Per a recent Newswire, Florida wants to reinstate 90 mph Amtrak passenger service on the FEC - they have the 100M+ state money ready to go. What's stopping them is the matching Fed money hasn't been allocated.
Florida has a huge pot ($1B+) of Fed money going toward the Tampa-Orlando high speed shuttle service, but hasn't committed the state money yet.
At the rate things are going, they just might wind up with neither. Does this make any sense?
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
They don't want to spend state money on the Tampa-Orlando HSR. I think they know that the Fed has too much riding on it to pull out. However, the Fed's commitment to it might be fading as the whole HSR roll-out seems to be falling apart in a backlash to the stimulus spending spree.
What I do find interesting, however, is that Florida would be willing to commit money to passenger rail on FEC. They must feel that such service would be more beneficial than the Tampa-Orlando route. I would be interested in hearing their reasoning about that.
I would think that the whole of the FEC would be more beneficial than the first segment of HSR, Tampa to Orlando. While the whole Tampa to Miami HSR might be greater the cost per benefit, however it is defined, would be much better on the FEC as it exists already! Something that many have put forward as a better use of funds, to enhance existing corridors. As long as one or the other happens I am happy, as neither directly affects us up here in Gainesville. Doing nothing on either front seems to be the ostrich approach.
Unfortunately the new Republican Florida's governor Rick Scott has decided to abolish the proposed Tampa-Orlando high speed rail link recently and Mr Rick Scott has been influenced by a «Tea Party» supporters when he's been to Tampa when he has met these peoples.
Already other Republicans are angry against him on his decision to abolish this marvelous high speed rail project in Sunshine State. Other persons are confused and they don't understand why Mr Rick Scott has acted like that to abolish this high speed rail project including the former Republican Florida's governor John Ellis Bush better known as Jeb Bush which that who had abolish another high speed rail project by amendment when his re-election like Florida's governor in 2004 which this high speed rail link was supposed to connect Miami-Tampa and Orlando which a consortium composed of Fluor-Bombardier companies was supposed to put on rails, a «Jet Train» a turbo train made on the Acela Express model which is this Bombardier's locomotive is electric and these electric locomotives run on the Northeast Corridor from Washington-New York and Boston.
And I don't think it's so crazy as this to achieve both projects whatever the Tampa-Orlando high speed rail link and to putting an conventional Amtrak service from Jacksonville to Miami on the Florida East Coast Railway.
Raily Yours.
Sylvain
Does anyone know if Rick Scott was promised anything by the Highway Lobbyists in return for stopping HSR?
Some one please explain the Florida government system that allows one governor to ignore a Fl constitutional ammendment and another a Fl law??
blue streak 1 Some one please explain the Florida government system that allows one governor to ignore a Fl constitutional ammendment and another a Fl law??
The Federal government gave the state governors the right to accept or reject the federal money.
What is the constitutional ammendment and Florida law you are referring to?
Bucyrus What is the constitutional ammendment and Florida law you are referring to?
When Jeb Bush was elected governor at the same time voters in Florida amended the Fl constitution to allow for HSR from Orlando - MIA. The JEB refused to allow any preliminart work on the HSR to be started and then persuaded voters to cancel the amendment 4 years later. someone with the details?
Fl legislators passed a bill signed by next governor (Crist?) to start the HSR Tampa - Orlando.
I have many family and friends in Florida and not one so far has understood the present governor's refusal. disclosure: many of these persons are in the construction business which has been devastated much worse in Fl than other states. However also many are in the airline business as well.
When it comes to transportation....Politicians in this day and age have all the vision of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
blue streak 1 Bucyrus: What is the constitutional ammendment and Florida law you are referring to? When Jeb Bush was elected governor at the same time voters in Florida amended the Fl constitution to allow for HSR from Orlando - MIA. The JEB refused to allow any preliminart work on the HSR to be started and then persuaded voters to cancel the amendment 4 years later. someone with the details? Fl legislators passed a bill signed by next governor (Crist?) to start the HSR Tampa - Orlando. I have many family and friends in Florida and not one so far has understood the present governor's refusal. disclosure: many of these persons are in the construction business which has been devastated much worse in Fl than other states. However also many are in the airline business as well.
Bucyrus: What is the constitutional ammendment and Florida law you are referring to?
I do not know the details, but I understand that Florida lawmakers mounted a legal challenge to Scott's refusal of the HSR funds, and a judge ruled in Scott's favor.
As far as understanding the governor's refusal, I think the explanation is pretty simple. While there were federal funds being offered, there was also a requirement for Florida to put up significant state funds. Florida would be hard pressed to raise that money. If they raised taxes to get the money, it would slow down their already struggling economy, and they still might fail to raise the HSR funds. States cannot print money like the federal government can.
There is also a high probability of major cost overruns as these big government / union projects have demonstrated time and time again. So once a state enters into the deal, there is no way to know what the final cost will be. It would be a foolish gamble. Once a project is started and begins to go over budget, it is very hard to back out because what has been done will be a wasted effort. The special interests know this, and they use it as a tool to extract even more revenue from the project.
And then there is the operating subsidy that will be large and unpredictable, and will have to be paid by the state probably for the life span of the rail system. And if Florida were to decide that they could not afford the operating subsidy and quit paying it, the terms of the agreement demanded that Florida pay back all of the Federal money that was given to the project to begin with.
Sure, the union construction workers are all for the project, and they say that they just can’t see any reason why anyone would be against it.
Regarding the most recent legal challenge to the Governor's cancellation -- the lawsuit was filed as an emergency request for some sort of injunction or writ of mandamus, requiring action on the Court's part to force him to accept immediately (so as not to lose the federal funds).
As I understand it, the Florida Supreme Court did not "rule in Scott's favor" on the substantive issues, only saying that this case did not meet the standards for an emergency action.
However, apparently same result -- it appears that LaHood was already looking at where to re-distribute the funds.
The state Supreme Court ruled in the governors favor. For the time being.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/a-constitutional-showdown-over-high-speed-rail/1155573
Tourist Railroads
TheRailroadNation
Fla RailFan The state Supreme Court ruled in the governors favor. For the time being. http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/a-constitutional-showdown-over-high-speed-rail/1155573
activated
Interesting reading all the comments following that article. Quite a lively bunch.
Lively, indeed. I had another laugh imagining the fainting spells at TRAINS if our forums ever tried to rock and roll like that.
That would be lively
If any thread ever got even 1/4 that "lively" as that article's comments, it would be locked in a heartbeat. Want proof? Post an article on a pedestrian or grade crossing incident.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
While doing some reading I foud the following articl in the "New York Times' US on-Line edition. Dated 3/11/2011 by Michael Cooper.
Plans for a high-speed rail route along Interstate 4 in Florida.
FTA: "...The Tampa-to-Orlando route had obvious drawbacks: It would have linked two cities that are virtually unnavigable without cars, and that are so close that the new train would have been little faster than driving. But the Obama administration chose it anyway because it was seen as the line that could be built first. Florida had already done much of the planning, gotten many of the necessary permits and owned most of the land that would be needed.."
I thought it was pretty inventive to place the raised railway in the manner shown in the drawing, my guess would be that foundations for the thing would be a 'beast' to engineer and construct across 90 or so miles of Florida ground. [Read as cost skyrocket(?)]
Now Governor Scott has frozen any Sun Rail contracts until at least July. That would be after the legislature has recessed. Any bets he will not cancel Sun Rail as well?/
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.