Press Release - Congresswoman Laura Richardson

For Immediate Release
October 26, 2010

Contact: Jeff Billington
Office: (202) 225-7924
Cell: (202) 340-3791

Congresswoman Richardson Welcomes More Than $100 Million in Federal Grants to Help Develop Statewide High-Speed Rail System

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Laura Richardson announced that California’s proposed high-speed rail system has received a big boost thanks to two new grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation totaling $101,500,000. The funds will be used to increase the fleet of High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail cars and refine the California State Rail Plan. The grants are part of the $2.25 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) set aside for California High-Speed Rail.

“Countries around the world have high-speed rail systems that put ours to shame, and are investing sums that dwarf even the ARRA money that has recently been dedicated to American high-speed rail,” Congresswoman Richardson said. “This is a great announcement for my district and the people of California as we lay the foundation for a clean, efficient mass transit system.”

The two grants are a planning grant for $1.5 million, which will be used to update the 2008 California State Rail Plan; and a $100 million grant for purchasing more efficient passenger cars for use in the new system. The California High-Speed Rail Authority predicts that construction of the system will create approximately 150,000 jobs. It also calculates 450,000 permanent new jobs created statewide by the economic growth such a system will generate over the next 25 years.The Los Angeles-San Francisco route is also projected to create a profit of $1 billion annually that will initially go back into the high-speed rail system itself for maintenance and further extensions.

Earlier this year, Congresswoman Richardson helped form the California High-Speed Rail Caucus, which serves as a platform to advocate for the needed resources to complete the project.

“I recognize that high-speed rail is necessary for the people of the 37^th Congressional District, as well as the rest of the nation, as we improve the sustainability and affordability of public transportation,” Congresswoman Richardson added. “As a founding co-chair of the California High-Speed Rail Caucus, I am fully invested in building strong congressional support for California’s high-speed rail plans, and making this next generation of transportation a reality.”

Congresswoman Richardson is a Democrat from California’s 37^th Congressional District. She is a member of the House Committees on Transportation & Infrastructure and Homeland Security and is chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response. Her district includes Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Watts, Willowbrook and Signal Hill.

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