Last week, amidst the distraction of the proposal by Representative John Mica (R-FL) to privatize Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and open other national routes to private sector competition, the House Appropriations Committee proposed to take back all unobligated ARRA high-speed rail funds, potentially putting in jeopardy all of the Northeast rail projects that received funding in May 2011.
On Wednesday, June 15, the Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to rescind over $1 billion of High-Speed Rail Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program funding in fiscal year 2012 that had previously been allocated to the program in the ARRA stimulus bill. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ, 11th District) made the amendment to the FY 2012 Energy and Water Funding Bill, using the HSIPR Program funding to offset funds allocated to the Army Corps of Engineers for flood damage mitigation and prevention along the Mississippi River.
The rescission would directly impact projects on the Northeast Corridor that recently received funding from the HSIPR Program. In May 2011, the FRA awarded $2 billion worth of grants to high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects across the country, including the first substantial grants awarded to projects on the Northeast Corridor. This was funding that had originally been awarded to Florida through ARRA and FY 2010 budgets, but was rejected by Florida in March. Although the most recent round of grants has already been awarded, the funds are not yet obligated to the grant recipients. This amendment seeks to remove all un-obligated ARRA funds from the HSIPR Program, leaving all projects with un-obligated ARRA funds vulnerable to delays and cancellation.
In the Northeast, which was the biggest winner in the May 2011 grant awards, all of the projects are now subject to losing funding. On the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak received $450 million to upgrade a 24-mile section of track between NYC and Philadelphia from 135 mph to 160 mph; the State of New York received $295 million to replace the Harold Interlocking in Queens, NY (where Amtrak and LIRR cross currently). In total, seven northeastern states and Amtrak were awarded grants to upgrade the Corridor and its branch lines.
We encourage you to contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and ask them to oppose this rescission of funding AND for increase appropriations for HSIPR in FY 2012 to $2.5 billion. Having only passed the Appropriations Committee, this amendment will need to be approved by the entire House and the Senate before it is law, but now is the time for your representatives in Congress to hear from us. Your active support is critical to blocking this rescission and continuing to advance these critical high-speed and intercity rail projects in FY 2012.
Read a description of the proposed FY 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill (scroll down to the Frelinghuysen Amendment).
Download a list of all of the projects (applied and awarded) in the May 2011 round of HSIPR Program grants.
(Photo: Amtrak September 2011 Next Generation Vision for High Speed Rail on the Northeast Corridor)
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