Transportation funding guide for Northeast beginning to take shape

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently published an outline for a guide to investing transportation funds throughout the Northeast Corridor, which reaches from Boston to Washington, D.C.

The outline is a Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for NEC FUTURE, the long-term investment framework from the FRA for the Northeast Corridor.

The draft also has alternative visions for the corridor’s investments, giving people options.

“Over the next 30 years, an additional 6 million people will live along this corridor,” Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said. “To keep everyone to move safely, quickly and efficiently, we need smart planning and significant investment in the Northeast Corridor. We are seeking input as we work toward developing a long-term vision that will prioritize rail investments to ensure a vibrant and safe future for the northeast region and the nation.”

The FRA plans to hold 11 public hearings to collect feedback as well as input from stakeholders. The FRA officials will use this information to make decisions about the best investment program.

“Trains that connect our nation’s university hub to its financial center to its capital ride over bridges built before 1910 and through tunnels built after the Civil War,” Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah Feinberg said. “NEC FUTURE will guide the region in developing a long-term framework to build a stronger Northeast Corridor that supports economic growth and creates jobs.”