Wisconsin officially lost its high-speed rail money following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday.
Both Wisconsin’s and Ohio’s high-speed rail funds, collectively $1.195 billion, will now be re-allocated to existing rail projects in 13 other states, according to the DOT.
Wisconsin will keep up to $2 million for use on the existing Hiawatha line.
Gov.-elect Scott Walker, who has been vocal in his opposition to Wisconsin’s $810 million earmarked rail funds throughout his campaign, is apparently sticking to his guns despite the funding loss.
“While I would have preferred to have the $810 million re-allocated to repair our crumbling roads and bridges, I am glad that the transportation fund will not be on the hook for a minimum of $7.5 million of operating subsidies every year,” Walker said in a statement.
Walker has previously said he would attempt to use the funds for other infrastructure projects within the state.
The loss of the money could be a blow to the incoming Walker administration, Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, said.
“To begin your administration having basically given away $810 million and getting nothing in return just can’t be helpful,” Heck said.
Heck added the loss of the high-speed rail money will raise questions over the lack of clarity surrounding Walker’s claims the money could be redirected toward other Wisconsin infrastructure projects.
“(Walker) had me thinking, maybe they are going to be able to convert it for some other purpose, but it’s going to stay in Wisconsin,” Heck said. “But with that announcement today that’s no longer possible.”
Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said the DOT’s decision was not a surprise.
The Obama administration gave Wisconsin time to reconsider, but ultimately there was a long line of states waiting for the money, McCabe said.
“I have to assume that the Walker camp did some very careful political calculus in deciding to take this position,” McCabe said.
He added that while it was unfortunate the decision was made by politics instead of transportation policy, it could also have been driven by campaign money Walker received from road builders.
Current Gov. Jim Doyle called the DOT’s decision “a tragic moment for Wisconsin” in a statement.
Doyle’s administration had secured one of the highest amounts of all the states who requested stimulus funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
As soon as it became clear Walker was going to maintain his anti-high-speed rail stance, other states immediately jumped at the chance to ask the DOT to redistribute the money away from Wisconsin and Ohio–another state where the incoming governor campaigned against high-speed rail.
Among them was New York Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo, who wrote to DOT Secretary Ray LaHood requesting Wisconsin and Ohio’s money go to New York. New York is now receiving up to $7.3 million, according to the DOT.
Illinois will also receive a sizeable chunk, up to $42.3 million. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn asked LaHood for Wisconsin’s money and has worked to entice Milwaukee train company Talgo to move its operations to Illinois.
