We need your voice to make that happen!

Can you send a letter in support of high speed rail?

As you may know, in December 2020, a report was published by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on building a high speed rail system to connect Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver BC. This project is championed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who stated,"We are living in unprecedented times that call on us to envision our future in new ways. Transformative infrastructure projects like this one could help us rebuild our economy in the short term and provide us with a strong competitive advantage in the future. Imagine fast, frequent and reliable travel with the potential for zero emissions and the opportunity to better compete in a global economy. It could transform the Pacific Northwest."

Governor Inslee was joined in support by Oregon Governor Kate Brown, British Columbia Premier John Horgan, and Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. The initial feasibility study and business case analysis demonstrated that the project is economically viable with robust ridership of up to 32,000 passengers per hour and revenue projection of $355 billion in economic growth.This positions us as one of strongest candidates in the country to receive Federal support for new high speed rail projects.

In addition to interest in high speed rail from the Biden administration and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives titled, The American High Speed Rail Act, has recommended prioritizing projects with up to 20% of non-federal funds to compete for the following Federal appropriations:

• $3 billion per year over five fiscal years for High Speed Rail Corridor Planning

• $35 billion per year over five fiscal years for High Speed Rail Corridor Development

Representative DelBene (WA-01) co-sponsored the American High Speed Rail Act, which would invest $205 billion in 30+ high speed rail projects across the country in the next five years, including the Cascadia project.

We know every transportation dollar matters, especially as we look to recover from the COVID recession. By approving the $3.25 million for high speed rail today, we can position Washington State favorably to receive billions of dollars in Federal investments in the near future. This is a small, but critical next step to realize the vision of high speed rail connecting our region and creating more equitable and affordable communities.