Transportation News

Portland, OR, Feb. 9 – The Obama administration’s recent decision to award $8 million in high-speed rail funds to Oregon is the first step towards a stronger and faster rail system that will reduce congestion, oil use, and carbon emissions. But there is still much work to be done.

That was the message that Metro President David Bragdon, Sarah Masterson from Representative Earl Blumenauer’s office, and OSPIRG’s Jenn Lavelle made clear today when they gathered at Union Station to release The Right Track, a new research report from OSPIRG.

“A national network of fast, frequent and dependable trains is a critical tool for reinventing the nation's economy.  People in the Northwest have recognized the need to greatly improve our rail system and we are committed to building off of the momentum provided by the administration,” said David Bragdon. “We have been making sound investments in the transit system here in Portland for years, and high-speed rail is the next step in connecting our region to other regions.”

The new report analyzes the potential of high speed rail in nine different regions, including the Pacific Northwest, and presents several public-interest recommendations to guide future high-speed rail funding.  According to data cited in the report, the completion of a national high-speed rail network would reduce car travel by 29 million trips and air travel by nearly 500,000 flights annually.

“This report echoes what I have been saying for a long time,” said Representative Blumenauer. “Investing in high-speed rail is good for the economy and the environment. I’m going to keep pushing both in the Pacific Northwest and in Congress to build the momentum for a strong high-speed rail network across the country.”

Last month, the Obama administration announced that 31 states will receive a portion of $8 billion in funding to build and plan for high speed rail under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Oregon will receive $8 million for improvements along the Cascades line, most notably for renovations to Portland's Union Station.

By making the Cascades service more competitive against car and air travel, the states predict that these improvements will attract nearly 3 million passengers a year on the section between Portland and Vancouver alone. This will relieve traffic on the crowded Interstate 5, and help the region meet its global warming emissions targets.

“This project might one day be part of a national network of high speed rail on par with the bullet trains of Europe and Asia, but it is going to take a long-term commitment from all levels of government to plan and fund the system,” said OSPIRG’s Jenn Lavelle. “Without such a commitment, this recent momentum could be lost. We simply cannot afford a false start on high speed rail.”

The-Right-Track-report.pdf