In The pitch: Fix economy by funding our projects, the PiPress's Dave Orrick reports:
HIGH-SPEED RAIL
It's not on St. Paul's stimulus wish list, but the big kahuna goal for a whole string of cities between St. Paul and Chicago is a plan for high-speed rail — a plan that's been foundering for decades but appears to have new life as a way to invest in infrastructure and create economic growth.
Today, Mayor Chris Coleman and several mayors from southeastern Minnesota will meet with U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in Rochester to strategize. Coleman already has met with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who's on board.
The St. Paul City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution supporting an extra Amtrak line from here to Chicago. That move is part of the plan to upgrade the tracks to handle faster trains.
The idea has been picking up steam even before Obama's election and the recent sharp downturn. The Winona Daily News reported in October:
After a decade of talk about high-speed passenger rail service between Chicago and the Twin Cities-- via Tomah, Wis., La Crosse, and Winona-- it could become a reality in several years.
On Thursday, President Bush signed legislation authorizing $13 billion over five years for passenger rail service. That includes $3.4 billion to create high-speed passenger rail corridors and other improvements.
High-speed rail service between Chicago and the Twin Cities could begin within five years, U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., said this week. Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, led House efforts to get the legislation passed.
In September, WCCO said that Rochester officials want the medical city to be part of the system. On Friday, Mark Sommerhauser reported about this week's meeting.
Graphic: A map of designated high-speed rail corridors from the Federal Railroad Administration.
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