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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2008		 CONTACT:  David Simon
(202) 225-0123 		 
 
Congresswoman Corrine Brown Strongly Supports High Speed Rail for Florida
 
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Corrine Brown made the following statement:

“Because of the incredible amount of congestion Central Florida drivers face, particularly on the I-4 corridor and on I-95, the implementation of a high speed rail system would be extremely advantageous for Central Florida.  Indeed, high speed rail improves congestion by taking thousands of people off of our already crowded roads, while at the same time creating economic development throughout the corridor.  Moreover, the recently passed Amtrak Reauthorization bill provides $350 million per year for states to develop high speed rail.  The legislation also includes important railroad safety provisions that will benefit the safety of Florida residents, as well as rail employees.

 And in addition to transportation benefits, an Orlando-Miami rail system would likely create enough funds to allow for even further expansion into the state, and I believe, we could certainly take that high speed rail line right up to Jacksonville!  In fact, just the work and construction of the system itself should bring a great deal of development along the entire corridor.

Now, as you may know, I am the Chairperson of the House Transportation-Railroad subcommittee, and this session, we were extremely, extremely busy.  Under the leadership of Chairman James Oberstar, the Committee passed the first Water Resources Development bill in seven years, providing vital funds for the nation’s waterways and water and sewer systems.  We implemented the infrastructure safety recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, Reauthorized Coast Guard programs, and Reorganized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The Committee also developed the core of the Congressional Stimulus package by providing $25 billion in infrastructure investments to enhance the safety, security and efficiency of our highway, transit, rail and environmental infrastructure.  The funding will not only put people to work immediately, but also strengthen our nation’s infrastructure. In fact, Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics show that for every $1 billion invested in transportation infrastructure, 42,000 jobs are created, as is $2.1 billion in economic activity.

And just before Congress adjourned this year, we passed an Amtrak Reauthorization and Rail Safety bill, which was signed into law by the President just last week!

Now, if you are worried about energy prices and the economy, properly funding Amtrak and our nation’s rail system is a one-two punch.  Passenger and freight rail are energy efficient, provide good jobs that can’t be shipped overseas, and transport thousands of people and tons of cargo each day in a safe and efficient manner.  And they accomplish all of this without drilling or polluting any of our nation’s coasts!

The American people deserve the best rail system in the world, and I believe rail safety will go a long way in raising our nation to its rightful place as a world leader in both passenger and freight rail.  We used to be the number one:  now we are the caboose, and they don’t even have cabooses anymore!  But we are working on it, little by little.  And I strongly believe, projects such as this one will go a long, long way towards contributing to the improvement of our nation’s rail system in the future. “

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