Change Further On Up the Tracks?

The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States was deservedly the top headline of the week. However, perhaps just as important to those interested in the future of America's transportation infrastructure, there was another significant achievement on election day; the passage of Prop 1A by the people of California.

This act is a crucial first step in the implementation of a dedicated high speed rail link in the most populous state between two of its most populous cities.

A service economy like that on the United States has two vital components. Energy and transportation. The ability to move goods, people and ideas across the country, cheaply and effectively strengthens any economy, in good economic times or bad. It is heartening to see that even in a difficult economic climate as the one this country faces, the importance of transportation infrastructure to meet the emerging demands of the future is important to the electorate.