Federal high-speed rail guidelines released

Awards begin in mid-September

Steve Hawley, Jun 24, 09.

The US Department of Transportation has released guidelines for states and regions hoping to apply for high-speed rail funding, according to Secretary Ray LaHood’s blog. The first grants will be awarded in mid-September.

The evaluation criteria include transportation benefits, economic recovery impact, project management approach, sustainability of benefits, timeliness of project completion, and other public benefits - including environmental impact, energy efficiency, and livable communities. Selection criteria also include region/location, innovation, partnerships, and tracks and round timing.

High-speed rail received $8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as $5 billion over five years from President Obama’s budget. In addition, the draft transportation bill released this week calls for an additional $50 billion in high-speed rail funding over the next six years.