from staff reports
Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith was among the proponents of high-speed rail invited to attend Thursday's presidential address concerning use of stimulus funds to support the development of high-speed rail in the nation.
The White House has compared President Obama's vision for high speed rail with President Eisenhower's vision for the interstate highway system. The President has said he believes that, like the interstate highway system, high speed rail could "change the way we travel in America."
Smith has long been a proponent of passenger rail and the development of high speed rail. He served as president of the Amtrak Board of Directors during the Clinton administration and has testified before Congress on passenger rail issues.
Smith called the unveiling of President Obama's strategic plan "a great day for passenger rail" and noted that the Gulf Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor, which runs through Meridian, is included as one of the 10 corridors nationwide identified as potential recipients of federal funding.
The plan identifies two types of projects for funding. One would create new corridors for high speed passenger rail similar to that found in Europe and Japan. Another would involve making train service along existing rail lines incrementally faster.
The President said his proposal will create thousands of construction jobs, many permanent jobs for rail employees, and will be an economic boon to areas served by the rail lines.
The President, Vice President, and Secretary of Transportation are urging states and local communities to put together plans for a network of 100 mile to 600 mile corridors, which will compete for the federal dollars. The merit-driven process will result in federal grants as soon as late summer 2009.
"High speed rail has the potential to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, lower harmful carbon emissions, foster new economic development and give travelers more choices when it comes to moving around the country," a written statement from the White House said.
"We must start developing clean, energy-efficient transportation that will define our regions for centuries to come," President Obama said in his address.
"The President's two-pronged approach to develop high-speed rail and to make existing rail travel more efficient is exactly what we've been advocating for many years," Smith said in a written statement. "I am profoundly encouraged by the direction in which this administration is taking the critical issue of passenger rail."
The President's plan identifies $8 billion provided for high speed rail in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and $1 billion a year for five years requested in the federal budget to "jump start" the rail system.
The plan can be viewed on the Web at www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/31.
