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Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Says Georgia Lags on High-Speed Rail

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation says high-speed rail projects in Georgia have suffered due to lack of leadership at the top.

Ray LaHood told a statewide transportation summit in Macon today that "Georgia needs to get its act together."

He says if Georgia expects the federal government to give them money for a high-speed rail, the state needs to show that the project is a priority.

"If it's Georgia's priority then it will become our priority," he said.

Macon Sen. Robert Brown, a Democrat, and Chickamauga state Sen. Jeff Mullis, a Republican, are co-hosting the summit, titled, "Building Partnerships for Georgia's Transportation Future" in Macon.

They describe it as a "bi-partisan summit (to) bring federal, state, local and business partners together to discuss innovative solutions to move Georgia's transportation forward."

LaHood, who spoke to the group at lunch today, says the federal government is getting ready to hand out another $2.5 billion dollars for high-speed rail projects.

"I hope as talks become on track, the Macon to Atlanta corridor will be part of the action."

But to get in on it, he says Georgia needs to get legislation passed to provide the grant match funding.

"You all can make this happen. You need to have leadership from all of you, but you gotta have it from the governor's office also."

He says lack of leadership in the governor's office has kept Georgia from getting a slice of the pie before.

"The train has left the station, the US is going to be connected by high speed rail."

The office of Gov. Sonny Perdue emailed us this response: "It is clear the Obama administration has its operatives traveling the country in a last-ditch effort to try and find someone to blame for their failed policies. While the blame game may be alive and well inside the Washington DC beltway, Georgia voters are smart enough to recognize a con job when they see it."

LaHood says he believes in 25 years, 80 percent of the U.S. will be connected by high-speed rail. He says Georgia can still get back on track.

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert says Macon is close to being ready. The city purchased Terminal Station eight years ago to be Macon's hub for the high-speed rail to Atlanta, but he says until the state decides to commit to the project, it won't move forward.

"Until Georgia embraces that and decides to participate in it, "Reichert said, "we're falling further and further behind the curve."

Competition may derail high-speed rail hopes
By:Adam Crisp
MACON, Ga. -- Georgia could be one of the next states in line for billion-dollar federal funding for high-speed commuter rail service, according to the U.S. secretary of transportation.

But questions emerged Friday about what region should get the coveted rail line first.

A crowd of legislators and key players in statewide transportation meeting Friday appeared to agree that an Atlanta-to-Macon connection made the most sense.

But in Chattanooga, there's been scant mention of such a line. Instead, most talk has focused on a Chattanooga-to-Atlanta leg. And folks in Savannah think a connection from the coast to Middle Georgia makes a lot of sense.

It's that sort of bickering that could cost its shot a high-speed rail altogether, said U.S. Secretary Ray LaHood.

"They need to be together. If they are together, their priorities will be funded," LaHood said.

He said Georgia has missed out on nearly $10 billion in previous high-speed rail funding because it lacked leadership in its high-speed rail efforts.

But as far as U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Macon, is concerned, Macon's leg of the rail line is first in line for that money when it becomes available.

"It's much farther along as far as planning and feasibility is concerned," Marshall said. "It's way ahead of the other projects and, if it works, then the other projects can follow."

LaHood was in the Middle Georgia city Friday, speaking on the future of transportation at the Georgia Intermodal Leadership Summit. The event was put on by state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Mullis doesn't share Marshall's view on where the first rail line should be laid.

"The Chattanooga-Atlanta line is very important in a bi-state cooperative manner," Mullis said.

Having the political will of both Georgia and Tennessee behind the project strengthens its chances, he added.

But building the Macon leg first seems "logical" to Georgia Transportation Commissioner Vance Smith.

"Everybody wants a line," Smith said. "This is the first inning of the ballgame. Everyone has to start here, and the leg has to go somewhere. If there is already money earmarked -- and there is money earmarked -- that kind of makes logical sense."

LaHood said a $50 billion stimulus expenditure on infrastructure recently pitched by President Barack Obama is just a "down payment" on a $500 billion spending package planned over six years. The half-billion expenditure won't add to the federal deficit, he said.

But if Georgia wants in on the action, LaHood said, the state needs to "get its act together." He noted that the federal government this week gave $50 million to Atlanta for street cars.

"Atlanta had its act together," LaHood said. "If Georgia wants high-speed rail ... you can make it happen."

He said a proposed 1 cent statewide sales tax was a step in the right direction. Georgia voters must decide in August 2012 if the tax is necessary, but LaHood said that model made sense in light of the steady decline in gas-tax revenue over the past few years.

"The people want high-speed rail in America," LaHood said. "It's got to be a common agenda. That's how I define 'getting your act together.'"