Dexheimer1

BrynDexheimer
Mr.Rogers
Government4
October26,2016
MockCongressResearchPaper
U.S.TransportationSecretaryRayLaHooddescribedtheHighSpeedIntercityPassengerRail
programasanexcitingnewjourneytotransformAmericastransportationsystem.TheHSIPR
programcanbetracedbackto1965,whenthefederalgovernmentpassedtheHighSpeedGround
TransportationAct.FollowingthePassengerRailServiceActof1970,theNationalPassengerRail
Corporation,alsoknownasAmtrak,wascreatedin1971.Inthepast30years,11highspeedrail
corridorshavebeenauthorized,andmorethan10billiondollarshasbeenallocatedfortheproject.
However,littleprogresshasbeenmadeuncertaintiesregardingtherouteshavedelayedconstructionin
differentregions.Analysisofchangingrouteswouldonlyprolongthevariousprogramsinvolved,and
manyareconcernedwiththechangingbudgetanditseffectontheU.S.economy.Ifpassed,theRail
ExpeditionActof2017wouldbethemosteffectiveactrelatedtotheconstructionoftheHighSpeed
IntercityPassengerRailSystembecauseitpromotesgrowthofdomesticindustries,reduced
environmentalimpact,andsafetransportationalternatives.
Therailindustryhasgrownconstantlysinceithasbeenmadeavailabletothepublic.From1951
to1974,Usingconventionalmeasurementproceduresforcomparison,wefindproductivitygrowthof
3.6percentperyear.(Cavesetal)TheexpansionoftheHSIPRsystemsandAmtraksNortheast
Corridorwouldincreasethegrowthpercentage,andtheNationalPassengerRailroadCorporation
statesAlstom,aFrenchtrainmanufacturer,willsupplytrains:
AmtrakiscontractingwithAlstomtoproduce28nextgenerationhighspeedtrainsetsthatwill
replacetheequipmentusedtoprovideAmtrakspremiumA
celaExpressservice.Thecontract
ispartof$2.45billionthatwillbeinvestedontheheavilytraveledNortheastCorridor(NEC)as
partofamultifacetedmodernizationprogramtorenewandexpandtheAcelaExpressservice.

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MurakamiandCerveroclaimthatthenewHSRprojectislikelytoinducevariousknowledgeand
servicebasedbusinessbenefits,thoughthesearemostlylimitedtolarge,globallyconnectedcities
similartothosealongtheAcelaExpressroutes.Astheworldsleadingeconomy,American
transportationshouldmirrorthecountryseconomicrole.Expansionoftherailroadsisexpectedto
promotegrowthinneighboringcommunitieswithoutdrasticallyaffectingthenaturalsurroundings.
Severalstudiesofvariousmodesoftransportationhavebeenconducted,andrailhasbeen
showntobethemostenergyefficientandenvironmentallyfriendly.TheMetropolitanTransportation
Authority,basedinNewYork,states,Onaperpassengermilebasis,emissionsfromsingleoccupancy
vehiclesareuptofivetimeshigherthantheperpassengermileemissionsofmasstransit.(MTA
Headquarters)Additionally,federalresearchistobedoneinordertodevelopmoreaccuratemodels
forevaluatingtheimpactofrailpassengerandfreightservice,includingtheeffectsonenvironmental
quality,andenergyconsumption(U.S.Congress).ReducingtheUnitedStatesgreenhousegas
emissions,whichreached6,870millionmetrictonsofCO2in2014(U.S.E.P.A.),wouldresultina
lesserimpactontheozonelayerapartofearthsatmospherethatabsorbsmuchoftheultraviolet
radiationfromthesun.TheenvironmentaleffectsoftheHSIPRprogramareprospectiveforthosewho
wishtotravellongdistanceswithoutworryingabouttheircarbonfootprintorenvironmentaldangers.
AllactsregardingtheHSIPRprogramhavemadesafetythetoppriority.TheAmerican
InvestmentinSafe,ReliableHighSpeedRailActstatesthatgrantsmadebytheSecretaryof
Transportationrequirethateachproposedprojectmeetallsafetyandsecurityrequirementsthatare
applicabletotheprojectunderlaw(U.S.Congress).Federalfundingisalsorequiredtoprefersystems
thatwilllessengroundandairtransportationcongestion.Asaresult,[a]utodeathsandinjuryratestend
todeclineinacommunityaspublictransitridershipincreases.(Williams)ReferencestoJapans

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TkaidShinkansentrainshavebeenmade,whichhaveoperatedwithoutaderailmentorcollision
sincetheinceptionofoperationsin1964.(F.R.A.)TheTkaidShinkansentrainstransported155
millionpassengersin2014,justoverfivetimesthatofthe30.9millionAmtrakpassengers.Amtrak
wouldmakealmost11billiondollarsinticketrevenueifAmericanridershipweretomatchthatof
Japan.ThesafetyprecautionsthatJapanhasputinplaceallowforincreasedtrafficsimilarextensionsof
preexistingrailscanbringinmorerevenueacrossU.S.railroads.
ManyareconcernedwiththeHSIPRbudgetandfundingsimilarly,conflictsregardingthecost
ofmaintenancehavebeenexpressed.AssistantInspectorGeneralLanganFeirsonstated,Effective
monitoringandoversightofgranteesandtheircontractsisvitaltoensureFederalfundsarebeingspent
inaccordancewithregulationsandguidanceandtoprotectagainstfraud,waste,andabuse.Asof
April5,2016,anauditwasinitiatedbytheOfficeoftheInspectorGeneral:
Theauditobjectivesaretoassess(1)FRAsacquisitionofMTACs[monitoringandtechnical
assistancecontractors]throughtheVolpeNationalTransportationCenter,and(2)FRAs
managementanduseofoversightservicesprovidedbyMTACsforHSIPRprojects.
Today,theHSIPRprojectsarecloselymonitored,andtherequirementsforfederalgrantshavebeen
mademorespecific.Grantsmaybemadetoassistinhighspeedrightofwayacquisition,design,and
constructionofcapitalprojects,andthefinancingofthecapitalcostsoffacilitiesandequipment
necessary(U.S.Congress).SuchgrantsarealsoapplicabletoprojectsthataimtomaintainaStateof
GoodRepairinfrastructureassetsrequirethreehundredthirtymilliondollarsperyear(NatlRailroad
Corp.),whichcanbeobtainedthroughfederalgrants.FundsareavailabletosupporttheHSIPR
programandmaintainsafetyrequiredfortheAmericanpublictoridebothsafelyandregularly.
ThoughsomehaveexpressedtheirconcernsabouttheexpansionoftheHSIPRsystem,its
industrialgrowth,energyefficiency,andpromotionofsafetravelmakeitthemostaccessible

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transportationalternativetoday.ThebenefitsoftheHSIPRsystemareapplicabletoallastheproject
progresses,manyjobsaremadeavailable.Asunemploymentdecreases,HISPRoutputwillincrease
andproducestateandfederalrevenue.Nationalprosperityasaresultofexpandingtransportationwill
aidinmaintainingtheUnitedStatespositionastheworldsleadingeconomy.VotefortheRail
ExpeditionActof2016tomakesafertransportationavailablefaster.

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