A trip down the west coast could soon be a lot quicker.
The B.C. government announced today that it will help fund a study of a potential ultra-high-speed corridor service connecting Vancouver with Seattle, Portland and beyond.
If the corridor becomes reality, it’d cut travel time between Vancouver and Seattle from three hours to one, while Vancouver to Portland would be a two hour trip instead of close to seven.
Premier John Horgan was joined by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to make the announcement.
B.C. will contribute $300,000 toward an in-depth study on the concept of a corridor service that would cut travel times between Vancouver and Seattle.
Last week, the Washington State legislature approved funding of up to $1.2 million toward the new in-depth study.
"The convenience of a one-hour trip between Vancouver and Seattle would create countless opportunities for people in both B.C. and Washington, from sports or concert getaways for families, to untold economic growth potential for businesses," said Horgan.
"Exploring the possibility of creating a clean, efficient high-speed corridor is particularly important as the Pacific Northwest grows in economic importance, and we look to reduce barriers to expansion across our borders."
An economic analysis released by Washington State in February estimated that a high-speed corridor link could create up to 200,000 jobs for B.C. and U.S. workers.
It would also generate billions of dollars in economic benefits for the Cascadia innovation corridor between B.C., Washington and Oregon.
"This ultra-high-speed corridor is an exciting proposal for both British Columbia and Washington, aligning with our mutual goal of strengthening our economies through collaboration," said Inslee.
"The early study results show the corridor would help create jobs, generate affordable housing options, ease freeway traffic and clean our air.”
The new study will build on previous analysis, considering the practicality and business case for a potential high-speed corridor.
It’ll address factors such as ridership levels, system development, delivery methods and financing.
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