Larsen Works to Land High-Speed Rail Dollars for Washington State
Washington, DC,
February 17, 2011
Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, called on Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation, to give Washington state an opportunity to receive additional funding for high-speed rail projects that was rejected by the state of Florida. The Administration previously announced that it plans to reallocate any high-speed rail funds that are rejected by states. “There are ready-to-go high speed rail projects in Everett, Blaine and Bellingham that will immediately create good jobs for folks in the community and provide a much-needed boost to our local economy,” said Rep. Larsen. “I am fighting for Washington state to get high-speed rail dollars that were rejected by other states because this is a surefire way to grow good jobs and keep the economy moving in the Pacific Northwest.” The text of the letter follows: February 17, 2011 The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Dear Secretary LaHood: Thank you for granting Washington state an additional $161 million in redistributed high-speed rail funds. I encourage you to once again give Washington state strong consideration for the high-speed rail funds rejected by the State of Florida. My home state of Washington is well-positioned to use these funds on ready-to-go projects that will create jobs. There is strong public support for high-speed rail in Washington state. The Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor has experienced record-breaking ridership this year. Amtrak Cascades ridership was up 13% last year compared to the previous year. The state of Washington is committed to investing in the corridor: Washington state ranks second in the nation in the amount of direct state subsidy that supports Amtrak service. Washington state has invested $137 million in capital rail improvements since 1999 to improve infrastructure, safety and stations. Washington state is well positioned to use any returned high-speed rail funds. The state has 14 projects valued at $533.5 million which were submitted to and vetted by FRA in their original high-speed rail application that were not funded. Three of these projects are located in my district and could create much-needed jobs in our local communities. They include the Blaine-Swift Customs Facility Siding ($5.1 million), Bellingham Main Line Relocation ($45.1 million) and Everett Curve Realignment ($78.3 million). I urge you to give Washington state strong consideration for any returned funds and stand ready to work with you to reprogram these funds. Thank you for your attention to my request. Sincerely, Rick Larsen Member of Congress ### |