Wisconsin and Ohio Scrapped HSR - So What Are They Doing Instead?

[marmar]

from the Infrastructurist:



When we last heard from the governors of Wisconsin and Ohio, they were passing up $810 million and $385 million in federal money, respectively, by refusing to pursue passenger rail corridors. With one campaign promise already fulfilled — to stop the trains they considered wasteful — how are they building on their early success?

In the case of Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, who rode the no-train to victory, it appears he’s taking office with a plate full of what Streetsblog calls “dubious and expensive highway projects.” Among these are $100 million for an 11-mile highway servicing a city of 10,000 and, according to a Wisconsin political blogger, $3.8 billion on various parts of Southeastern Wisconsin Freeway Reconstruction and Expansion.

Walker’s new “waste commission,” designed to root out unnecessary or irresponsible state projects, just got up and running this week. Whether it will take a serious look at road spending, or continue in Walker’s anti-rail spirit of holding highways to a different standard, only time will tell.

As for Ohio, time has already spoken to new governor John Kasich — and it said that people don’t like him as much as they once did. Kasich’s approval rating plunged 7 points before he even took office, and part of the dissatisfaction seems to be all the jobs he cost the state by killing the bullet train. A $15 million US Railcar Co. facility that would have employed up to 200 Ohioans is kaput, and massive development plans around proposed rail stations in Cleveland, Dayton, and Columbus — as well as the jobs that would have come with them — are also no more. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/01/13/checking-on-wisconsin-and-ohio/

[bulloney]

1. And this is only the beginning. The stupidity started even before they officially took office.

What's it going to be like in four years?

[glinda]

2. All for oil and gas.