from special reprots



Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith was among the proponents of high-speed

rail invited by the White House to attend this morning’s presidential

address concerning use of stimulus funds to support the development of

high-speed rail in the nation.



Mayor 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.



In his address, the President said, “My high-speed rail proposal will lead

to innovations that change the way we travel in America. We must start

developing clean, energy-efficient transportation that will define our

regions for centuries to come.”



“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,” Mayor Smith said. “I am profoundly encouraged

by the direction in which this administration is taking the critical issue

of passenger rail.”



Mayor Smith has long been a proponent of passenger rail and the development

of high-speed rail. He served on the board and as president of the Amtrak

Board of Directors during the Clinton administration, has testified before

Congress on passenger rail issues and is a nationally recognized expert on

passenger rail.