Discussion on High Speed Rail in Arkansas

National Multi-Modal Transportation Steering Committee convenes in Little Rock

We had a great discussion on the future of passenger rail in Arkansas and other parts of the South Central Corridor today at the Little Rock Convention Center. Today's program coincided with the feds' release of a 68-page set of guidelines that includes criteria for the eligibility of $8 billion in stimulus money for high-speed rail. Arkansas train enthusiast Pat Lynch attended all meetings and has a great summary at his blog here. He also captured this video of me prior to my presentation on passenger rail policy in Arkansas:


For the first time, Arkansas did appropriate some funds ($100,000) for a feasibility study on high speed rail in the 2009 legislative session. The Texas legislature is way ahead of us and has funded $180 million for high speed rail, and that state has adopted a rail policy that ensures that it will be a leader in the high speed rail arena in the United States. We simply have to keep from being passed over. I'd hate to look back in decades and find that Arkansas has been completely bypassed with routes going around the state because we didn't act strongly enough. Arkansas does have its motivated rail advocates -- we just have to convince others that that high speed passenger rail must be a component in future viable alternative modes of trainsportation in an effort to remove congestion from our interstate system.

Update: Dr. Bill Pollard of Conway passes along the 68-page set of HSR guidelines and notes that the definition of high speed rail on p. 13 as being "Intercity passenger rail service that is reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 mph." That definition would include both true high speed rail (185-200mph) as well as what most call "high performance rail" that includes speeds up to 110mph.