Testimony of
Joseph C. Szabo
FRA Administrator
before
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
Chicago, IL
April 20, 2010
9:30 AM
Thank you Chairwoman Brown, Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica for inviting me to update your committee on the President’s program of investments in high-speed and intercity passenger rail service.
The last year has seen a dramatic change in our nation’s view on transportation and specifically the growth and development of passenger rail systems throughout this country.
Less than two years ago, a Federal partner for the states to develop high-speed rail did not exist. Congress began to focus on the development of high-speed rail corridors with the passage of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA). President Obama advocated for the $8 billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) for the largest single national investment ever in passenger rail.
There are some that believe that only investments yielding 200 mph service will yield benefits. The facts show otherwise. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) views high-speed and intercity passenger rail service in the context of the transportation markets served and the needs of the passengers rather than as a race to see how fast a piece of equipment can move. FRA also believes that trip times between stops, rather than speed, is a critical factor in developing viable high speed rail corridors.
I visited Maine just a few weeks ago where the successful service from Boston to Portland operates at a maximum speed of 79 mph and where we have allocated High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) funding to extend this service further to Brunswick, a coastal community adjusting to the loss of a major military facility.
The existing service has already demonstrated that reliable, on time service not only attracts passengers, it attracts commercial development in and around the stations. In Portland, Durham, New Hampshire and other stations along the line you can see the power of transit oriented development, in growth of business – and jobs – around the stations. The attraction of the expanded service we will fund can already be seen on the ground in Freeport and Brunswick – the two stops that will be part of the extended service. One station has been built and the other is in final design. These stations will link up to proposed new bus service and connect towns in the region, furthering the President’s livable communities initiative. Since our announcement, vacant buildings have been bought and being renovated for new uses and other investments in commercial development in the vicinity of the stations is underway.
Just as important, this project will ultimately link northern New England to Boston and the rest of the Northeast Corridor. This is the kind of enthusiasm and smart planning that we see across the country.
We anticipated this type of reaction. It is for that reason that our Vision for High-Speed Rail in America published just over a year ago had a comprehensive vision for passenger rail ranging from stand alone tracks with trains running a speeds of 150 to 200 mph (Express High-Speed Rail); speeds in the 125-150 mph range (Regional High-Speed Rail); upgrades to existing railroads with speeds of 110 to 125 mph (Emerging High-Speed Rail); to significant improvements to traditional 79 mph service (Improved Intercity Passenger Rail). This means that there are opportunities to fund customized rail systems that work for different markets and regions. Regions will have the opportunity to seek funding for projects that meets their specific transportation needs. This is certainly not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Those that have taken the time to experience rail service in Europe and Japan will recognize this in the successful passenger rail systems overseas that have also taken a similar comprehensive approach. This approach needs to include rigorous planning to ensure funds are focused on projects that maximize benefits to transportation networks and overall economic performance.
Support for this program was evident in the numerous applications received by the Department of Transportation (USDOT) following the President’s announcement. 259 applications worth $57 billion came in for the $8 billion made available in the Recovery Act.
We received a variety of applications, varying tremendously in size and scope. We worked hard to quickly review these proposals, while ensuring that we allocated the Recovery Act funding to the projects posed to deliver the most benefits relative to their investment costs. Less than a year later the President announced that 31 states plus the District of Columbia will receive grants. This includes major investments in California and Florida, the only two states to apply for help standing up brand new Express High-Speed Rail systems. In rough terms approximately 45 percent of the funds will go for Express High-Speed Rail, 40 percent for Regional or Emerging High-Speed Rail and 15 percent for projects to benefit intercity passenger rail that can be under construction quickly.
Over time, our goal is for a number of regional routes to link cities and regions together, creating a seamless network that offers Americans a real transportation alternative. This will reduce congestion that everyone expects will grow worse in the coming decades.
For example, here in the Midwest, $1.1 billion will go toward improvements on the corridor between Chicago and St. Louis, which will allow passenger rail service to operate at speeds of up to 110 mph. These higher speeds, coupled with improvements resulting in increased on-time performance, will decrease travel time from Chicago to St. Louis to 4 hours -- 30 percent faster than current rail service, and 10 percent faster than driving between the two cities. Other enhancements to track and infrastructure will undoubtedly help Chicago’s freight rail system as well.
We are also excited about the job creation prospects of our program. Buy America is about more than US assembly of foreign components – it is about developing the entire supply chain so it can be built in the USA. We know that American workers have the capacity to manufacture – not just assemble – materials, components and finished products that will be necessary to build the infrastructure and new rail cars that will be needed to run on these lines. Many companies headquartered in the U.S. and companies with headquarters elsewhere have expressed their interest in participating in this new program.
To sustain the momentum and ensure that jobs can be created in the near term, we have also implemented a “Fast Track” program. We are already coordinating with states on those projects that are ready-to-go, and move them out quickly so construction can start this year. We hope to be announcing final grant agreements through this program in the coming weeks. By comparison, it took the Federal government three years to get the first dollar out the door when the national highway system was being developed.
We have seen real progress both in the states and among the transportation community in terms of getting this initiative off the ground. President Obama is committed to transparency. Long-serving USDOT staff say the HSIPR program is one of the most transparent in the Department’s history.
We have worked hard to maintain strong relationships with states and stakeholders. Since the beginning of the application process we have held biweekly conference calls with state DOT CEOs, with dozens of participants on each call. We also organized eight regional meetings with state DOTs and other stakeholders. We held individual, in-person meetings with Governors and legislators from across the country. This unprecedented back and forth between states was tremendously helpful as we thought about how to make this program a success.
We have also forged strong partnerships with rail and transportation associations and stakeholder groups. In fact, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently commended FRA’s outreach efforts as well as our dedication to implement the Administration’s ambitious agenda.
In short, we are upbeat and confident that this program will make important contributions to America’s transportation landscape. We look forward to working with Congress to help make America’s passenger rail system the best in world.
Thank you.