Digest: Endangered-species listings forces update to California high speed rail plan

Monday morning rail news:

Endangered-species listings force California high speed rail to revise environmental report
Listing of the Southern California and Central Coast mountain line and monarch butterfly as candidates for endangered species lists have added to the complications faced by the California High-Speed Rail Authority in planning the Bakersfield-Palmdale section of its route. The Bakersfield Californian reports the authority has had to revise environmental impact documents for that section of the route because of the status of those two species, and found the project could significantly impact their populations. The authority will add mitigation measures, which will reportedly not add significant cost to the project. Because the environmental document has been revised, it must be submitted for a new public-comment period, which began Feb. 26 and concludes April 12. More information, and a link to the document and the online comment process is available here.

Ohio legislative committee moves to restore transit funding to state budget
An Ohio legislative committee has moved to restore public transit funding that was cut in the budget bill proposed by Gov. Mike DeWine. Cleveland.com reports the substitute budget introduced by the House Finance Committee provides $97 million annually for transit, with $23.2 million in state funding and $33 million from discretionary federal funds. The budget proposed by DeWine would have cut state funding to $7.3 million and included none of the discretionary funding [see “Digest: San Francisco Muni to resume …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 12, 2021]. The bill could still see more changes before being finalized by the committee on Wednesday, then must be approved by the full House and the Senate before it goes to DeWine for his signature. State law requires the transportation budget to be approved by March 31.

Senators reintroduce bill to revise Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program
U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) have reintroduced legislation they say would improve the federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan program by streamlining the application process, extending terms of some loans, and providing dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs. The Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act would make it easier for short lines to apply for RRIF loans and increase its usefulness for passenger rail projects, the senators say. Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, said in a press release from Thune’s office that the bill would address issues “that have been hurdles to participation” in the RRIF program for short lines, including extension of loan terms to 50 years. The full text of the bill is available here.