TOLEDO (WTOL) - Democratic mayoral candidate Keith Wilkowski says Toledo should be a key hub in the high speed passenger rail system.
He wants the Toledo City Planning Commission to develop a district around the Toledo train station in south Toledo to prepare for high-speed passenger train service.
Right now, the high speed rail plan for Ohio does not include Toledo.
"Toledo is ideally positioned to benefit from new federal investment in passenger rail service," asserts Wilkowski. "As Mayor, I'll make high speed rail a part of our economic development strategy and work to put new jobs on the fast track."
Wilkowski will announce his intention to forge a "Midwest Mayors' Compact "on high speed rail with Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, South Bend, Detroit and Ann Arbor. Midwest Governors recently entered into a similar Compact to advance high speed rail in the region.
Wilkowski will also call upon the Toledo City Plan Commission to establish a Transit Oriented Development District around the Toledo train station in downtown Toledo in anticipation of, and as a catalyst to, the development of high speed passenger train service with Toledo as a key Midwest Hub.
Wilkowski's proposal comes at a time when momentum is building for high-speed passenger train development. The federal government has appropriated $8 billion in stimulus funds to be allocated to federally-designated high speed rail corridors such as the Chicago-Toledo-Cleveland corridor.
