Words as a form of Action

It is often said "Actions speak louder than words". But, what if those words serve as the action? Can words serve as the primary source of bringing solutions to life? This question was never more a reality than the past year’s presidential elections as President Obama circled the nation amidst the ‘rock star-esque’ crowds to his “words”. Many of his doubters and opponents attacked him, urging the people not to be blinded by his polished speeches of hope and promise. They often agreed he was a powerful presenter, however they claimed they were ‘only words’ and lacked tangible action. To this day, many criticize his resume for a lack of results against the backdrop of his rich, bold promises of a better tomorrow. Which brings us back to the question, “can words be a form of action?”. Are the words Pres. Obama has made a part of history serve as the building blocks of progress? Close to home, are the words of POWV shaping the policy of tomorrow's transportation infrastracture?

Visionary movements are born out of the seeds of ingenuity of individuals. They feed of the hope and dreams of the founding few. They spread to reality via the persistence of those willing to defy the odds and deafen the naysayers. A bit naïve, the movement moves forward, nimbly morphing as necessary while maintaining the core vision. With small wins along the way, people start to take notice and the early adopters jump on board. All the while, there’s a pack of people who’ve heard the message yet it sits dormant in their brain’s corner. Then, with an exhilarating transformation, the movement reaches a key hurdle and the pace moves into overdrive. At the crest of this energy, the force takes on a new life. Those who casually joined early on, deepen their roots and dedicate their being to the cause. The words once locked away emerge into the conversations of the majority, and key players emerge to see it forward. Yet, to this point, it is often only “words” which brought us to this point. Many great ideas fail to reach this stage simply because they couldn’t get the message across. At times, it was a lack of persistence, poor choice of recipients, and/or the lack of charisma, credibility and trust from the presenter.

It is my belief; POWV High Speed Rail now sits within the early adoption stage however the foundation is starting to rumble with encouraging signs of progress towards the next steps. Repeatedly, we’ve seen our requests take hold and the policy continues to shift towards our cause. And, now those around us are starting to take notice with a bit more than the original blank stares…the “words” are creeping form the back of their brains, as they consider their part in this historic movement. But to this point, it has been ‘just words’ brought to the attention of whoever will listen via a consistent, persistent message. Now putting words into action, we at POWV continue with a purpose to bring high speed rail to the Pittsburgh-Columbus corridor…any successful national high-speed rail plans will have to include this corridor. It has served as a primary component of all major transportation developments throughout our country’s history via the Ohio River, the original rail system and I-70 as part of the interstate highway system…we are now on the cusp of including it within our country’s interstate high-speed rail system, and we’re playing a critical role in sharing the message across the 3 involved states (Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia) and beyond.

Please join our movement and become one of our early adopters, mark your place in history…it’s happening before our eyes and the pieces are about to pick up steam…

POWV High Speed Rail Mgmt

"Who knows? We can dream."

POW V continues to talk, people continue to listen, now it seems some are beginning to take notice, and take action...

Stimulus Money To Improve Rails In Jefferson County
Posted: 5:37 pm EDT April 14, 2009Updated: 7:04 pm EDT April 14, 2009

Ohio Transportation Stimulus funds will be used to improve the Gould Tunnel outside Mingo Junction in Jefferson County.

Mike Paprocki with The Brooke Hancock Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission said, "It's an important link from the rail yard. It connects Norfolk Southern Railroad and Ohio Central Railroad. That services a lot of coal mines and trains that go to the Apex mine."
The $5 million in stimulus will be used to improve the tunnel because it leaks and has drainage problems.

"This ought to put about 40 people to work," said Paprocki. "It's a big help to the railroads in our area. They're making resurgence." The exact solution isn't clear yet because Paprocki said there are several different options state crews could take. "They could lower the bed and raise the clearance because it has clearance issues. The tunnel will not take double-stacked cars. Or, they could line it and keep it as is," said Paprocki.

With improvements on the way, leaders have high hopes for the future including the possibility that one day the tracks could carry passenger trains. "This could be used as a critical link between Pittsburgh and Columbus for high-speed rail through our area," said Paprocki. "Who knows? We can dream."

There is no timeline in place as to when work on the Gould Tunnel could start.
Officials with the Ohio Railroad development Commission said improvements will be on the existing structure. Jefferson County isn't the only area that will get rail improvements.
More than $1 million in stimulus funds is expected for rail work in Harrison County at Miller Station.

-NEWS9
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