Suddenly popular, Mica looks to control transportation

[thelakelander]

By Matt Dixon
After his party regained control of the House of Representatives Tuesday night, Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica has been a popular guy.

“I have gotten calls from Secretary of Transportation [Ray] LaHood, calls from the vice president who wants to meet with me, and a lot of press calls,” he said.

Mica, a veteran lawmaker whose district runs from south of Jacksonville to Winter Park, has ascended to Washington D.C.’s version of the cool-kids-table because he almost assuredly will become chairman of the committee that controls transportation policy when the 112th Congress begins in July.

“I will have an excellent shot of leading the biggest committee in Congress,” said Mica, whose confirmation as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is viewed by many as a foregone conclusion.
He said his top priority would be grabbing momentum for proposed $500 billion surface transportation bill that has been stalled since he helped write it in 2009.

Another issue soon to hit Mica’s plate is $10 billion recently doled out by President Barack Obama for rail projects. Mica says he wants to reexamine many of the grants to make sure they are not being wasted.

“I have concerns about some of those...[because] they became campaign agenda items. We will look at those, and if states back away, or if the projects prove not to be viable I will do everything I can to redirect the money,” he said.

One of those projects is a proposal connect Tampa, Orlando and eventually Miami. Mica says that he does not want the project to become a “crazy train” that leaves taxpayers on hook for the entire $2 billion cost of the project.

He thinks the private sector should be tapped to help fund the project.
“If  significant private sector contributions come in, maybe we can fill the gap,” he said.

As a plan B, Mica has discussed the idea of creating a scaled back line between the Orlando airport and the city’s theme parks.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-11-06/story/suddenly-popular-mica-looks-control-transportation

[thelakelander]

If you're going to cut the state's HSR route down to a Disney/Orlando airport connection, do everyone a favor and just kill it.  That distance is not practical for HSR.  Take that money and invest it in a statewide corridor system.  This way, more taxpayers will benefit with less money invested.  As for Orlando, let them build their own LRT connection between Disney and their Airport.

[tufsu1]

I think Mica is "trying to punish" the people of Tampa for voting down their own local rail plan.

[CS Foltz]

lake............I think I made that perfectly clear when that discussion first came up! It is not a question of "build it and they will come"............Ratville can afford to put their own system in, if they really want to! A stand alone system in the middle of the state, calling it "HSR" (it would not be any such thing) then saying it will connect to Miami one day is ludicrious! Private enterprise can step up, if they really want that kind of a wasted system.....me, I would like to see a statewide system period........no frills, other than covered stops! Local municipality's can get extravegant if they want............it's their stops, but the trackage should belong to the taxpayer if we are to pay for the install! That $1.2 Billion allocated for Orlando, would sure do alot for rail!

[Ocklawaha]

We don't need to own the railroad tracks since most of the railroad's operate on a 100' right-of-way, just ask how much capacity improvements would be needed to operate xx trains daily. This just doesn't have to be as hard as Florida is making it...

For those who have no idea what MJ has been promoting in Florida see:
http://amtrakcalifornia.com/index.cfm/travel-info/where-we-go/
or
http://www.bytrain.org/

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Ock........I agree and then some and like you say Florida is making harder then what it needs to be! There are allready tracks in place.............it would just take some vision and that seems to be where the problem lies! I don't care who or what takes the initative, but now is the time! Mr Scott talks about 700k jobs, well here is something to consider.........rail upgrades, not only from a system view but a maintance view! Spin offs for operations, infrastructure and the possibility to tie into a nation wide system...........something we don't have in use today. Yes I know we have rail from coast to coast, but damn it man.......what it could be, is not what it is today! Spines and feeders.............duh!

[tufsu1]

CSX hasn't shown much interest in sharing their ROW....maybe this is why FL has been purusing ownership of the tracks.

[JeffreyS]

Well technically CSX does want to share.  They just want to be paid for the ROW then share.

[Coolyfett]

If you're going to cut the state's HSR route down to a Disney/Orlando airport connection, do everyone a favor and just kill it.  That distance is not practical for HSR.  Take that money and invest it in a statewide corridor system.  This way, more taxpayers will benefit with less money invested.  As for Orlando, let them build their own LRT connection between Disney and their Airport.

Lol Lake I like your attitude. Everyone plays or no one plays.

[Ocklawaha]

SORTING OUT THE FLORIDA HSR MESS?

Start with AMTRAK schedule improvements and Commuter Rail District expansions:

Send LRT to Disney from the nearest SUNRAIL station, and let the Mouse and International Drive pay for a big chunk of it, while airport taxes can pay the rest.

Extend the new SUNRAIL west over the CSX (adding capacity where ever necessary) to Auburndale, and north to Palatka.

Start HART commuter rail and extend it from St. Petersburg - Clearwater - Sulphur Springs - Tampa (Union Station) and east to Auburndale.

Start JACKSONVILLE commuter rail and extend it south from (Jacksonville Terminal) - Orange Park - Palatka.

Initiate trains which operate within the commuter districts as well as STATE SERVICE that operates through all three districts, from end to end, IE: Jacksonville-Orlando-Tampa-St. Petersburg

LIKEWISE

Extend the JACKSONVILLE project to Fernandina, and South to St. Augustine
Extend the JACKSONVILLE project to Baldwin - Starke - Gainesville
Extend Tri-Rail North from Miami to Ft. Pierce
Extend HART from Tampa to Sarasota and Venice
Extend HART from Tampa to Sulphur Springs to Brooksville

Initiate trains which operate within the commuter districts as well as STATE SERVICE that operates through from:

Miami-Ft. Pierce-Daytona Beach-St. Augustine-Jacksonville

Miami-Sebring-Auburndale-Orlando, with some continuing to Jacksonville

Miami-Sebring-Auburndale-Tampa, with some continuing to St. Petersburg

Tampa-Lakeland-Ocala-Jacksonville

Tampa-Lakeland-Ft. Myers-Naples (with connections to and from Orlando/Jacksonville and Ocala routes)

Jacksonville-Baldwin-Tallahassee, with some continuing to Pensacola/connecting to all trains to/from points south

Do you see a train or route here that YOU could use? We could do all of this, with fast-frequent trains 24/7 for a fraction of the HSR boondoggle.

OCKLAWAHA

[spuwho]

Until FDOT and CSX can come to a liability agreement, it's all for naught.

[JeffreyS]

Would commuter rail  do more the U.S. than corridor service?

[tufsu1]

Would commuter rail  do more the U.S. than corridor service?

commuter rail works great within metro areas....corridor service works between cities...and that is where there in an opportunity to compete with air travel.

[JeffreyS]

I get the difference between to two services.  I just wonder would commuter rail give us more bang for the buck in terms of QOL improvement and transit alternative for the most people.

[tufsu1]

generally yes...because far more people will use commuter services than intercity rail...and HSR is quite expensive....but of course the decisions made at the Federal level aren't that simple.