Lahood warns: ‘Get behind SunRail’

Written by jrood

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had a simple message for the Florida Senate: Get behind the planned SunRail commuter train in Central Florida, or forget about the state winning $2.5 billion in federal money for a high-speed train linking Orlando with Tampa, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

"You’ve got to get
your act together," LaHood told the Orlando Sentinel about the Senate,
which twice has failed to approve SunRail.

"If they don’t,"
he said moments later to a Florida official, "there’s going to be a lot of
disappointed people."

LaHood gave two speeches,
plus a short interview, during a visit to Central Florida. The first was to a
transportation convention at the J.W. Marriott hotel in south Orange County and
the second to more than 100 elected and area leaders in downtown Orlando.

He left little doubt that
the $8 billion allocated by the Obama administration and Congress for
high-speed rail would go to the communities that support all forms of transit,
from buses to commuter trains to bicycle paths – not just roads. And he wants
the systems to connect, allowing alternatives to people who want to get out of
their cars, reducing congestion and pollution.

"It [high-speed rail]
is the next step," LaHood said, "the next level of transportation.
… It means you are forward thinking." Miss out on trains capable of
going at least 110 mph, he said, and "you are going to be stuck on the
highway."

Forty states, including
Florida, have filed 287 preliminary applications for high-speed rail projects.
The winners won’t be announced until the end of the year, and there will be
plenty of losers. If all the projects were built, it would cost $103 billion.

"Everybody is not
going to get their own stop, in simple terms," LaHood said.

Despite his strong words
about SunRail, LaHood stopped short of saying Florida would get high-speed rail
money if the Senate passes a liability agreement necessary for the 61.5-mile
commuter-rail system that would stretch from Volusia to Osceola counties. But
that did not stop U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, and John Mica, R-
Winter Park, from promising success. They shared the speaking dais with LaHood.

Also complicating the
picture is the situation with the Tri-Rail commuter train in South Florida. It
needs more state or local money or layoffs and service reductions are likely. That
could force the federal government to seek repayment of some of the $500
million it has invested in the system running along Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade,
Broward and Palm Beach counties.

"We are hearing noises
that distress us greatly," said Peter Rogoff, who runs the Federal Transit
Administration and traveled with LaHood.

SunRail supporters have
long seen Tri-Rail as a key to winning Senate approval. The Central Florida
delegation twice has offered to vote for a $2 daily surcharge on rental cars in
South Florida to cover Tri-Rail operating expenses. But South Florida senators
generally have balked at the deal.

Two of SunRail’s leading
proponents, Republican Sens. Lee Constantine of Altamonte Springs and Andy
Gardiner of Orlando, have been pushing for a special session for a third run at
the $1.2 billion project but have not been able to muster enough support to
schedule one. They said LaHood’s words should be helpful, but work remains to
be done. The last SunRail vote went down 23-16.

Opponents have argued that
SunRail is too expensive, could lead to the loss of union jobs and places too
much financial risk on the state if there is an accident.

Winter Park Commissioner
Beth Dillaha, who attended LaHood’s Orlando meeting, said she cannot back
SunRail because she fears it will attract so few passengers that local
governments will bust their budgets making up the train’s deficits.

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