LaHood to Kasich: high-speed train funds only for Ohio's slow-speed 3C train

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CGE) - In a letter Tuesday addressed to Republican Governor-elect John Kasich,  President Obama's director of transportation, Ray LaHood, told Ohio's new governor that none of the $400 million awarded to Ohio out of the $8 billion dedicated to high-speed rail (HSR) projects across the nation could be spent for anything other than high-speed rail.

Kasich, who a week ago won 62 of Ohio's 88 counties to limit incumbent Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to one-term, sent a letter Monday to President Obama requesting Ohio's funds be re-directed to more pressing state infrastructure needs like upgrades to freight rail, roads and bridges, or to reducing the federal deficit if the funds could not be redicted to any infrastructure project other than the 260-mile 3C rail route that would connect Ohio's three largest cities.

In his rebuttal letter that was also sent to the Ohio congressional delegation, LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois, reminded Kasich that Ohio has already been awarded $1.1 billion that has or will flow to 492 road, bridge, transit, and airport projects.

Gov. Strickland, who has championed the the 3C linking Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati since the early months of his term, told Kasich that spending $25 million in HSR rail funds for engineering and design work state rail officials say is critical to implementing the passenger rail plan would continue until he no longer is governor. Unlike out-going Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who said he could have committed his state's $810 million but chose not to in deference to Scott Walker, the new governo who campaigned against pursuing a line connecting Madison with Milwaukee, Gov. Strickland has said it will be Kasich decision to stop the spending and return the funds when he takes over in early January.

John Procare, a former Maryland transportation director who is now number two to LaHood in Washington, has been in Ohio numerous times to promote high-speed rail in general and the 3C specifically. in his letter, LaHood echoed to Kasich the traditional talking points Strickland and 3C backers make, that the project it will "create thousands of jobs and spur economic development."

Did LaHood inadvertently slap at Strickland?

Advocating for the project, LaHood, who described the 3C as "a shot in the arm that Ohio could use," inadvertently intoned Kasich's campaign claims that Ohio's historically high unemployment rate of 10 percent rests on the shoulders of Strickland, on whose watch over 400,000 jobs were lost. Speaking broadly in his letter, LaHood said Ohio would benefit from commitments he has received from more than 30 foreign rail manufacturers who are clamoring to build bases of operation in the U.S. LaHood implied such commitments would "put our skilled workers back on the job."

LaHood told Kasich that Ohio manufacturers could "benefit greatly as we build train sets and tracks, which will require wheel bearings, glass, steel, and other key components, as well as final assembly." But the fact remains that there are no American manufactures of high-speed rail systems. Curiously, LaHood actually turned down a request by Ohio earlier this year for about $8 million to fund the construction of a railcar manufacturing facility near Columbus. That company, U.S.Railcar, was subsequently purchased by American Railcar Industries, owned by tycoon Karl Icahn, and is not expected to manufacture its railcar products in Ohio. All manufacturers of high-speed rail systems are located elsewhere: China, Japan, Germany, France, Spain or Canada. While its clear these companies will locate some of their assembly operations here, they will not forfeit key manufacturing jobs in their home nations for a few billion dollars worth of work at best here.

To show the paucity of high-speed expertise in the U.S., even California, which won the largest share of LaHood's rail funds, $2.5 billion for a bullet train reaching sustained speeds of 220-plus mph, had to look to France's Alstrom SA for its new director, Roelof van Ark. But even California's rail plan is encountering hurdles, as some communities - Menlo Park and Atherton, located south of San Francisco - have told the state's high-speed rail authority to not run the expensive, dedicated train tracks through their communities. 

LaHood asked to speak with Kasich on the 3C's options and benefits, but stressed that if Kasich continues to choose to not participate in the program, "we would like to engage in an orderly transition to wind down Ohio's involvement in the project so that we do not waste taxpayers' money."

Meanwhile, Governors in other states, notably New York, are asking LaHood to re-route the money to their state's rail projects.

Who's wasting taxpayers' money?

Ironically, not wasting taxpayer's money was the reason behind Kasich's call to Strickland to stop a project he will stop "dead" after his swearing in ceremony January 10.

The additional irony of dedicating federal high-speed rail funds to the 3C project is that the 3C is a very slow speed train that must share low-safety rating tracks with freight rail cars. It's average speed - the most critical component of the system even though its backers downplay its slowness - will not exceed 50 mph, according to state rail officials who have put forward a new estimate to blunt criticism that the trains slow speed won't attract the ridership its backers say is ready to ride it. During nearly 50 years of no passenger rail service along the 3C route in Ohio, the pent-up demand of ridership supporters claim is there, has not made itself known.

Maybe some of the $1.1 billion LaHood told Kasich is being spent in Ohio will spur other support transit projects, like buses or commuter rail, so that a future rider on a future passenger train in Ohio can have options other than taxis or beleaguered public buses to go from a train station to their final destination. It should be noted that Lahood turned down Ohio's request for funds to build a train station in Columbus, which only has a platform. Complications for the 3C include train stations that are compliant with the American Disability Act. Amtrak, the proposed operator for the 3C, will not stop at non-ADA compliant train stations.

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