Students to rally for high speed rail

Friday, May 22, 2009

From a news release issued by WISPIRG:

While many students head home, start their summer jobs, or begin long vacations, some students in the WISPIRG Student Chapters are hitting the road in support of high speed rail. Forty students will travel next week from Green Bay to Milwaukee to Madison to La Crosse over four days to show support for Wisconsin’s proposed high speed rail route.

President Obama seeks to connect our cities in “priority corridors” (including the Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison-Twin Cities route) with high speed rail. Congress this year passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will spend $8 billion for high speed rail on projects that have not yet been determined. Governor Doyle and WISDOT Secretary Busalacchi are advocating to bring high speed rail to Wisconsin; they are seeking Recovery funds to connect Madison and Milwaukee with intercity rail as part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, a nine-state project that would connect over 100 Midwestern cities and link the region’s major economic centers. Doing so will give us more transportation choices, alternatives to lengthy airport delays, and reduced dependence on oil, while helping to rebuild our economy. Wisconsin would especially benefit because it is perfectly situated in the corridor connecting Chicago to the Twin Cities.

Enthusiasm for the project among students and other young people is infectious. At most stops students are planning a short bike route through each town to the location of the media event. WISPIRG students will wear matching t-shirts and carry a giant map of the proposed train route. Events will also include a human-powered train with many people, much like a Chinese dragon costume.

Come join us to show support for bringing high speed rail to Wisconsin!

Monday, May 25
10am Green Bay - National Railroad Museum
1pm Appleton - Houdini Plaza, downtown Appleton
3pm Oshkosh - Opera House Square

Tuesday, May 26
10am Milwaukee - Downtown Transit Center
1pm Brookfield - Town Hall
3pm Oconomowoc - Maxims, 115 E. Collins St.

Wednesday, May 27
10am Madison - State Capitol
3pm Portage - TBD

Thursday, May 28
10am Wisconsin Dells - TBD
3pm La Crosse - The Train Station, 601 St. Andrews