There is a seismic shift in our transportation sector.

Airlines are reducing capacity and raising fares. Gas prices at the pump exceed $4 per gallon and are draining consumers ' wallets and our regional economy. Consumers are shifting from buying gas guzzlers to cleaner, more fuel efficient cars.

It 's time to accelerate development of a Midwest high-speed rail network, which would provide fast and dependable links for Madison to Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

This is a badly needed positive solution to the wrenching changes in the airline and automobile industries, high gas prices, consumer demands for cleaner energy, and businesses repositioning to operate in a "carbon-constrained " economy.

It is a win-win-win: good for business, good for jobs and good for the environment.

Modern, fast, comfortable and convenient high-speed trains operating at 100 to 125 mph can be time-competitive on a door-to-door basis.

They can pull together and grow the regional economy. They make sense for business travelers who can get productive work done while going from city to city on a fast train, instead of dealing with deteriorating airline service.

They help leisure travelers get around the Midwest more easily on weekends to see friends and family, shop at Madison 's farmers markets, and enjoy sports and cultural events in our great places.

Trains pollute less than cars and airplanes on a per-passenger-mile basis, so further rail development can also help alleviate our global warming problems.

Let 's face it: The Midwest 's transportation system doesn 't work very well and constrains our regional economy.

Business air travelers ' frustration with flight delays, security hassles and poor service is palpable. Highway congestion gets worse by the day, costing all of us more wasted time, dirtier air and more of our dollars at the gas pump.

With airlines cutting flights and fares going up, better intercity rail service is smart and affordable, and, now, also a necessary transportation option to enable people to move around the Midwest.

Do we really want Madison 's intercity transportation connections to be solely dependant on airline mergers, shutdowns and monthly decisions on how many and what flights to cut and fares to jack up? Do we really want to have no choice, but to pay more at the pump for long car trips?

There 's an obstacle on the tracks that blocks progress for Wisconsin and 28 other states currently planning rail projects. There is no federal program to help advance these plans like there is for highways and aviation. That must change.

Wisconsin is leading the charge as nine state transportation departments have committed to build a Midwest high-speed rail network. But the states can 't do it alone. A strong federal-state funding partnership is needed to develop high-speed passenger rail.

The public and our economy clearly demand greater mobility and better travel options. Now is the time for our state leaders to get together with our Congressional delegations to generate the necessary political and financial support for high-speed rail development linking the Midwest 's cities.

High-speed rail is a key global warming solution and increasingly necessary to provide dependable connections for Madison to the rest of the Midwest.

Learner is the executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center; www.elpc.org.