Press

Railroad historian and journalist Mark Reutter was the featured speaker at Thursday’s meeting.

He said Obama’s decision to fund high-speed rail with $8 billion in the Recovery Act money is “a step in the right direction.”

“But it’s hardly the end of the process,” Reutter said. “A lot more planning and creative thinking — not to speak of hard cash — are needed to make sure that this very complex building program gets off the ground and produces the most efficient means of travel possible with the greatest number of jobs and economic opportunities generated by new train service.”