High-Speed Rail
Investing in a New National Transportation Infrastructure
In his 1955 State of the Union address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for “a modern highway system,” saying that it was “essential to meet the needs of our growing population, our expanding economy, and our national security.” Soon after, construction began on the largest infrastructure project the Nation had ever attempted, now comprising approximately 160,000 miles of roadways. More than half a century later, in his January 2011 address to the Nation, President Barack Obama stated: “Our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail” as part of a plan for “rebuilding America.” High-speed rail…
