Gov.: Missouri To Apply For High-Speed Rail Funds

[pstokely]

Source: AP

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- The state of Missouri will apply for federal funding to construct high-speed rail service between the state's two metropolitan areas.
Gov. Jay Nixon was scheduled to announce details of the application during a 10 a.m. news conference at the Kirkwood Amtrak station in suburban St. Louis.
Nixon's office said the application will include a proposal for immediate upgrades to improve speeds on existing lines between St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo. Meanwhile, a longer-term proposal would call for planning and engineering to prepare for construction of a separate rail line dedicated to high-speed passenger service.

Read more: http://www.kmbc.com/news/27354724/detail.html

[Sky Masterson]

1. Yes!

As a Missourian,I would love this!

[bighart]

9. Same here

and would love to see it extended to Springfield to St. Louis and Kansas City as well.

[kcks]

2. I wonder

what the ridership will be, how long for the ROI.

[ixion]

3. FL Gov Dumbass reall screwed the pooch on this one

:argh:

[mucifer]

4. there is a group considering high speed rail Chicago to NYC

That would be about a 6 hour trip.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/blogs?blogID=greg-hinz&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A1daca073-2eab-468e-9f19-ec177090a35cPost%3Aa7f9c734-ab6d-4487-a07c-085fb98672a2&sid=sitelife.chicagobusiness.com

[n2doc]

6. Wouldn't that have to go through Ohio? n/t

[mucifer]

10. From the article link I posted

Mr. Lehman notes that a Windy City/Big Apple line would travel through a geographic area that is home to well over 100 million people. It quite conceivably would hit such big cities as Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and would connect to the East Coast metroliner service, which has been extended as far west as Harrisburg, in central Pennsylvania.

Mr. Lehman's group is looking for corporate and foundation backing, as well as help from private individuals.


Read more: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/blogs?blogID=greg-hinz&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A1daca073-2eab-468e-9f19-ec177090a35cPost%3Aa7f9c734-ab6d-4487-a07c-085fb98672a2&sid=sitelife.chicagobusiness.com#ixzz1HztbGlyA



So I don't think they will be getting federal money.

[athena]

18. Wow! That would be great!

I hope it happens.

[liberal N proud]

5. Good for the people of Missouri

Wish the assholes in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin had better vision.

[joanbarnes]

7. Show me!

[logosoco]

8. Good news!

I live about 20 miles outside of St, Louis (in fact I grew up between the Frisco and MoPac railroads). I have rarely traveled to that part of the state, but a high-speed rail would change that!

My sister lives in Madison, and I hope SOMEDAY there will be a bigger system linking St, Louis to Chicago and on to Milwaukee.

[gordianot]

11. Jay Nixon has his problems and the Missouri legislature is full of GOP nutcases at least......

Jay Nixon is not a member of the current crop of GOP radical Governors and shows why a Democratic vote still matters.

[pstokely]

12. Nixon is DINOish on a lot of issues

It helps that MO gubernatorial elections are the same years as presidential elections

[gordianot]

13. Agreed, and it could be worse.

[udbcrzy2]

14. Go Nixon !!! n/t

[cbdo2007]

15. Really are there that many people wanting to go from KC to STL or reverse???

Come on, this is a terrible idea.

It only takes 4 hours to drive it for way less in gas money. Or you can probably fly to either place and back for $150.

There is no way this will make any money. Amtrak already goes from KC to STL and nobody does it because it's too expensive. People aren't going to pay more just because it takes an hour less. If people have the money they'll just fly.

And how much of our tax dollars are going to be used here?? Trust me, if Kansas City is involved in any part of it, the local tax payers will get a giant chunk of the bill.

[Rosie1223]

16. If it stopped in Columbia, there would be lots of college students using it

however, Amtrak does not currently serve Mizzou.

[cbdo2007]

20. That's even less likely - no college student is going to pay to take the train 1.5 hours.

That's all it is from KC to Columbia, so I'm guessing 2-2.5 hours from STL.

Come on, seriously, no college student is going to do that. Well maybe some, but still not enough to make it financially viable. Hell, policians can't even take it to Jeff City cause that's south from Columbia.

This is a horrible idea and will hopefully be rejected.

And I"m not just being a negative ned. I just want ideas and plans that make sense.

[pstokely]

17. They have to share the current tracks with freight trains

The airport is also 20 minutes out of the way not including traffic

[itsrobert]

19. Not a priority. There are more worthy routes that need the funding

Sorry, we can't fund every route.

[Svafa]

21. It's nice to see an attempt to expand any public transit...

But I'd really rather they fund and expand the metrolink. St. Louis is a classic case of urban sprawl, it would be so nice to have conventient public transportation between the city and most of the suburbs.

[cbdo2007]

22. That's what we need here in Kansas City also.

Rather than high speed rail. They always come up with ideas for "light rail" here in KC, but it always just goes from Midtown to Downtown to the Airport but leaves out all of the East/West/Southwest/South/Southeast/Northeast suburbs or 75% of the population, and 95% of the people who would actually use it.