Transportation For Pennsylvania

On Monday, the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, in coordination with the Northeast Midwest Institute, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, and Smart Growth America, hosted a one-day summit about high speed rail and the steps that need to be taken to make a strong rail network a reality in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Conference sponsors organized the meeting to begin a conversation about a multi-state rail vision amongst statewide transportation advocacy groups and state Departments of Transportation from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and New York.  Also in attendance were Anne Stubs, the Executive Director of the Northeast Governor’s Conference and Kevin Brubaker, Deputy Director from the Environmental Law Institute along with  congressional staff, and organized labor.

The summit, called Rebuilding the Corridors of Prosperity: High Speed Rail and Transportation Investment in the Northeast and Midwest, highlighted the  importance of existing cooperative agreements forged by Northeast and Midwest states as examples of the types of interstate partnerships that could be modeled in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Congressman Oberstar smiles while speaking to summit attendees

Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, addressed attendees about the future of federal rail policy and the importance of cooperating across state lines to develop a modern transportation network.

“We need to match the political will of our competitors.  America can’t afford to stand idle while the Spanish, French and Chinese are planning to add thousands of miles of high speed rail. We are not a third-world country and shouldn’t act like one when it comes to investing in infrastructure,” Congressman Oberstar noted.

Judy Schwank, President of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania described why this effort is important for Pennsylvania.  “Pennsylvania has the important and strategic distinction of straddling two mega-regions, the Northeast and the Great Lakes. Linking to these markets is a critical component for the state’s economic prosperity. Investment in rail systems, both passenger and freight, has been and will be important to the cities and towns of Pennsylvania. As we determine the next federal transportation authorization we need to ensure that investments support communities and integrate with existing networks.”

Karen Rae, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Rail Administration, and Roy Kienitz, Under Secretary for Policy at the US Department of Transportation, talked about the role of rail to create more transportation alternatives across the country.

“There needs to be an intersection between rail planning and activities occurring on the ground.  Having city to city connections will drive ridership,” Karen Rae added.  She emphasized that creating an integrated high speed rail system is a challenging project; however, a step by step approach is needed to build the will and momentum to make it a reality.

Participants also heard from policy experts Petra Todorovich of America 2050 and Will Schroeer of Smart Growth America who presented their research into the transportation trends emerging in the United States and lessons learned from the infrastructure developments in other nations.

To continue the momentum of the event, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania plans to identify and convene key leaders in critical transportation corridors within Pennsylvania that connect the Great Lakes and the Northeast.  The organization will continue to educate and build awareness and support for advancing a federal transportation reauthorization that links regions and builds better communities.