(a)
(2) No less than 20 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities shall come from State and local sources, which State and local sources may not include funds from any Federal program.
(b)
(A) environmental assessments;
(B) feasibility studies emphasizing commercial technology improvements or applications;
(C) economic analyses, including ridership, revenue, and operating expense forecasting;
(D) assessing the impact on rail employment of developing high-speed rail corridors;
(E) assessing community economic impacts;
(F) coordination with State and metropolitan area transportation planning and corridor planning with other States;
(G) operational planning;
(H) route selection analyses and purchase of rights-of-way for proposed high-speed rail service;
(I) preliminary engineering and design;
(J) identification of specific improvements to a corridor, including electrification, line straightening and other right-of-way improvements, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, use of advanced locomotives and rolling stock, ticketing, coordination with other modes of transportation, parking and other means of passenger access, track, signal, station, and other capital work, and use of intermodal terminals;
(K) preparation of financing plans and prospectuses;
(L) creation of public/private partnerships; and
(M) the acquisition of locomotives, rolling stock, track, and signal equipment.
(2) No financial assistance shall be provided under this section for corridor planning with respect to the main line of the Northeast Corridor, between Washington, District of Columbia, and Boston, Massachusetts.
(c)
(1) the relationship of the corridor to the Secretary's national high-speed ground transportation policy;
(2) the extent to which the proposed planning focuses on systems which will achieve sustained speeds of 125 mph or greater;
(3) the integration of the corridor into metropolitan area and statewide transportation planning;
(4) the potential interconnection of the corridor with other parts of the Nation's transportation system, including the interconnection with other countries;
(5) the anticipated effect of the corridor on the congestion of other modes of transportation;
(6) whether the work to be funded will aid the efforts of State and local governments to comply with the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.);
(7) the past and proposed financial commitments and other support of State and local governments and the private sector to the proposed high-speed rail program, including the acquisition of rolling stock;
(8) the estimated level of ridership;
(9) the estimated capital cost of corridor improvements, including the cost of closing, improving, or separating highway-rail grade crossings;
(10) rail transportation employment impacts;
(11) community economic impacts;
(12) the extent to which the projected revenues of the proposed high-speed rail service, along with any financial commitments of State or local governments and the private sector, are expected to cover capital costs and operating and maintenance expenses;
(13) whether a specific route has been selected, specific improvements identified, and capacity studies completed; and
(14) whether the corridor has been designated as a high-speed rail corridor by the Secretary.
(Added
The Clean Air Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(6), is act July 14, 1955, ch. 360,
A prior section 26101 was renumbered section 28101 of this title.
2008-
Subsec. (a).
Subsecs. (a)(1), (b).
Subsec. (c)(2).
2005-
Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (a)(1).
Subsec. (b)(1).
Subsec. (b)(1)(F).
Subsec. (b)(1)(M).
Subsec. (b)(2).
Subsec. (c)(2).
"(a)
"(1) high-speed rail offers safe and efficient transportation in certain densely traveled corridors linking major metropolitan areas in the United States;
"(2) high-speed rail may have environmental advantages over certain other forms of intercity transportation;
"(3) Amtrak's Metroliner service between Washington, District of Columbia, and New York, New York, the United States premier high-speed rail service, has shown that Americans will use high-speed rail when that transportation option is available;
"(4) new high-speed rail service should not receive Federal subsidies for operating and maintenance expenses;
"(5) State and local governments should take the prime responsibility for the development and implementation of high-speed rail service;
"(6) the private sector should participate in funding the development of high-speed rail systems;
"(7) in some intercity corridors, Federal planning assistance may be required to supplement the funding commitments of State and local governments and the private sector to ensure the adequate planning, including reasonable estimates of the costs and benefits, of high-speed rail systems;
"(8) improvement of existing technologies can facilitate the development of high-speed rail systems in the United States; and
"(9) Federal assistance is required for the improvement, adaptation, and integration of proven technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail service in the United States.
"(b)