News

Capitol Grocery, originally uploaded by de*.

Doug Simpson provides us the following update from the 2010 Louisiana Smart Growth Summit, underway now in Baton Rouge:

AUGUST 19, 2010 – The federal government is expected to continue providing funding for cities to expand passenger rail service because public transport can drive down travel costs for residents, trigger economic growth and reduce pollution, Beth Osborne, deputy assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation, said today.

She also said high-speed rail linking cities such as Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Houston would spur economic growth for the entire region.

“We know that high-speed rail is the new frontier,” Osborne said.

The federal government has thus far offered state and local governments over $10 billion in grants for high-speed rail, with more grants expected next year, she said, add that, thus far, most grant winners have been regions where all levels of government work together on rail projects.

Osborne spoke via teleconference at the Smart Growth Summit in Baton Rouge. The annual summit is organized by the Center for Planning Excellence, a nonprofit organization that facilitates planning processes at multiple community scales throughout Louisiana.

For more information and eventual video of the summit’s speakers, go to http://summit.cpex.org.