LaHood to airlines: Don't fight high-speed rail

A lively debate is underway in Washington and elsewhere about the government's role in transportation spending. What should be a higher priority right now? Investing in new high-speed rail services or in the technology to create the Next Generation air-traffic control system? We should do both, but how much can we afford to spend? And how should public and private-sector funding sources be used for each?

Last week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged airline industry officials at the FAA's annual forecast conference in Washington to not fight against high-speed rail projects, which the administration has made a priority and to which, for the first time, Congress has agreed to devote significant funds. Spending will come on Next Gen air navigation, too, some of it in a FAA reauthorization bill that Congress is expected to act on this week.

A healthy back-and-forth between those with ideas and opinons on both sides was reported today by Travel Weekly, the industry newspaper. Read more here ....