WASHINGTON - At least 11 states have submitted requests for the first portion of $8 billion of federal high-speed rail stimulus funds. California, Florida, Michigan, New York, and Texas alone requested more than $4.5 billion for planning, engineering, and early construction of high-speed rail projects.
The Federal Railroad Administration expects to announce the winners in late September or early October. The agency received applications for the first batch of funds on Aug. 24. The second batch of applications, for larger corridor projects, is due Oct. 2.
That deadline will be for "big, flashy corridor programs," said Mark Paustenbach, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Even if states don't either apply or receive funding this time around, the goal is there will be future rounds and this first $8 billion is a down payment."
Applicants for the first round of funding included states that have formed regional coalitions to secure funds for high-speed rail corridors.
California submitted 42 applications for a total of $1.16 billion. Its requests include funding to construct a "trainbox" at the San Francisco Transbay Terminal, upgrade tracks at various locations in Orange County, and construct a second main track between Stockton and Escalon.
Florida requested $300 million for preliminary studies for building a central Florida rail corridor. The state expects to apply in the fall for funding to start construction on the Tampa-to-Orlando segment of the corridor.
Maryland is asking for a total of $359 million, including $200 million to replace the Bush, Susquehanna, and Gunpowder bridges, which would improve their ability to handle high-speed trains, and more than $70 million for projects in the Baltimore area.
Massachusetts applied for $65 million for a project along the Connecticut River, which would support additional rail service with stations at Northampton and Greenfield, as well as engineering and environmental studies to develop an inland route from Boston to Springfield, among other projects.
Michigan, which signed an agreement last month with seven other Midwestern states to fund high-speed rail in that region's corridor, requested $800 million for various track and trail control projects to help it develop rail between Pontiac, Detroit, and Chicago.
New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced the state requested funding to replace and expand the Portal Bridge that carries trains over the Hackensack River west of Secaucus.
In New York, Gov. David A. Paterson said the state's DOT requested $568 million of stimulus funds for 38 passenger rail projects. The state requested $91.2 million to build a second main track between the Albany-Rensselaer rail station and Schenectady station, along the Empire Corridor in the Rochester area. It requested $58.1 million to complete designs and start building the first part of a third passenger track along that corridor, and another $48.6 million for modifications to the Rochester station so that it could accommodate high-speed rail.
Pennsylvania requested $28.2 million to pay for Keystone Corridor projects. The money would pay for preliminary engineering of the Harrisburg-to-Philadelphia stretch of the rail project and a feasibility study of enhanced intercity passenger rail service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Gov. Edward G. Rendell said the state's own transit investment of almost $1.2 billion "serves as a solid foundation to further modernize our passenger rail systems."
Texas applied for $1.8 billion to conduct various planning and small improvement projects along Texas portions of the federally designated South Central high-speed rail corridor.
Virginia requested funding for 11.4 miles of third track along a portion of the Interstate 95 high-speed rail corridor in Stafford and Prince William counties.
