Local Update
Greensboro Chamber folks are "building momentum" again for another project: high speed rail.
David Jameson, president, and Allen Purser, SVP, attended a conference in Washington yesterday aimed at finding out ways to win federal money for rail projects.
They went as part of a 15-Chamber Alliance, which is asking Congress for $15 million in fiscal 2006 for operational, economic, engineering and environmental feasibility studies for specific routes along the corridor.
"We view high speed rail as an important ingredient, not just for our region's economic development prospects, but also for the benefit of the Southeast as a whole. By speaking in a unified voice, we want to continue to let our elected leaders know just how important this development is for all of us," said Jameson.
The proposal:
A high speed service would connect city pairs in the Southeast up to 300 miles apart. With trains running at speeds of up to 85-90 miles per hour and stops in major cities along the way, it would provide a viable and ptentially less expensive alternative to air travel, said the Chamber in a statement.
Less expensive for passengers, maybe. For the government, probably not. Has Amtrak ever paid for itself outside the Washington to Boston corridor? No. Not that this service would not be welcome. But it looks like another subsidized program in waiting.
Dell
Yesterday Dell announced that it chose Archdale firm Ace/Avant Concrete Construction Co. to supply concrete for its building project in Winston-Salem.
Ace/Avant will employ about 100 people on the job site and another 350 people through North Carolina subcontractors and suppliers, said Dell in a statement.