Prince William County supervisors on Tuesday formally backed a proposed $1.5 billion high-speed rail project that would rush trains from Richmond to Washington at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour.
Virginia has until Oct. 2 to apply for a piece of the $8 billion in stimulus funding available for high-speed rail projects around the country. The state also submitted an application for about $72 million in stimulus funds last month for an 11.4-mile, “ready-to-go” track project in Stafford and Prince William counties.
“Virginia is geographically unique because we serve as the link” between high-speed rail in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., said Barbara Reese, deputy director of policy for Gov. Tim Kaine.
Supervisors unanimously supported the project, which advocates say would reduce congestion along the Interstate 95 corridor and improve air quality.
There has been talk of extending Metro into the county, but supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large, pointed out that those plans would be 20 to 30 years in the making. “We don’t have that time to wait,” he said. “This is a realistic step forward.”
State leaders are enthusiastic about the prospect of high-speed rail.
Advocates, such as Daniel Plaugher, executive director of Virginians for High Speed Rail, said the project would achieve the “three 90s” — “a 90 mph top speed, a 90-minute commute, and most importantly a 90-percent on-time performance with increased service between Washington and Richmond.”
The state is completing the application and is lobbying local governments and business leaders for support, Reese said.
