A shift to Illinois and the environment
Given recent events, the state of Illinois is poised to become a focal point for environmental and energy policies. Most importantly, the election of Barack Obama, an Illinois Senator, will naturally increase the influence and attention placed on this state’s policies. That influence is hinted at by the fact that Obama announced only one day after the election that he would be appointing Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff. READ MORE
Chicago and rest of Midwest watching California high speed rail proposal closely
California is not the only region pushing for a new high speed rail system. In Chicago, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association is proposing to build an extensive high speed rail network linking nearby cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Minneapolis, with Chicago acting as the hub. However, unlike in California, where Proposition 1A is on the ballot in two weeks, any high speed rail network in the Midwest is not yet slated for a vote. Clearly the proponents of a Midwest high speed rail system are going to be watching the California vote closely. If California succeeds in passing Prop. 1A, the ripple effects should extend across the country.
And an interesting side note from the article: Apparently, “Congress just released $9 billion to Amtrak to help make the way for trains traveling 110 miles per hour in the Midwest. With European trains capable of 220 miles per hour, there’s still a long way to go, but 110 would be better than Amtrak’s current 79 miles per hour.”
