Rick Scott freezes four contracts for SunRail

[thelakelander]

From my understanding, CSX won't pay for rail related port improvements until there's a demand. With Hajin delayed, that may not happen to later this decade.

[stjr]

If Scott really wants to save money, he should have killed 9B.  He can still kill the Outer Beltway.  Let's see if he kills worthless urban sprawl road projects as quickly as he holds up rail ones.  I have my doubts.

[tufsu1]

There's room but I doubt that such a switch could be done without losing the $2.4 billion in federal money.

and delay the project at least 10 more years.

FYI....a study is soon to get underway to study the feasibility of extending SunRail to Tampa along the CSX tracks.

[mbwright]

I'm sure these will be done, so the land owners can continue to fund his campaigns.

[FayeforCure]

My guess is everything will eventually move forward as is.  While he delayed these contracts, he did approve the part of the deal that pays CSX.

Last week, Scott released $173 million in state money for CSX, the Jacksonville train company that is selling its tracks to the state for SunRail.

That money will be spent by CSX to improve another rail line it owns and to build a road to a new logistics center in Winter Haven.

Why doesn't that surprise me?!

As Paula Dockery said, the entire Orlando Commuter line was a state government hand-out to CSX. With a projected ridership of 2,500 per day, it obviously wasn't about the commuters!

http://www.loblawyers.com/blog/paula-dockerys-letter-exposes-unfairness-of-csx-deal.cfm

[Ocklawaha]

Sunrail is only the best of any commuter rail project in America. The fact that it penetrates every major community in the Orlando Metro Area, and does what HSR should be doing (ie: serve a real market).

The Dockery's know as much about commuter rail as I do about child birth. Doc couldn't defend a single point of his plan when we debated it with rail officials in the FRA dog and pony show. The fact that she turned this into a commuter rail vs HSR contest is ridiculous and did nothing but harm passenger rail in front of the entire legislature.

Sunrail vs the current HSR plan? Sunrail will probably carry about double the passengers they think its going to carry, in short it will blow away the ridership predictions, why? because it is usable. If they both get built, Sunrail is going to quickly be looking for ways to expand and over on HSR they're going to be looking for ways to convert the line to haul phosphate rock. It actually makes more sense as a phosphate carrier then the current route does as a passenger route. NOBODY lives along the HSR line, there are more people between Jacksonville and Palatka, then from the Orlando Airport to Tampa via I-4, so who's going to ride?

Canceling Sunrail will be a true transit disaster for Central Florida, just as canceling HSR will be only more so. Building HSR on the current route does NOTHING for metropolitan Central Florida, but shifted to the CSX alignment it will be something of a record setter. Scott could hit a home run here, or he could completely foul it up.

[thelakelander]

Yeah, the Sunrail route is actually a pretty good commuter rail corridor.  I parallels I-4 and hits the downtown of that metro's major cities.  Right off the bat, it will be possible to live in a walkable area like Winter Park and hop on a train to MCO, to catch a flight out of town.  Right off the bat, someone in Deland will be able to catch a train and get dropped off in the middle of Church Street to catch a Magic game.  Right off the bat, one could live in Kissimmee and take the train to Florida Hospital (a major employer in urban Orlando).  All of this while avoiding I-4.  While we can debate the costs of implementing this system, the actual corridor itself is a pretty good one.

[tufsu1]

Why doesn't that surprise me?!

As Paula Dockery said, the entire Orlando Commuter line was a state government hand-out to CSX. With a projected ridership of 2,500 per day, it obviously wasn't about the commuters!

State Sen. Dockery (a Republican btw), has been wrong about SunRail for a long time....yet she is pro HSR (maybe because her husband has spent millions promoting it)....sadly she has yet to understand how the two services could complement each other.

[FayeforCure]

Why doesn't that surprise me?!

As Paula Dockery said, the entire Orlando Commuter line was a state government hand-out to CSX. With a projected ridership of 2,500 per day, it obviously wasn't about the commuters!

State Sen. Dockery (a Republican btw), has been wrong about SunRail for a long time....yet she is pro HSR (maybe because her husband has spent millions promoting it)....sadly she has yet to understand how the two services could complement each other.

Oh she understands that just fine........she just looks to get Florida a better bang for the buck. The commuter rail line was a CSX sweetheart deal, plain and simple (clear from Rick Scott not freezing that CSX "contract" too).

The HSR line will be precedent setting, has the cheapest per mile cost, and will for once put Florida at the forefront instead of being a sleepy regressive retirement community!!!

[JeffreyS]

Orlando may be in my 5 year plan and Sunrail would be a positive and I would try to live in walking distance. 

[tufsu1]

Oh she understands that just fine........she just looks to get Florida a better bang for the buck. The commuter rail line was a CSX sweetheart deal, plain and simple (clear from Rick Scott not freezing that CSX "contract" too).

The HSR line will be precedent setting, has the cheapest per mile cost, and will for once put Florida at the forefront instead of being a sleepy regressive retirement community!!!

huh?  while I am a supporter of both rail lines, it is impossible to argue that HSR has the cheapest per mile cost....$2.7 Billion for 88 miles ($31 million per mile)...SunRail is $1.3 Billion (total cost for everything)...at 61 miles that is roughly $21 million per mile

btw...I agree that CSX is getting a  pretty good deal w/ SunRail....but don't you think the Dockery's have some self-interest in HSR...if not, why would C.C. have spent millions getting it on the ballot back in 2000?

[Ocklawaha]

But Doc is an approved "crook" and CSX isn't. I agree btw, that this HSR line is expensive to the max. it is totally possible to build excellent railroad track for under $5 million a mile.

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

btw...here's the latest on HSR (including where Polk County station should be)

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/venturebiz/content/high-speed-rail-consortiums-push-tampa-orlando-link-even-projects-fate-unclear-0

http://www.lakewalesnews.com/articles/2011/01/29/county_page/doc4d432299e29de294351791.txt

[Garden guy]

Rick Scoot is going to stop any development that he's not getting any cash from...he's bringing this state to it's knees just like his party has done...welcome to Florida all...the state being led by a lying thief who should be in jail....welcome one and all....the land of lies...

[cityimrov]

From what I've read, all Scott did was put a mandatory hold on all contracts over $1 million.  This happened to include SunRail as well as a bunch of others.  I have no idea how one person can review all these contracts and make a sane decision in a short period of time but that's what happened.

It's hard to say what he will do.  Scott isn't really one of those northern libertarians who canceled rail on the first day.  He isn't a spend liberal either.  I'm guessing the reason why Scott hasn't said anything like those guys above is the project is worth millions to billions of dollars and something about all that "free" federal money intrigues him.