Oregon lacks rail funding


Oregon is falling behind Washington in the push to build high-speed passenger railroads.

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State officials say Oregon will fall behind Washington in the push to build high-speed passenger railroads unless Oregon finds more stable funding.

Washington received $590 million in federal stimulus funds for its high-speed rail projects in January; Oregon only received $8 million.

The reason is clear…Having spent more of its own money than Oregon to prepare for high-speed rail, Washington had several shovel-ready projects that attracted the federal stimulus funds, said Kelly Taylor, the railroad administrator in the Oregon Department of Transportation.

This year, the federal government will require states to contribute 20 cents of every dollar for high-speed rail projects, she said.

Read the full story at The Register-Guard.

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