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REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION

High-speed rail in the Northeast Corridor is a critical component to providing the capacity needed to support projected growth in the megaregion. The Corridor’s $3 trillion economy, representing 20% of the nation’s total on just 2% of its land mass, is the direct result of our nation’s historic investments in world-class infrastructure. Its 50 million residents live at densities over 12 times the national average and over 750,000 commuter and intercity passengers depend on the Corridor every day. As its population and economy grow, travel on the Corridor will continue to increase and investments in key infrastructure must keep pace in order to avoid gridlock. However, as our vital transportation arteries clog up, current budgets do not project similar investments to meet future demand.

The Northeast Corridor must invest in high-speed rail, as a pillar of our regional transportation and land use planning strategy, in order to support and maintain the freedom and mobility that economic health and competitiveness of the Northeast Megaregion is founded on.
In the following video, produced by the Regional Plan Association, watch Robert Yaro, President of RPA, Al Engel, Vice President of High-Speed Rail at Amtrak, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, 3rd District of Connecticut, and Paul Levy, President and CEO of Center City District in Philadelphia, answer the question, “Why Build High-Speed Rail in the Northeast?