The $4.3 Billion Investment Nearly Doubles that of any Other State
SACRAMENTO-Assemblymember Cathleen Galgiani (D-Livingston) today applauded the confirmation of $4.3 billion dollars for high-speed rail construction in the Central Valley – an investment that nearly doubles any other high-speed rail investment in the Nation.
In addition, Galgiani secured a commitment from the High-Speed Rail Authority to place on next month’s agenda a proposal that will provide $2 million for the construction of a high-speed rail station in Merced and $2 million for a station in Bakersfield.
“Continuing efforts near Chowchilla will ensure that construction of track will continue to Merced as well as to the Silicon Valley so Merced County residents will have access to Silicon Valley jobs, and Silicon Valley businesses will have the opportunity to expand in the Central Valley” stated Galgiani.
Galgiani was pleased that the Board clarified during the meeting that Castle Air Force Base will still be under full consideration as a contender for the heavy maintenance facility site.
“The Castle Air Force Base site is perfectly situated to meet the needs of the high-speed rail system” declared Galgiani, “The need for an operational heavy maintenance facility when we need to maintain and repair high-speed rail trains, is three to five years away. Merced’s High-Speed Rail Committee has made a very strong case for why Castle can best meet those needs. We should applaud their hard work that has put Castle Air Force Base in the top tier of potential sites.”
“Competition for high-speed rail funding throughout the country has been fierce,” stated Galgiani. “California was one of 132 applicants from 32 states during the most recent round of funding. This $4.3 billion dollar investment in the Central Valley creates 83,000 jobs for Central Valley Workers – operating engineers, carpenters, electricians, laborers, plumbers, machinists and steel workers, beginning in 2012,” stated Galgiani.
California’s entire $4.3 billion dollar investment is being dedicated to the Central Valley. The Central Valley segment is the only region in the nation where trains will be capable of reaching true world-class speeds of 220 miles-per-hour. In countries where these speeds are achieved, rail travel is comparable with airline travel, and high-speed rail systems are profitable.
On January 28, 2010, President Obama announced that California would receive $2.25 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds – nearly twice as much as any other state. During this first round of grant funding, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received applications totaling more than 55 billion in project proposals for the initial $8 billion made available.
October 28th, California received an additional $902 million dollars. One of 132 applicants from 32 states, California once again received a larger share of funding than any other state.
In the coming months, California will have another opportunity to compete for $1.2 billion in federal funding being returned by the Governors of Wisconsin and Ohio. Later this month, according to Galgiani, the FRA will announce the selection criteria for this additional funding.
Stated Galgiani, “In a recent meeting with Secretary LaHood, I announced that California is ready to spend every last penny of high-speed rail funding being returned by the Governors of Wisconsin and Ohio. We need to link the Central Valley to the Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. We are eager and ready to put Californians back to work.”
Contact: Robin Adam 209-658-2600
Reichel Everhart (916) 319-2017
