Recent News Articles
Crist Backs $641 Mil. Commuter Rail Plan
With a well-orchestrated political blast, Gov. Charlie Crist pushed hard Wednesday for the approval of a controversial, $641 million deal to build a commuter rail line through greater Orlando. The proposal was stymied in the Legislature last year because of concerns about the cost, increased freight train traffic in surrounding areas including Alachua, Marion and Polk...
Summit on Rail Issues Rolls Along Smoothly
People barely on speaking terms a year ago because of the high-tension dispute over the proposed Orlando-area commuter rail that would add more freight trains through downtown Lakeland played nice all day Wednesday. And that alone, several public officials said, was reason enough to hold a meeting where officials across Florida, particularly the Interstate 4 corridor, exchanged...
Here's a storybook view of commuter rail in 2012
As the leader of a business that employs more than 60,000 Central Floridians, I find a lot to like about SunRail. It will provide another way for commuters to reach their jobs. It will open new access to existing businesses. And it will help bring new businesses here. All of these are important. But one thing that might not be so obvious is how SunRail is going to improve something...
Rail Costs Disputed
I must respond to some of the incorrect points made in the Jan. 12 Tampa Tribune story entitled "Commuter Rail Falters Again as Supplier Fails." First, the Tribune continues to incorrectly cite the cost of the 61-mile Central Florida Commuter Rail project as being $1.2 billion. The total cost to plan, design, and construct this project, including the cost to purchase the...
Commuter rail: Start this economic engine
America is in a recession, and Floridians have not been spared. Florida's unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, higher than the national rate of 7.2 percent. Florida has lost 255,000 jobs over the past 12 months. The full attention of our elected leaders should be given to economic recovery, transition and job growth. While Florida is faced with the same...
We think: Commuter rail might not run if Crist doesn't take the controls
It's time for Gov. Charlie Crist to step up on commuter rail. Not just support it, but champion it. Anything less from Mr. Crist and the 61-mile mass transit system for Central Florida might not run. It cleared one major obstacle when backers this month got some of the saboteurs who fought it last year to lay down their arms. Trial lawyers quit their opposition when officials agreed to...
We think: Commuter trains can help solve the woes of Winter Park's merchants
Charlie Crist isn't the only one seeming like he hasn't yet grasped the enormity of commuter rail's impact on the economy. Some officials in Winter Park, which is scheduled to host one of the rail line's 17 stations, think more money spent on studies examining what ails the area could trigger a rebound, along with greater efforts at recruiting retailers. About $900,000 over the next three...
We think: Score one for lawyers, but commuter rail still moves ahead
Weary commuters have reason to celebrate this week. A group of state trial lawyers dropped its opposition to Central Florida's newly named SunRail project, lifting a key barrier to the most important transportation initiative that's come along in years. Make no mistake, the lawyers got their way. They didn't want the private companies involved with the region's 61-mile commuter-rail...
Trial lawyers get aboard commuter-rail project
Central Florida's planned commuter train rolled a little closer to reality Wednesday when the state's powerful trial-lawyers association dropped its opposition to the $1.2 billion project. That group, along with Polk County legislators, succeeded last year in derailing legislative approval of the proposed 61-mile system, now known as SunRail. Rather than fight them again this year,...
Logo for proposed commuter rail unveiled
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and local transit officials unveiled the new logo for Central Florida's proposed commuter-rail system this morning. The round SunRail logo features a sleek train car shooting forward with a palm tree and sunset in the background. Dyer said the name could also be used in other areas, such as Tampa and Jacksonville, that develop rail systems in the...
