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THEODORER. KULONGOSKI

Governor

December 1, 2010

The Honorable Ray LaHood

Secretary

US Department of Transportation

1200New Jersey Ave., SEWashington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood:

I write on behalf of the State of Oregon to thank you for your leadership advancing high-

speed and intercity passenger rail projects across the country and particularly your support of the

Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor. The funding provided to the corridor from the American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Fiscal Year 2010 High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail

Program will help transform our passenger rail into a truly viable transportation option for theregion. As important, we know that high-speed rail represents a unique opportunity to create

jobs, revitalize our manufacturing base, and accelerate economic development.

I note that some states that receivedARRA high speed rail awardsmay reconsider their

support for such projects and return the money to the Department. Oregon's commitment to

improving the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor remains steadfast and I urge you to redeploy

those funds to states such as ours that are committed to your vision for high speed rail.

The Oregon Department of Transportation received Recovery Act funding to complete

preliminary engineering and NEPA on two projects in North Portland-Willbridge and NorthPortland Junction-and these projects will be ready to go to construction in the near future if

funding becomes available. In addition, there were a number of other projects submitted byODOTunder the Recovery Act that were deemed by FRA to be eligible but were not selecteddue to funding limitations.

Additional funding could also be used tomake improvements to the North Portland

section of the Seattle to Portland corridor. The Seattle to Portland route, which is currently

served by four daily regional trains, has the seventh highest ridership of any passenger railcorridor in the nation. Additional investments in the Portland portion of the route would

complement US DOT's investments inWashington and help improve travel time and reliability.

STATE CAPITOL, 900 COURT STREET NE, SALEM OR 97301-4047 (503) 378-3111 FAX (503) 378-6827

WWW.GOVERNOR.OREGON.GOV

8/8/2019 OR Gov to LaHood Re HSR Funds

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Honorable Ray LaHood SecretaryDecember 1,2010PAGE TWO

As you evaluate where to reallocate ARRA high speed rail funds among corridors, I wantto assure you that I remain committed to improving passenger rail in the Northwest, and I ~sk

that US DOT continue its support for the corridor.

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