21st Century Transportation

A Smart Investment in America's Future

Having high speed rail connecting all the major cities throughout the country would help our economy by providing thousands of sustainable jobs, reduce carbon emissions that cause climate change, clear up highway congestion, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and improve our quality of life.

In order to move forward with high speed rail, we need a long-term commitment from our local and national leaders to plan and fund a national rail system.

As we rebuild our transportation system, let's make sure we do it right.

From high speed rail to mass transit, it’s time for us to get on the right track. Americans all want a safe, clean transportation system that will take us where we need to go but, unfortunately, our current transportation system is outdated. We rely heavily on cars, and it shows; the U.S. consumes almost 25 percent of the world’s oil supply despite having only 4.5 percent of the world’s population.

That’s why the AHSRA Grassroots Action Center and partnering organizations, such as U.S. PIRG, Transportation for America and America 2050, are working for a 21st Century transportation system. High speed rail will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lead to numerous other environmental and economic benefits. The Center for Clean Air Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology estimate that "completion of a national high speed rail network would reduce car travel by 29 million trips and air travel by nearly 500,000 flights annually, saving 6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions."