Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s rejection of federal high-speed rail projects isn’t necessarily a death knell for a Pittsburgh-to-Cleveland rail corridor but it could mean a temporary “railway to nowhere” that stops before it gets to Ohio.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was adamant Wednesday in a meeting with regional reporters that decisions by Mr. Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to turn down high-speed rail funding will not impact surrounding states’ chances to get hold of the $53 billion over six years the Obama administration is proposing as part of the president’s budget, to be released next week.
Mr. LaHood compared the administration’s goal of connecting 80 percent of the country via high-speed rail over the next 25 years to the interstate highway system. It will be done in increments, and the administration doesn’t know where the money is coming from yet, but Mr. LaHood vowed it will get done.
The full story appears on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website.