U. S high-speed rail draws local interest
Posted By RAY SPITERI QMI AGENCY
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/A...aspx?e=2217575
A New York state-based plan to create a high-speed rail system that could link up with Niagara, Hamilton and Toronto caught the attention of Niagara politicians this week.
"I was invited to come speak about ... the potential for connections to our Canadian neighbours, and really improving inner-city passenger rail and highspeed passenger rail connecting Toronto, Montreal, New York City and the midwest, the entire eastern seaboard," said Don Hannon, director of integrated modal services for the New York State Department of Transportation, outside the regional planning committee meeting Wednesday.
He's a member of the High Speed Rail New York Coalition made up of state politicians and business people lobbying for federal stimulus to make highspeed rail travel more attractive for moving people and goods.
He said U. S. President Barack Obama is a proponent of highspeed rail as an alternative to steady highway travel and has invited states to apply for $8 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The coalition saw this as an opening to improve the existing 740-kilometre Empire Rail Corridor and build a high-speed rail system between New York City and the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area.
"New York state submitted applications for this ... the first ready-to-go projects valued at about $560 million and then we also submitted a larger proposal for a multi-year project that totals $4.7 billion that would improve the time to go from Niagara Falls all the way to New York City.
"That's where the investments are going to be made," Hannon said.
Asked how this would benefit Ontario, Hannon said "the connection is there -- the bridge over to the Niagara Falls' Canadian side. Of course, the money that the United States government has would be only available within the United States.
"But certainly, anyone travelling from Toronto or southern Ontario, going to New York City or vice versa, they would see ... savings from the Niagara Falls Canadian border of an hour and a half in the time it would take to go from Niagara Falls all the way down to New York City and then improvements all along the way."
During the meeting, the regional planning committee approved the 2009 New York State Rail Plan and the efforts of the transportation department in seeking funding for improved high-speed rail.
"I think it's a tremendous opportunity for Niagara to have a connection that close to our city," Niagara Falls regional Coun. Bill Smeaton said.
"It makes a great deal of sense to me to continue positive talks with New York state, federal officials and the railway executive to have that extension throughout Niagara and the Golden Horseshoe."
Smeaton said while it's a U. S. project, having the support of Canadian politicians might entice upper levels of government in Canada to see what they can do to assist.
"This is an opportunity for us to approach our federal and provincial governments to potentially tie in to this in a positive way -- to foster a binational approach for an improved and quicker rail movement of people and materials."
Mayor Ted Salci called the project "full of potential."
"Having a chance to connect to that high-speed rail system ... makes a lot of sense," he said. "It's always exciting to connect to the larger centres of the U. S. and Canada, such as New York City ... and doing so with much faster and quicker access would be great."
As opposed to traditional rail service that tends to travel at speeds of 127 km/h, high-speed rail can reach 177 km/h
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