President Barack Obama has taken the first step to transform American high-speed rail policy by including it as a priority in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Now it’s time for the State of
Illinois to transform current state policy and embrace high-speed rail.
The Illinois Senate Transportation Committee met today with representatives from the leading high speed rail operators around the world to determine the best possible way to implement high speed rail in our region.
Moving people on high-speed rail will help reduce our traffic gridlock in
Northeast Illinois by taking cars off the road. We will also strengthen our economy by linking our cities and providing an option to travelers across the state. The rest of the world is investing in high-speed rail.
Illinois must get to work.
Illinois could lead the nation in building high speed rail, just as we have led the nation in other transportation infrastructures. The French and the Spanish have offered a great deal of information that will be instrumental as we develop a vision for high speed rail in
Illinois.