New England corridor, linking a hub in Boston with (a) Portland/Auburn, Maine and (b) Montreal, P.Q., via New Hampshire and Vermont; and South Central corridor linking Dallas/Ft. Worth with (a) Austin and San Antonio, Texas; (b) Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; and (c) Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas, and Little Rock, Arkansas. o Approved extensions: Southeast corridor from Macon to Jesup, GA; Gulf Coast corridor from Birmingham, AL to Atlanta, GA (joining the Southeast and Gulf Coast corridors); Keystone corridor from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, PA; Chicago Hub corridor—three extensions: - From Chicago to Toledo and Cleveland , OH ; - From Indianapolis, IN to Louisville, KY, and - Between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, OH (the '3Cs' corridor); - January 19, 2001. The Chicago Hub corridor was extended from St. Louis, MO to Kansas City, MO. - December 8, 2004. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, (PL 108-447) became law. Section 154 calls for extension of the Northern New England High Speed Rail Corridor from Boston, MA, to Springfield, MA and Albany, NY, and from Springfield, MA, to New Haven, CT.5 - February 2009. President Obama allocated $8 billion in stimulus funds toward high-speed rail. - April 16, 2009. The U.S. Department of Transportation submitted a strategic plan for high-speed rail across America. - July 2, 2009. The California High-Speed Rail Corridor was extended to Las Vegas, Nevada. - July 10, 2009. Deadline for all applicants to the Federal Railroad Administration’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program to submit pre-application document. - August 24, 2009. Deadline for the application to the
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