On Thursday, President Obama announced his vision to transform America’s transportation system by developing high-speed rail. His announcement made it clear that this Administration is committed to fully developing America’s high-speed rail networks. In addition to the $8 billion in economic stimulus funds that will jump start high-speed rail development, the president pledged an additional $1 billion in federal funds for each of the next 5 years.

The national media noted that the Midwest high-speed rail network is a top contender for federal funding. ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner was quoted in stories across the nation, from the Chicago Tribune, to the Washington Post, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Kansas City Star and many others.

As Howard put it simply, high-speed rail is “a way of solving our global warming problems that also creates jobs and provides a boost to the economy.”