Oregon is seeking a way to cut carbon emissions and decrease traveling time between Eugene and Portland by installing a high-speed rail between the two major state cities. Gov. Kulongoski announced today that the state has applied for a $2.1 billion federal stimulus bill, to be taken out of President Obama’s economy recovery bill, which dedicates $8 billion of it’s $787 billion bulk to high-speed rail.
While this seems potentially simple, many other densly populated states are also in the running to receive funds to profit their own high-speed transport. Kulongoski spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor said that when U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited earlier in the year, he mentioned that this form of rail could be successful in the northwest.
The proposed Cascadia high-speed rail will travel at least 110 miles per hour, making the journey from Eugene to Portland a mere 75 minutes. Rail path plans have already been laid down by the state and cleverly avoid all waterways and high-traffic areas. If Oregon is granted the funds, it will open up the possibility of expanding the rail across the northwest all the way up to Vancouver, B.C.
“This is another example of the state looking at ways to reduce carbon emission and encourage alternative transportation methods,”
Kulongoski said in a Thursday news release explaining the federal request. The President’s February recovery bill sparked national intrest in adapting to the changing economy and ecosystem. He said, “The time is right for us to start thinking about high-speed rail as an alternative to air transportation connecting all these cities. Think about what a great project that would be in terms of rebuilding America,” said Obama.
Oregon’s current environmental awareness has the potential to broaden with the addition of a high-speed rail and lead the country in it’s growing green-ness.