1. Where High-Sped Rail Works Best Petra Todorovich Director, America 2050 Megaregions + MetroProsperity Sustainable Economics for the Texas Triangle Megaregion September 24, 2009 Houston, Texas

2. What does FRA consider HSR?

3. FRA’s Evaluation Criteria

4. Included all cities 50,000 or greater

5. 27,000 city pairs – 100-500 Miles Apart

6. Criteria Used • Population • Distance • Transit connections • Economic productivity • Congestion • In a megaregion

7. Criterion 1: Population

8. Criterion 2: Distance

9. Criterion 3: Rail Transit Connections Houston San Diego Salt Lake City 50 Miles Chicago Miami New York

10. Study Favors Cities with high per capita GDP Criterion 4: Economic Productivity Boston: $61,000 Per Capita GDP San Francisco: $69,000 Washington DC: $69,000

11. Criterion 5: Congestion

12. Criterion 6: Megaregion

13. Index Results and Scores

14. Not Included: Existing Air Market

15. Not Included: International Cities

16. Not Included: Intermediate Stops

17. HSR Phasing Plan: Phase 1

18. HSR Phasing Plan: Phase 2

19. HSR Phasing Plan: Phase 3

20. Trans-American Passenger Network

21. Long Term Commitment

22. www.America2050.org www.rpa.org