Brown, Report Support Ohio Rail Investment
Business Journal Daily – WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio., says additional investment in a rail system throughout the state could spur more jobs and a more robust manufacturing economy.
Nations in Asia and Europe have committed billions of dollars to developing their rail infrastructure and expanding opportunities for manufacturing. "There's simply no reason we can't do the same in our country with Ohio playing a leading role," Brown told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. "There's no reason we shouldn't help to lead the nation in rail car and locomotive manufacturing. We know how to make big things in Ohio."
Brown was joined by Wendy Patton of Policy Matters Ohio, which issued a new report that assesses the impact of developing rail and mass transit infrastructure on the state's manufacturing economy.
In January, Ohio was awarded $400 million to connect Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton by passenger rail service through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. The new route would reestablish passenger lines between Ohio's largest cities for the first time in more than 30 years.
