We helped stop ren square. Now let's develop Rochester into a world-class city.
Harry Davis stands for creating real jobs by building a sustainable Rochester with decent housing and education for all in a secure and safe city.
High speed rail is the biggest economic development for upstate New York in 150 years, since the Erie Canal.
Harry Davis is endorsed by the Green Party of Monroe County & The Working Familes Party
High Speed Rail - that’s it? $151 Million dollars
By stlo7 ( January 30, 2010 at 10:15 am) · Filed under Fairness, News, Stlo7
from RochesterTurning
http://rochesterturning.com/2010/01/30/high-speed-rail-thats-it-151-mill...
That’s my first impression of New York State being awarded approximately 2% of an $8 billion d0llar High Speed Rail initiative. It isn’t anything to be overjoyed about. Remodeling the Rochester Train Station into an intermodal system was not approved. The high point is building an additional track section near Albany that alleviates a significant traffic bottleneck (freight trains have the right of way and passenger trains have to wait up to 30 mins).
So what is happening? (via the D&C)
Repair and improve the Rochester train station. Rehabilitate the Buffalo-Depew station. Perform engineering and environmental analysis on development of a third track on an 11-mile stretch between Buffalo and Rochester. Improve 12 grade crossings on CSX tracks south of Albany. Build a second track between Albany and Schenectady. An additional $3 million will be used to build a 2.3-mile third track north of Albany for the Adirondack Express, which serves Montreal, and the Ethan Allen Express, which provides service to Rutland, Vt. Finally, $1 million will be used for continued planning for the Empire Corridor between Buffalo and New York City. One of the complaints is that New York contributes more “tax dollars” and doesn’t get its fair return. I get that we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and perhaps this is the first step towards a sensible train system still although local leaders have said positve things, “tickled pink” isn’t exactly how I’d describe it.
U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, insisted that the upstate House caucus, which she leads, was not worried that seven states were given more money than New York. “Disappointment is not in the upstate caucus of the House,” Slaughter said. “The competition was fierce for this. To be number eight, I’m tickled pink with that.”
Let’s review - Rochester is represented by4 Representatives and 2 Senators. I understand that the Reps Massa, Maffei and Lee are freshman and Sen Gillibrand is slightly senior to Sen Franken but Rep Slaughter and Sen Shumer aren’t and should be considered power players. Schumer engineering the Dem Senate take over and Slaughter on the Rules committee. Frankly, this just seems odd.
So, a good start but I expected a bit more. Perhaps additional grants will come later it the year.
Related posts:
High Speed Rail plansRailroad company, CSX to help on high-speed railHigh Speed rail in High GearBusiness Journal Readers say “Yes” to High Speed RailAnother Voice For Upstate High-Speed Rail
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