WASHINGTON — Federal transportation officials Thursday reclaimed $1.195 billion of high-speed and intercity passenger rail grants from Ohio and Wisconsin. The funds will be parceled out to several states, the U.S. Department of Transportation said after warning last month that incoming Republican governors in the two states must use the funds for rail or lose them entirely.
“I am pleased that so many other states are enthusiastic about the additional support they are receiving to help bring America’s high-speed rail network to life,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in the DOT’s announcement.
The incoming governors of both Midwestern states have moved to block fast-rail projects in their states, and Wisconsin has suspended work on its project.
The governors-elect have said they do not want to use their portions of the $8 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for high-speed rail, partly because of concerns over whether their states can afford to pay their share of the project costs.
But LaHood sent letters warning the incoming governors that they must use the rail funds — and cannot use them for anything else, such as highways — or else the federal government would redistribute them.
The DOT announced Thursday that Ohio’s and Wisconsin’s nearly $1.2 billion would instead be given to 14 states. California will receive up to $624 million, Florida will receive up to $342.3 million, Washington will receive up to $161.5 million, and Illinois will receive up to $42.3 million. Amounts ranging from about $365,000 to $7.3 million will be given to the remaining states, which are spread throughout the country.
The Federal Railroad Administration has received requests totaling nearly $64 billion in two rounds of competition for the $10.4 billion that Congress has authorized for high-speed and intercity passenger rail grants.
