Why the Texas Central high-speed rail project is heroic
August 8th, 2020
July 31, 2020 - roadsbridges.com - Commentary from Norman F. Anderson -
The defining moment when infrastructure can restart our economic growth is now.
We are in an unprecedented time in the history of our country. In a challenging environment like today, we need people with visionary ideas, like the Texas Central high speed rail project, to get us back on track. When did political leadership cease to celebrate ideas and projects that make our future brighter, better and more attainable?
In terms of great infrastructure projects, I see the same inaction everywhere. An $8 billion project that would send wind power from Wyoming to California, requiring 12 years to get permits; a $3 billion project that would bring hydropower from Canada to New York City, 10 years, and counting; a $20 billion project implementing a new technology for exporting natural gas to the Caribbean and South America, 7 years and counting; and a $1 billion project repurposing old rail lines to move water to one of our largest cities, 12 years and counting. It takes 9.5 years on average just to get a new highway approved in the U.S. There are Apollo moon shots everywhere I look.
Read more: https://www.roadsbridges.com/why-texas-central-project-heroic
About the author: Anderson is Chairman and CEO of CG/LA Infrastructure, a firm focused on global infrastructure project development, driving productivity across countries, and maximizing the benefits of infrastructure for people in the U.S. and around the world.
The defining moment when infrastructure can restart our economic growth is now.
We are in an unprecedented time in the history of our country. In a challenging environment like today, we need people with visionary ideas, like the Texas Central high speed rail project, to get us back on track. When did political leadership cease to celebrate ideas and projects that make our future brighter, better and more attainable?
In terms of great infrastructure projects, I see the same inaction everywhere. An $8 billion project that would send wind power from Wyoming to California, requiring 12 years to get permits; a $3 billion project that would bring hydropower from Canada to New York City, 10 years, and counting; a $20 billion project implementing a new technology for exporting natural gas to the Caribbean and South America, 7 years and counting; and a $1 billion project repurposing old rail lines to move water to one of our largest cities, 12 years and counting. It takes 9.5 years on average just to get a new highway approved in the U.S. There are Apollo moon shots everywhere I look.
Read more: https://www.roadsbridges.com/why-texas-central-project-heroic
About the author: Anderson is Chairman and CEO of CG/LA Infrastructure, a firm focused on global infrastructure project development, driving productivity across countries, and maximizing the benefits of infrastructure for people in the U.S. and around the world.