Nov. 5, 2009
By Isaac Babcock
Observer Staff
A statewide push may help move passenger rail plans forward in Florida if some groups have their way, and two major rail systems could come right through the heart of Orlando.
Winter Park's City Commission approved a resolution to push for high-speed rail funding in an Oct. 12 Commission meeting. Commissioner Karen Diebel had long been a proponent of rail systems in the area, pushing for a new motion.
At that meeting Commissioner Phil Anderson asked for an Orlando to Miami high-speed rail route that traveled through Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.
"I think this is a great thing … but I would really love commissioner Diebel to redirect the funding to saving jobs in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral," Anderson said. "I would strongly endorse picking a route that gets to the high-income wage earners and takes them to Central Florida."
Commissioner Dillaha had asked for more research into the economic viability of a rail system, pointing toward continual funding problems with South Florida's Tri-Rail system.
"I agree with Commissioner Dillaha that Tri-Rail needs help," Mayor Ken Bradley said, adding that he disagreed that funding was not already in place for SunRail in Central Florida.
That discussion ended in a 3-1 vote in favor of seeking funding for the rail.
But now a broader push is coming from Florida's Urban Transportation Council and state lawmakers to try to get dedicated funding for rail systems between Orlando, Tampa and Miami.
Just like in this year's failed Tallahassee legislative sessions that attempted to come up with a workable rail plan, the upcoming proposals hinge upon insurance and liability provisions for the SunRail system, which could ferry commuters throughout Central Florida.
Four applications for federal funding were submitted to the federal government, including an application for $2.6 billion to build a high-speed rail route between Orlando and Tampa. An application for funding to study the efficacy of a rail corridor between Orlando and Miami seeks $30 million for research and planning.
The next regular session of the state legislature begins in March 2010, but lawmakers are pushing for a special session in December.
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