Statement in Advance of President Obama's Visit to Union Depot

Washington, DC – Tomorrow, Congresswoman Betty McCollum will join President Barack Obama at Union Depot in Saint Paul as he gives remarks about the importance of investing in transit and infrastructure to create jobs in our country. In advance of this visit, Congresswoman McCollum released the following statement:

“As a young girl, I would go to Union Depot to take the train to Montana to visit my grandfather. At the time, the Depot was a bustling center of transit and commerce that connected the state of Minnesota to the rest of the region. After train service ceased in the early 1970s, the state of the building deteriorated, and when I toured the Depot shortly after being elected to Congress in 2000, it was in disrepair. It had been overrun by pigeons, windows were broken and shuttered, and the space was cold and largely abandoned, except for a few empty mail carts.

“When I think back to that day and that tour, I can hardly believe how we were able to transform Union Depot into what it is today – a bright, modern multi-modal transit hub that is serving passengers every day on hundreds of regional and intercity buses, and will soon welcome rail service on Amtrak as well as light rail. I was proud to take the lead role in Minnesota’s federal delegation in securing the $124.3 million in federal funding that has returned this iconic Minnesota landmark to its place as a thriving center for transit and business that provides a great service to our community and supports thousands of jobs.

“Former Senator Norm Coleman was a tireless advocate for this project during his time as Mayor of Saint Paul and in the U.S. Senate. My former colleague in the House, Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar believed in this project and it is a part of his vast legacy of transportation improvements across the country. The Ramsey County Board, The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, citizen members of the LOCATE Task Force, the Metropolitan Council and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman have been supportive and proactive local partners and without their fantastic work the Depot would not be what it is today.

“Most importantly, President Obama has been a champion for this project. Although federal funding for this project first began before he took office, it was the President’s vision to invest in Union Depot as a part of his American Reinvestment and Recovery Act in 2009 that made completion of the project possible. The Depot is now open for business, and has created more than 3,000 jobs. Bus service has commenced and we are just months away from restarting rail service. The President’s vision for investment in transit projects has paid off for Saint Paul, Minnesota and our entire Twin Cities region. I look forward to welcoming the President to Union Depot tomorrow, so that he may see the immense value that his leadership on this project has brought to our community.”

Union Depot is a newly re-opened multi –modal transportation hub in downtown Saint Paul. Thanks to nearly $125 million in federal funding that Congresswoman McCollum led the charge to secure, the Depot is now a key hub for more than 300 buses with Amtrak and light rail transit service to Minneapolis set to begin in the coming months. Of that $125 million in federal funding, $40 million came via a Federal Railroad Administration High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program grant created by the Appropriations Committee, on which Congresswoman McCollum serves. The Union Depot project has created over 3,000 jobs since construction began in 2010. Construction was completed on time and on budget in December 2012.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum serves on the House Appropriations Committee. She is Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus.

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