OnBoardMidwest
Encyclopedia
OnBoardMidwest is a Minnesota-based special interest group
that advocates the development of a High Speed Rail system connecting Saint Paul, Minnesota
and Chicago, Illinois. The group endeavors to garner the support of High-speed Rail advocates across the Midwest in an effort to secure federal funding for the project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
, which has allocated $8 billion for passenger railways including high speed rail.
while bypassing Rochester, Minnesota
, the state's third-largest city, which lies an estimated 20 minutes by high speed rail from the route proposed by OnBoardMidwest. The interest group's backers argue that the proposed 'river route' has the best chance of obtaining federal funding because funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are intended for projects that are 'shovel-ready,' and the State of Minnesota has already spent millions of dollars investigating the feasibility and impact of this route.
However, many state residents, including Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
, agree that a high speed rail route that passes through Rochester would be far more likely to benefit Minnesota's economic competitiveness over a long time horizon than the route proposed by OnBoardMidwest. Other Minnesotans note that most members of the committee of state legislators who approved these impact studies represent the very small towns on the route that are in question, and that the same committee members refused to fund similar studies of alternate routes that include Rochester.
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
that advocates the development of a High Speed Rail system connecting Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
and Chicago, Illinois. The group endeavors to garner the support of High-speed Rail advocates across the Midwest in an effort to secure federal funding for the project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
, which has allocated $8 billion for passenger railways including high speed rail.
Controversy
Controversy exists regarding the high-speed rail route proposed by the OnBoardMidwest interest group. This route touches several small towns along the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
while bypassing Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
, the state's third-largest city, which lies an estimated 20 minutes by high speed rail from the route proposed by OnBoardMidwest. The interest group's backers argue that the proposed 'river route' has the best chance of obtaining federal funding because funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are intended for projects that are 'shovel-ready,' and the State of Minnesota has already spent millions of dollars investigating the feasibility and impact of this route.
However, many state residents, including Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
, agree that a high speed rail route that passes through Rochester would be far more likely to benefit Minnesota's economic competitiveness over a long time horizon than the route proposed by OnBoardMidwest. Other Minnesotans note that most members of the committee of state legislators who approved these impact studies represent the very small towns on the route that are in question, and that the same committee members refused to fund similar studies of alternate routes that include Rochester.