In 2009, Obama pledged $10.5 billion towards high-speed rail development. It looks like the first state to receive some of that money will be Florida. Obama has designated $2.5 billion to the state to begin the first phase of their train system that will run from Orlando to Tampa.

Phase 1 will run along the heavily traveled I-4 corridor and take passengers to Orlando Airport, Orlando, Disney, Lakeland and Tampa at speeds above 120 mph. Phase 2 will connect Orlando to Miami by two different routes. The system will eventually connect all the major cities in the state and points in between.

The first phase will cost $3.5 billion, so after the government funds the state will still have to raise $1 billion from private investors to complete the project. Florida expects the first trains to be running by 2014.

While campaigning across the country, President Barack Obama spoke of high-speed rail as a major part of his long term vision to “rebuild America.” He spoke of revitalizing the Midwest by connecting cities with faster rail service to relieve congestion and improve energy conservation.

“The time is right now for us to start thinking about high-speed rail as an alternative to air transportation connecting all these cities,” he said. “And think about what a great project that would be in terms of rebuilding America.”

Part of the huge economic recovery bill dedicates $8 billion to high-speed rail, a sum that far surpasses anything before attempted in the United States, and most of which was added in the final bargaining moments by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Planning an efficient, low-carbon interstate transportation network is a major step forwards for the United States quest to become more green, and less dependent on foreign oil.