LaHood in talks with Charlotte over FL HSR funds

[Ocklawaha]

Likely gone... THE ONE BIG PROJECT THAT WE NEEDED X 3! Because to Scott "A good train is NO TRAIN." This is the same guy that said "freeways are more sustainable."

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

If he doesn't kill Sunrail, he's a hypocrite.  HSR didn't require any state money.  Sunrail requires a lot more and will have significantly less ridership.

[thelakelander]

At 9am, I'll be sitting down with Melissa Ross on First Coast Connect to talk HSR and its potential impact on Jacksonville.

http://www.wjct.org/radio/shows/wjct_news

[tufsu1]

did you guys think rick scott will approve sunrail or will he kill it like the high speed rail

I'm betting he keeps it...so as to keep House leader Dean Cannon happy

of course I also thought he'd keep HSR 

[tufsu1]

At 9am, I'll be sitting down with Melissa Ross on First Coast Connect to talk HSR and its potential impact on Jacksonville.

http://www.wjct.org/radio/shows/wjct_news

well done sir!

[JeffreyS]

Great job on the radio Lake.  I did not know the HSR line could also be used for local, commuter and increased freight capacities.  Just as they do with the NE HSR. Great point. I think you pointed out the domino effect very well and that this is not just an isolated project but a first step.

When the callers kept pointing out that they and the governor think that it will cost the taxpayers in over runs and not serve any public use you responded perfectly with the line about him not providing any information to back up the claims that he knows better than the professionals who have done the studies and the private sector that he is preventing from making proposals.

[thelakelander]

Thanks.  Some of the phone calls were pretty interesting.  I'm suprised that many people still don't realize that the Tampa/Orlando route was only phase one of a much larger plan and that the second phase to Miami would have immediately broken ground after the initial segment was completed.  It seems that we have a difficult time looking at the bigger picture.  Overall, I felt that people in general don't really understand the concept being Florida's HSR plan, but mass transit in general.  

Looking back, in response to the female caller who stated you need density for mass transit to be successful, I should have responded by stating if you want density, you must first invest in the infrastructure that stimulates that style of development, with some place like Salt Lake City or Charlotte as successful sprawling example to follow.  Instead I believe I mentioned that it was more important to make sure mass transit takes its riders to places where people want to go, moreso than what the overall average density level of a region happens to be.