Race For Stimulus Cash

(AP) - High-speed rail plans in the Midwest and California appear to be front runners in the race for $8 billion in stimulus cash.
That’s based on federal criteria released yesterday that favor projects with established revenue sources and multistate cooperation.
California voters last November approved nearly $10 billion in state bonds that could be combined with federal money to build 800 miles of high-speed track.
And eight Midwestern states have cooperated closely to promote a network, with Chicago as its hub. It would join 12 metropolitan areas within 400 miles.
The Federal Railroad Administration has set a July 10 deadline for pre-applications and an Aug. 24 deadline for most final application papers. The FRA says it intends to release the first round of grants by mid-September.