Ohio, Wis. high speed rail money goes elsewhere

To California, 12 other states

David Crossley, Dec 13, 10.

Ohio and Wisconsin’s loss of $1.2 billion in federal stimulus money for rail projects will be California, Florida, and 11 other states’ gain, according to a New York Times story:

Ohio and Wisconsin sought and won the stimulus money this year to build new rail lines to create jobs, ease traffic and help the environment. But both states elected new Republican governors last month who vowed to kill the train projects, arguing that they were boondoggles that would require annual state subsidies to operate.

Now both states, which have been hit hard by the economic downturn, are losing the money. The federal Department of Transportation announced Thursday that it was rescinding the $810 million that had been awarded to Wisconsin to build a train line from Milwaukee to Madison, and the $385 million that was awarded to Ohio to build a train line linking Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the money would be redistributed to 13 other states, with the biggest winners being California and Florida.

Neither of the newly elected governors expressed any regret at losing the money, or the construction jobs.

Department of Transportation press release
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot20810.html