The Jacket Journal

President Obama’s $8 billion stimilus package is helping to pay for rail projects in states such as Kansas, Texas, and Colorado. However, Oklahoma will not be getting a share of the large sum for local rail projects such as a high-speed rail connecting Oklahoma City to Tulsa. This railway could be very beneficial for Oklahomans needing to get from one town to another in a hurry and could also increase economic growth locally.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation submitted an application in October, 2009 for the railway stating that the estimated cost of the project would be in the ballpark of $2 billion. Texas received more than double that, but not for railways. They are using their share for signal timing improvements which could seem minor in comparison to the need of an Oklahoma fast track between the two largest cities here.

In an interview with KOCO-TV, Matthew Dowly, president of the group Oklahoma Railways, seems not too upset about the way the money was divided. “Though we would have preferred to see an award in this round for construction in Oklahoma, we still see this as a win for the state.” He goes on to say that Oklahoma has completed tasks that will help us “Win future rounds of awards.”