Pelosi Statement on California High-Speed Rail Investments

Contact: Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in response to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood’s announcement of $368 million for high-speed and intercity rail in California, including $300 million for the Central Valley segment and $68 million for state-of-the-art passenger rail equipment made in America. These funds were reallocated from the $2 billion rejected by Governor Rick Scott of Florida.

“On the eve of the 142nd anniversary of the final ‘Golden Spike’ in the Transcontinental Railroad, today in California we celebrate the additional investment by the Obama Administration to a modern, 21st century high-speed rail system to rival any in the world. While other states may ignore the benefits of high-speed rail, California is ready to put investments to work immediately, building our statewide system – creating jobs, boosting domestic manufacturing and laying the track for long-term economic development.

“By investing in our state’s infrastructure, we increase mobility options and lower our dependence on foreign oil at a time of rising gas prices, while reducing road congestion and preserving the air we breathe. Putting people to work, jobs have already been created in the Central Valley connecting Fresno to Bakersfield, and in San Francisco at the Transbay Transit Center.

“In California, high-speed rail holds the promise of smart urban planning, speed and safety, with passengers able to board in downtown San Francisco at the Transbay Transit Center, the ‘Grand Central of the West,’ and in a mere two-hours and forty minutes disembark in downtown Los Angeles, as established by the voters in state law with Proposition 1A.”