Sad day for rail: Orlando commuter rail deal dead

[thelakelander]

Politics got in the way of this one.  It will be interesting to see what this means for Orlando (can a new deal be assembled?) and Jacksonville (where will the funding for the JaxPort rail relocation come from).  So far we know, without the Senate approval, Orlando will lose federal funding again (the first time, the money was shifted to fund Charlotte's light rail line, after Central Florida rejected funding their share for light rail in the 90s).  We also know South Florida's push for a dedicated Tri-Rail funding source was struck down as well, as a move by Central Florida Senators who were upset about South Florida Senators not approving the Orlando plan.

Commuter rail deal dead, Webster says

TALLAHASSEE - If there was any doubt left, Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster declared Central Florida's bid for commuter rail dead Friday.

"Central Florida wanted to have commuter rail. It's not going to happen," Webster said in debate on the Senate floor. "The federal money will disappear. We tried."

Webster officially ran up the white flag on the region's plan to lease 61-miles of track from CSX Corp., while successfully beating back an attempt by Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, D- Cooper City, to give South Florida authority to hold a referendum to impose a $2-surcharge on rental cars to pay for Tri-Rail improvements.

Webster had earlier rolled out the rental-car surcharge as part of a package designed to lure Senate support for the Orlando-area commuter rail plan. But now that the CSX deal is derailed, Webster was in no mood to help out his fellow term-limited senator, who recently nominated him for a national legislative award.

"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," Webster said, pointing out that controversial legal safeguards which eventually scuttled the Central Florida rail plan are almost identical to protections in place two decades for Tri-Rail.

"If it's good in one place, it's good everywhere. If it's bad in one place, it's bad everywhere," Webster concluded.

Responded Geller: "It's a real shame for me that we've gone two sessions (as rival leaders) and on the last day of session we should be arguing over trying to kill each other's legislation."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-bk-commuter-rail-050208,0,836009.story

[thelakelander]

Doesn't matter at this point to save this particular deal.  Orlando is going to lose their federal funding, meaning they can't afford it.  I bet they wish they had $100 million for mass transit laying around like Jacksonville does.

**Edit: umm, $67 million.  I hope I received bad information, but rumor has it that JTA has already spent somewhere around $33 million for road improvements throughout town.

[thelakelander]

I guess its not officially dead yet. The original story has been edited.  Gov. Crist is trying to save it.

Commuter rail deal dead, Webster says

John Kennedy | Tallahassee Bureau
3:51 PM EDT, May 2, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - If there was any doubt left, Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster declared Central Florida's bid for commuter rail dead Friday.

"Central Florida wanted to have commuter rail. It's not going to happen," Webster said in debate on the Senate floor. "The federal money will disappear. We tried."

Webster officially ran up the white flag on the region's plan to lease 61-miles of track from CSX Corp., while successfully beating back an attempt by Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, D- Cooper City, to give South Florida authority to hold a referendum to impose a $2-surcharge on rental cars to pay for Tri-Rail improvements.

Gov. Charlie Crist says he has been reaching out today to opponents of Central Florida's commuter rail project, such as trial lawyers and Lakeland-area lawmakers, to try to get them onboard with the plan.


"I have talked to a lot of members of the House and the Senate -- mostly the Senate, obviously -- and I think we'll have some success," Crist said, after emerging from the House floor and a ceremony honoring Speaker Marco Rubio. "Some interest groups that have been involved, I've reached out to them to try to understand why they've been where they've been and try to shake this thing free."

Some have been talking up a potential deal that could link Crist's coveted-but-controversial plan for a gas-tax holiday with the commuter rail package. "I hope so," the governor said. "I would love to see both."

After Webster's news broke, Orange County's top two political leaders called for lawmakers to meet in special session if necessary to approve commuter rail for Central Florida.

Crotty said a special session might prompt lawmakers to change their minds. Added Dyer, "If it does fail today, I think there's a lot of sentiment to ask the governor and the [senate] president and [house] speaker to call a special session on this issue.''

Webster had earlier rolled out the rental-car surcharge as part of a package designed to lure Senate support for the Orlando-area commuter rail plan. But now that the CSX deal is derailed, Webster was in no mood to help out his fellow term-limited senator, who recently nominated him for a national legislative award.

"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," Webster said, pointing out that controversial legal safeguards which eventually scuttled the Central Florida rail plan are almost identical to protections in place two decades for Tri-Rail.

"If it's good in one place, it's good everywhere. If it's bad in one place, it's bad everywhere," Webster concluded.

Responded Geller: "It's a real shame for me that we've gone two sessions (as rival leaders) and on the last day of session we should be arguing over trying to kill each other's legislation."

The House earlier this week signed off on the deal. But its chief hurdle has always been the Senate, where trial lawyers and unions, along with critics such as Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, have spent months building a barricade.

They've argued the deal was a giveaway to a multibillion-dollar corporation, set a bad legal precedent by granting protection from lawsuits to private contractors and -- at a cost ranging from $436 million to $650 million -- was just a bad deal in a worse budget year.

-- Aaron Deslatte of the Tallahassee Bureau contributed to this report.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-bk-commuter-rail-050208,0,836009.story

[Steve]

Come On Govenor.

And One, And Two, And Three, and Four, And Five.

Now Breathe......

[thelakelander]

Evidently, its bigger than if Orlando ends up with commuter rail or not.  Its a State issue.

[fsujax]

It's not totally dead. We will have to wait until the next session. You have to contact Tallahassee and tell them you want this deal done.

[Steve]

It's not totally dead. We will have to wait until the next session. You have to contact Tallahassee and tell them you want this deal done.

Do we really expect the budget climate next year to be any better?

[thelakelander]

It may not have to wait that long....

This is starting to look like it may happen. The Governor and Senate are talking now. The Senate is in informal recess.

[thelakelander]

Now Washington is getting in on this:

Mica to legislators: It's "absolutely imperative" commuter rail passes

Winter Park's John Mica has weighed in from Washington on the CSX deal, warning legislators that approval is "absolutely imperative" and that a failure to do so "will significantly damage Florida’s credibility and standing on every future project that requires federal authorization."

The veteran Republican congressman, who personally won a promise of $300 million in federal money for the project, has been joined by U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez in a bipartisan show of support.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/commuter_rail/index.html

[thelakelander]

John Mica and Corrine Brown joining forces behind commuter rail

Here's a letter-writing combination you don't see every day: U.S. Rep. Corinne Brown, the flamboyant and outspoken Democrat from Jacksonville who represents a piece of Orlando; and U.S. Rep. John Mica, the reserved Republican from Winter Park. But they united to send a note to Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, who's publicly opposed the liability provisions of the commuter rail deal, pleading with her to back off.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/commuter_rail/index.html

[Steve]

Senate Transportation Chairman Carey Baker just effectively pulled the plug on the last stab at passing the legal agreement for Central Florida commuter rail this session.

After an emotional blow-up from a Miami-Dade senator who complained she was being strong-armed to add the CSX language to her bill, the Senate ground to a halt for more than an hour.

Behind the scenes, senators tried to console Sen. Larcenia Bullard and a last-ditch push to add a gas tax holiday and the commuter rail language to an unrelated transportation bill that originally dealt with an Interstate-95 study.

“The CSX stuff is not in it,” Baker said, shortly before the Senate voted to send the bill to the governor without the rail deal.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/commuter_rail/index.html

[thelakelander]

This could have a huge negative effect on not only rail, but BRT and regular road projects that need Federal Funding.  We may have to get used to paying out of the pocket for transit improvements of all kinds without heavily relying on federal dollars.

[Steve]

If this doesn't happen, it looks like there is a slim chance the Crist could call the Senate back for a Special Session regarding this.

[Lunican]

This will greatly damage the prospect of commuter rail in Jacksonville. If the state is unwilling to sign an indemnity agreement then a new strategy for rail transit in Florida will have to be thought out.

[thelakelander]

CSX: "regrettably," no commuter rail for Central Florida

Here's the statement released by CSX moments before the Legislature adjourned. It's a bit open to interpretation, but it could be read as permanently writing off the possibility of commuter rail in Central Florida:

CSX is disappointed that the Legislature has failed to endorse this important investment in Florida’s future. Today’s legislative action means that the company’s transaction with the state will not go forward this year, and regrettably, it does not appear that commuter rail will be available in Central Florida. CSX is reviewing its timeline for rail infrastructure modifications in Florida and studying other implications of today’s activity. 

CSX commends the leadership and vision of officials including Congressman John Mica, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, former Governor Jeb Bush, Governor Charlie Crist, FDOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, state Rep. Dean Cannon, and state Sen. Daniel Webster. Since the August 2006 announcement of the agreement in principle with the state, CSX has focused on delivering the economic and environmental benefits promised in this far-reaching restructuring of Florida’s transportation network. The company, with 1,650 miles of track and 6,500 employees in its headquarters state, looks forward to continued and significant contributions to Florida’s progress.

Mica's coming to town Monday

U.S. Rep. John Mica of Winter Park (photo at left) is not a happy man right now. But he's not giving up on bringing commuter rail to his district.

The ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued this terse release after the Legislature failed to approve commuter rail for Central Florida: "I will be meeting Monday morning to assess what the options are and talking to State and local officials. This is a setback but we’ll continue to work to secure the needed final State approval. I am determined to explore every option to keep the project moving forward.''

Reporter Jay Hamburg just talked to U.S. Rep. John Mica, who has championed commuter rail for more than a decade. He sounded far from defeated.

"I'm in no way deterred by the setback. I think it's temporary. I think we'll find a way," he said.

The congressman said he hoped a special session might result in passage, but even if that strategy failed he believes there is enough state and federal money available to keep the project alive for another year.

"Like it or not, I'm the best-positioned person in the House of Representatives to deal on transportation on a whole host of issues, including highways, rails, ports, airports, Everglades restoration and public buildings,'' he said. "And I intend to make sure this project goes forward one way or another."

Asked if that was a veiled threat against those who did not support the commuter rail deal, Mica said: "It's a strong commitment to the project. It may take some education of people … We'll put a little heat on people around the state. We'll find a way to prevail."

Jeb is "disappointed for Central Florida"

"I am disappointed for central florida. We need transportation corridors intrastate as well as in our regions to enhance the quality of life for floridians. I hope the action of the legislature does not kill one such idea."

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/commuter_rail/index.html