Reply #73: Biz Beat: State had sought $225 million for Hiawatha upgrades (more $ than reported)

[iwishiwas]

I imagine Walker and his Repug poodles will just take this out of education or health funding.



http://host.madison.com/ct/business/biz_beat/article_8c05e01a-7b3e-11e0-a1c9-001cc4c03286.html
Biz Beat: State had sought $225 million for Hiawatha upgrades



MIKE IVEY | The Capital Times | [email protected] | (19) Comments | Posted: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 2:45 pm


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Wisconsin had actually applied for $225.3 million in federal money to upgrade the Amtrak Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago -- not $150 million as has been widely reported.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $2.02 billion in rail grant awards to 22 high-speed rail projects on Monday, including $186.3 million for upgrades on the Chicago to St. Louis line.

Wisconsin had sought $218.7 million to buy two new trains and build a 106,000-square-foot train maintenance facility in Milwaukee, according to this report in the Business Journal.

The state had also submitted a second $6.6 million application for track improvements around the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. Those improvements would have shortened trip times on Amtrak's Hiawatha serivice while adding new round trips.

Also on Monday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the U.S. DOT's rejection of the Wisconsin application was a result of Gov. Scott Walker canceling the planned $810 million project to establish high-speed service between Milwaukee and Madison shortly after the November election.

"The federal government obviously is interested in putting these resources, these dollars, into communities that show support for multiple connections," Barrett told the Business Journal.