California, Florida Top List to Secure High-Speed-Rail Funds

[thelakelander]

By Christopher Conkey

WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood singled out California and Florida as leading candidates to secure federal funding for high-speed passenger-rail service.

"California and Florida are way ahead of the curve," Mr. LaHood said Friday at a breakfast gathering in Washington. He stressed that no final decisions have been made.

The Federal Railroad Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, will start awarding $8 billion in grants under the economic-stimulus program later this year to states with viable plans for building high-speed rail lines or upgrading existing passenger rail service. The Obama administration, in budget details released Thursday, said it wants to spend another $1 billion annually on high-speed rail over the next five years. Congress must approve the use of that $5 billion as part of its review of the fiscal 2010 budget.

Mr. LaHood said President Barack Obama "believes very deeply" that the U.S. should embark on a decades-long effort to establish a national network of high-speed passenger rail service, akin to the interstate-highway system launched by President Dwight D. Eisenhower more than five decades ago. The U.S. has to date spent more than $1 trillion to build and maintain the interstate highway system.

States and rail advocates are already jockeying to try and secure some of the federal transportation funding. Florida officials said they hoped to secure $1.5 billion to build rail service connecting Tampa and Orlando. California hopes to win significant funding for a planned, high-speed rail system with bullet trains traveling more than 200 miles an hour. The project, which would cost at least $30 billion, would initially link Los Angeles to San Francisco and later expand to San Diego and Sacramento. The state also hopes to secure grants to upgrade its existing network of intercity and commuter lines.

Mr. LaHood said "no one corridor is going to get all of this money" and that the DOT is "looking to create opportunities in every corridor that wants to make progress." Mr. LaHood has been meeting with many state and local officials to hear their arguments for securing passenger rail funding, including a meeting on Thursday with San Francisco mayor and California gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom.

Mr. Obama unveiled the administration's general approach to spending the $13 billion in transport funding last month. The Federal Rail Administration is expected to release more formal criteria for states to apply for funds in the weeks ahead. Still, Mr. LaHood said he had gained some early impressions through his meetings with state officials.

California is "way, way, way ahead," he said. As for the Midwest, where many officials are hoping to place Chicago at the center of a high-speed rail network stretching to St. Louis, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Detroit, Mr. LaHood said, "They're not in that position yet."

Mr. LaHood said he could envision funding "to get a little higher speed" for the Northeast corridor between Washington and Boston, which is the most popular passenger rail corridor in the country and the closest thing the nation has to European-style high-speed service. He also suggested funding could be used to "extend [that network] further up north to Vermont, Maine."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124179625738301017.html

[brainstormer]

Am I right in saying this article seems to contradict everything else that's been written/discussed on this site during the past few weeks?  I haven't had time to read everything, but I thought there were some issues with the Central Florida rail projects.  Someone give me the run down.

[lindab]

I really wonder if Florida is in the running. Despite the request of the HSR authority to get Governor Crist on board for participation in the federal grant competition, there has been no response yet from the Gov. Also notice more push back from the rail opponents such as the highway construction industry and groups like James Madison Institute. Florida may have done a lot of work but lacks the will power to go the distance.

[tufsu1]

actually the Governor came out in favor of HSR a few weeks ago

[thelakelander]

Am I right in saying this article seems to contradict everything else that's been written/discussed on this site during the past few weeks?

No.  I posted an article in the high speed rail thread that Florida would seek HSR funds a few weeks ago.  Here is a link:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,4748.msg74403.html#msg74403

I haven't had time to read everything, but I thought there were some issues with the Central Florida rail projects.  Someone give me the run down.

There are two Central Florida rail projects in play right now.  A high speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando and Sunrail, Orlando's 61 mile commuter rail proposal.  The Sunrail deal has voted down about two weeks ago.  However, the HSR thing is alive due to Obama setting aside $13 billion for HSR over the next five years.  Since Florida's plan is a lot further than most, there is a good chance that the line between Tampa and Orlando will get enough funding to make it reality.

I really wonder if Florida is in the running. Despite the request of the HSR authority to get Governor Crist on board for participation in the federal grant competition, there has been no response yet from the Gov.

The Governor is in favor.  Here are few quotes from a recent St. Pete Times article:

"This is an exciting thing," Gov. Charlie Crist said Friday after meeting with Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos. "We're obviously going to apply for the money."

Crist said he has no qualms about supporting high speed rail even after voters nixed the constitutional amendment in 2004.

"The rationale there was that it was going to put a hole in the state budget. That's not an illegitimate concern," he said. "Thank goodness for the stimulus money."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/masstransit/article993169.ece

[thelakelander]

Here's the proposed route of the high speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando.

[brainstormer]

Thanks Lake for clearing up the two different proposals.  I knew something had been voted down and now I understand.  HSR between Orlando and Tampa would do a lot to help business and tourism in both cities.  What about high speed rail between Jacksonville and Orlando?

[thelakelander]

There is no HSR connection between Jax and Orlando.  For the first few decades, it will probably be made with Amtrak intercity service.

[FayeforCure]

actually the Governor came out in favor of HSR a few weeks ago

Crist: Go For High Speed Rail Money
TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday that Florida should go after federal stimulus money that is earmarked for high speed rail projects.

It appeared to be the first time that the governor has publicly endorsed going ahead with the "bullet train" concept. The high speed rail project proposes linking cities with fast-traveling express trains with limited stops; not to be confused with commuter rail.

The Obama Administration has made $8 billion in federal stimulus funds available to states with high speed rail projects ready to go. Only California and Florida meet those qualifications. Florida, which already has environmental and preliminary engineering studies on a route from the Orlando International Airport to downtown Tampa, appears to be ahead.

But Lee Chira, chairman of the nine-member Florida High Speed Rail Authority, who reconvened meetings of the group this year after three years of dormancy, chastised state leadership for not moving on the money. And Lakeland businessman C.C. "Doc" Dockery, whom Chira called the "father of Florida high speed rail," recently resigned his seat on the authority because of inaction from the state.

Wednesday, however, when asked during a meeting with Ledger editors in Tallahassee if he would go for the high speed rail money, the governor answered, "Yes, let's go for it.''

No mention when he, the speaker of the Florida House and the president of the Senate would each reappoint their three alloted members to the authority whose terms expired some time ago.



  Posted April 15, 2009 9:58:57 PM

http://politics.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2364360

[FayeforCure]

THE OTHER PASSENGER RAIL
Published: Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 9:16 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 9:16 p.m.


While tears and cheers were the order of the day for some on the CSX/commuter rail issue that suffered a temporary setback with defeat of indemnification for the railroad, there is another rail service waiting for money.

High-speed rail supporters have been saying Florida is a very good candidate for some of the $8 billion in federal grant money for bullet trains.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Florida and California are first in line for the money, but Crist has yet to appoint or reappoint members to the Florida High Speed Rail Authority, which his predecessor, Jeb Bush, tried to kill, even asking it to disband itself.

Crist told a group of Ledger editors April 15 that he favored going after the federal high-speed rail money.

But the eight remaining members of the Florida High Speed Rail Authority have yet to be reappointed or replaced even though all of their terms have expired.

The ninth member, Lakeland businessman C.C. "Doc" Dockery, resigned last month, expressing disgust over what he said was the apparent foot dragging by the governor and the Florida Department of Transportation.

The authority, however, is scheduled to meet Thursday in the Orlando Aviation Authority Board Room. Among the discussion items will be President Obama's Strategic High Speed Rail Vision Plan, the guidelines for applying for the stimulus grant and assessment of the competition for the grant money.

The Midwest seems to be on the president's list, but California and Florida are ahead, the Journal article said.

But if Florida continues on its local milk run pace, it just might get edged out of billions and a fast train, too.

[ Ledger Political Editor Bill Rufty can be reached at bill.rufty@theledger.com or 863-802-7523. His political blog is at politics.theledger.com. ]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20090510/COLUMNISTS/905105026/1062/YOURTOWN18?Title=Election-Cycles-Almost-Constant

[WeeklyJoe]

While I'm usually an optimist, the previous history of the Florida state government regarding passenger rail through Florida tells me this will never happen, even though it sounds great. Jeb Bush killed HSR in FLA! Too many of the state contracted highway builders want this money to go somewhere else, instead of beginning a new reliable transportation mode in the state they won't make money on.

I suspect the mayor of Jacksonville is in the same fold.

[fsujax]

From what I am hearing there is work being done to get the Jacksonville link on the Florida system. It is in the making. I dont know how that was ever allowed to happen.

[mtraininjax]

Florida officials said they hoped to secure $1.5 billion to build rail service connecting Tampa and Orlando.

That does not even sound like it is funded, rather its like a "fart in the wind", when will we learn? Crist is bailing tomorrow to make a run at senate, don't expect anything new to get done in Tally, with 1/3 of the legislative process gone further into his Miami girlfriends world.

Why would HSR work between Tampa and Orlando when regular rail between WPB, FTL and MIA is on the verge of collapse? All this and we are going to see another 3-4 cent rise in the fed gas tax. Then we hear that Obama wants to spend 5 BILLION on schools, close down 5,000 schools nationwide, release the faculty and rehire new ones.

He is SUCH a great morale builder.

[brainstormer]

mtrain, start a new thread under education about your distaste for Obama's plan, and I'll be happy to debate education policy with you.     I'd love to hear why you are against his plan.

[mtraininjax]

I'd love to hear why you are against his plan.

Just another log on the fire, I suppose. Sure we need education reform, but now, on top of 787 billion in stimulus, an economy contracting, not enough more for SS and Medicare as it is, do we need to spend 5 billion on this, now?

One day soon, 80 cents for every dollar spent will be to pay down debt. Who lives that way?