Governor Kaine wants rail in Richmond

High-speed rail in Richmond chugs closer to reality.

Gov. Tim Kaine met with Vice President Biden  at the White House yesterday to discuss regional high-speed rail and tried to secure some of the $8 billion  that has been allocated by Obama for the U.S. transportation project.

“The meeting went very well,” said Gordon Hickey, Kaine’s press secretary. “The governor is a strong proponent of a high-speed rail through Richmond and around the country.”

Kaine supports the project because of the potential to get cars off the road, ease traffic and the resulting environmental benefits, Hickey said.

The Times-Dispatch reported today that the line would be going through the Main Street Station in Shockoe Bottom, along with Ashland and Staples Mill. The Federal Railroad Administration was considering an alternate eastern route that would have bypassed those stations.

Supporters of high-speed rail say it is the answer for expanding Richmond’s weak tax base. Because Richmond is independent, and not attached to a county, it misses reaping the higher tax revenues from wealthier suburban residents. The result is less money for development projects like a baseball stadium.

A high speed rail could attract wealthier DC-bound commuters to move to the city, if they have a convenient way to get to the Capital.

Read more of the Times-Dispatch’s coverage here and here.