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California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, with High-Speed Rail supporters at news conference, Oct. 2, at Union Station in Los Angeles to announce application for funding for the design and construction of the state's high-speed train system.

Governor, Federal, State and Local Officials Join Statewide to Show United California for High-Speed Train Federal Stimulus Funding Bid

• Proposal would provide $10 billion economic boost to state;
  Authority launches Twitter site with feeds from each of three events

 

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Los Angeles – On the application deadline for federal stimulus funding, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined federal, state and local officials to outline California's bid for more than $4.7 billion in federal stimulus funding for engineering, design and construction of the state's high-speed train system – nearly a $10 billion investment when state, local and private matching funds are added.

The Governor submitted the state's application today for a share of $8 billion set aside for high-speed train development under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The show of unity at Los Angeles Union Station was matched with additional events in San Jose and Fresno featuring other state, local and civic officials.

Anaheim Mayor and High-Speed Rail Authority Board Chairman Curt Pringle noted California is proposing the only true high-speed train capable of traveling 200+ miles per hour and is further along in planning than any other similar project in the country.

"Unlike any other state, we can double the value of the federal dollars with matching funds, we'll soon have the environmental reviews we need, we can break ground before the federal government's 2012 deadline, and we can show that projects funded with stimulus dollars can stand alone as important improvements in their own right," said Pringle. ”This kind of kick-start to our historic project will quickly provide nearly 130,000 quality jobs and give our state the economic boost it needs.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a longtime champion whose efforts helped secure federal stimulus funding for high-speed train projects said in a statement, “California voters approved a $9.95 billion bond for high-speed rail, and our state’s support for high-speed rail is unrivaled in the nation. It is critical for our future, and I support California’s applications for high-speed rail funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”

“High-speed rail is going to be a big engine for the California economy,” said Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles). “And that will help California continue to be a powerful engine for the national economy. Today’s application for California to receive federal ARRA funds is the spark that will get that engine started.”

Officials at all three of today’s events stood with labor leaders, business, and environmental groups in support of California’s project and its stimulus application. A broad and bipartisan coalition supports California’s high-speed rail project because it will improve our state’s mobility, its environment, quality of life, and will produce hundreds of thousands of jobs while pumping billions of dollars into our economy.

"With both federal and state funding, we will be able to deliver billions of dollars in economic stimulus,” said San Jose-based Authority Board member Rod Diridon, Sr. “Before it's completed, California's high-speed train will generate 600,000 construction-related jobs to plan, design and build the system and another 450,000 transportation-related permanent jobs, providing a long-term stimulus to California's economy," said Diridon.

“The Central Valley has been among the hardest hit regions in the nation due to the economic downturn, and federal funds for California’s high-speed train project will do exactly what they are intended to do which is inject a much-needed stimulus resulting in new jobs for our community,” said Central Valley-based Authority Board member Fran Florez.

California's application includes:

$2.19 billion for Los Angeles to Anaheim, including high-speed train facilities at Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS), Norwalk Station, and the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC); right-of-way acquisition, grade-separations, utility relocation, environmental mitigation, earthwork, guideway structures, tunneling, and track work. Total jobs created: 53,700.

$980 million for San Francisco to San Jose, including station improvements, grade separations, electrification and safety state-of-the-art "positive train control" in an upgraded, shared alignment with Caltrain. Total jobs created: 34,200.

$466 million for Merced to Fresno, including right-of-way acquisition, grade-separations, utility relocation, environmental mitigation, earthwork, guideway structures and track. Total jobs created: 10,500.
$819.5 million for Fresno to Bakersfield, including right-of-way acquisition, grade-separations, utility relocation, environmental mitigation, earthwork, guideway structures, track relocation and new track. Total jobs created: 16,500.

$276.5 million for preliminary engineering and environmental work in all system segments including Los Angeles to San Diego via the Inland Empire, Los Angeles to Palmdale and Bakersfield, Sacramento to Merced and the Altamont Rail Corridor. Total jobs created: 12,000.

The state’s application is for more than $4.7 billion in federal stimulus funding for engineering, design and construction of the state’s high-speed train system. California would then match that federal funding dollar-for-dollar with state, local, or private funds to total an investment of nearly $10 billion.

Additionally today, the High-Speed Rail Authority officially launched its Twitter page and Posterous site, available at www.twitter.com/cahsra and www.cahsra.posterous.com.

Find background materials and broadcast-quality video simulations of California's high-speed train at: www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov