High Speed Rail is Coming

To whom it may concern,

The President is set to release his High Speed Rail plan for the country tomorrow. The implications of this to the revitalization of our inner cities, the preservation of farmland and open space, and the promotion of alternative modes of transportation to the automobile are outstanding. Not since the Eisenhower Administration has a President been so bold as to challenge this country to change its transportation habits so drastically. I cannot think of a better idea for this country. And while the President touts the 2,000th stimulus plan project on one hand, a road widening and overpass construction in Wisconsin, on the other hand he seeks to develop a totally new transportation sector. This is one of many areas that the United States has trailed the rest of the world. Where the road project will only further increase automobile dependence, congestion, and our oil consumption, the rail plan seeks to wean this country from our addiction to cars, oil, and suburban sprawl development. The High Speed Rail system will increase the mobility of the public and serve as an economic engine for our cities. Who will be in charge of this new rail system (Amtrak?), and will these regional systems be connected to one another to create a national high speed rail network?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP