WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY-28) say New York can use a portion of the more than $2 billion in high speed rail funds that Florida Governor Rick Scott turned down.
In a statement Wednesday, Schumer said;
"Florida's loss should be New York's gain. Other states may not be ready to unlock the potential of high-speed rail, but it is a top priority for upstate New York. We can put these funds to use in a way that gets the best bang for the buck. The administration should redirect these funds to New York as quickly as possible."
Part of Rep. Slaughter's letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood reads;
"Once completed, a high speed-rail line would continue to create expanded opportunities for economic growth. In Western New York, completion of an Empire Corridor high speed rail line would reduce travel time significantly, and expand the Western New York labor market to 955,562 workers. This would make the Buffalo-Niagara Falls-Rochester metro area the 26th largest in the nation."
It would not be the first time that New York got a piece of high speed rail funding originally allocated to other states. Back in December, $7.3 million that was designated to Wisconsin and Ohio was redirected to New York.
In January 2010, New York originally received $151 million for high-speed rail initiatives, part of $8 billion that was designated nationally as part of the stimulus package.