Today, Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Alan Biehler plans to submit an application for Track 2 High Speed Rail (HSR) funding to the U.S. Department of Transportation. This funding has been made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Together with the applications submitted in August, this shows unprecedented recognition by Pennsylvania and the Obama Administration that we need to link our metropolitan areas, lay the groundwork for a world-class rail network, and provide Pennsylvanians with travel choices that also spur innovative economic development in city centers.

PennDOT had previously announced that its Track 2 application would include the following projects: construction of improvements on the Keystone Corridor between Harrisburg and Philadelphia; train service between Scranton and Hoboken, N.J.; and a mag-lev train running from Pittsburgh International Airport to downtown Pittsburgh.

We applaud Secretary Biehler for taking steps necessary to capitalize on the unique opportunity offered by the ARRA to jump-start development of fast, convenient, and affordable travel within our state.

World-class transportation is about more than just high-speed trains and tracks. This is about people getting around quickly and easily. That means creating prosperous cities around stations that connect with other downtowns and where citizens can use good metro public transportation when they get off the train. The payoff is not just faster, more-convenient intercity travel, but also healthier, more vibrant cities for everyone.

The Obama Administration expects to announce awards of HSR grants later this fall. Win or lose, this application is just the beginning of a long-term process of state-federal cooperation to reshape the transportation landscape in Pennsylvania. ARRA funding is an important down payment on an HSR system. But much more work remains to be done in the coming years.

Completing a state-of-the-art system will require state officials to continue to promote HSR in our state, provide HSR funding in the state’s transportation budget, push for HSR funding in the federal surface transportation act, and work closely with stakeholders outside of government.  We urge state officials to continue to provide such leadership.

This application is the next step in what must become a lasting partnership between the federal government, state officials, and the citizens they represent. We applaud the work put in by both US DOT and PennDOT, and we look forward to working with Governor Rendell and Secretary Biehler to ensure that Pennsylvania is a leader in the development of a state-of-the-art, 21st century transportation system.