Contact: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Rail Project to Create 5,500 Jobs over Next 2.5 Years
WATERTOWN – Governor Jim Doyle and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $46.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for work to continue on the state’s high-speed rail program. Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi, Watertown Mayor Ron Krueger and Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz also joined the Governor for the announcement.
“Because of the vision and investment of President Obama and Secretary LaHood, Watertown, Madison, Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin will see the tremendous economic benefits of high speed passenger rail,” Governor Doyle said. “In the next two and a half years, over 5,500 construction workers, engineers, machine operators and others will be working hard to make track improvements, build train stations, and improve the roads around these tracks. You are going to start seeing a lot of hard hats and neon vests around here and that is good news for everyone in this state.”
“President Obama’s bold vision for high-speed rail is a game-changer for transportation in Wisconsin and the United States,” said Secretary LaHood. “This undertaking is not only creating good jobs and reinvigorating our manufacturing base, it’s also going to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Under the grant agreement, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will complete preliminary engineering and final design work, conduct program management activities and complete environmental management plans for the Milwaukee to Madison high-speed rail corridor, including work for the Watertown and Madison stations.
Construction of the rail segment between Madison and Milwaukee will begin this year. Over the next 2.5 years, engineering and construction of the rail infrastructure improvements for passenger rail service between Milwaukee and Madison will be done by about 5,500 Wisconsin workers. By 2013, people will be able to ride in modern, Wisconsin made train cars from Madison to Chicago and beyond.
In January, Governor Doyle announced Wisconsin will receive $823 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to build high-speed rail service to connect its centers of commerce and create thousands of jobs. Wisconsin is receiving $810 million to build high-speed passenger rail service between Milwaukee and Madison, $12 million to improve service between Chicago and Milwaukee, and $1 million to make final determinations on a route between Wisconsin and the Twin Cities – the next step toward connecting Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison with the Twin Cities.
Wisconsin has already received a $5.7 million Recovery Act grant which was the first installment of the $823 million. Those funds were for environmental assessments of planned new stations between Milwaukee and Madison.
