Recent News Articles
SunRail: Jump On It
As the year ends, it is important that Floridians note that the legislature failed to pass the Sunrail proposal once again. The legislature must not drag its feet on this project, as the federal funds will soon be unavailable. The time has come to modernize Central Florida's transportation system. Sunrail is essentially a new transit system for Central Florida. The system...
SunRail, Tri-Rail Roll Toward Single Bill
If lawmakers agree to a special session to tackle rail issues, they’ll be voting on a single all-compassing bill from the very beginning, including Orlando and South Florida commuter rail, the Senate backers the proposed legislation say. Sen. Lee Constantine, who pushed unsuccessfully last session for the Orlando commuter rail proposal, and Sen. Jeremy Ring, who pushed for a...
Local lawmakers confident about the passage of SunRail
Area lawmakers say they’re more confident now that the SunRail commuter rail project, considered to be on life support just a year ago, is once again on track to getting a green light. As lawmakers gear up for a special legislative session in December to approve a funding package for SunRail and for South Florida’s rail system, Tri-Rail, they think that tying...
A simple solution to our rail-transit problems
With the economic and transit future of Florida at stake, state elected officials from Gov. Charlie Crist on down are wheeling and dealing instead of addressing a simple problem in a straight forward manner. Here's the simple problem: Tri-Rail, Florida's only rail-transit system, is failing because past and current governors and legislators have not been able to approve a...
Crist Hopes SunRail Session Set By Thanksgiving
Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday that he is “hopefully optimistic” that there will be a special session for rail issues this year and that a date could be set for the gathering by the end of the month. Speaking with reporters before a Cabinet meeting during which Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos gave an outline of where the state is in working out liability...
Transit Summit This Week
As advocates of transit and alternative transportation within the Miami region, we have a duty to our future region to stay vigilant and continue to push for greater funding for alternative transportation methods and improving our current roadways and infrastructure. Secondly, we must make sure that we act responsibly and respond when public meetings are held. This Wednesday night is the...
Lawmakers make another push for SunRail
With Florida lawmakers considering a special session to deal with the future of SunRail, local officials are preparing to become part of the commuter rail partnership once again. Talks that a special session will happen by December to determine SunRail’s future became louder this week, when Central Florida leaders gathered in Orlando Wednesday for a meeting with U.S. Sen. George...
Legislators close to SunRail deal
After two embarrassing defeats, the SunRail commuter train could be on the verge of winning approval in the state Legislature. Supporters are lining up votes and drafting a bill for a special session that could be held in Tallahassee during the week of Dec. 7. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he is "extremely optimistic" about the chances of passage for the $1.2 billion...
My Word: Time to get rail on track
For too long, Florida has put off investing in commuter rail and all of us are paying the price. Florida's long stretches of highway combined with increasing traffic congestion have made traveling between major cities difficult and time consuming. This constricts our productivity and the state's overall economy. Just building more roads is not a solution; we need high-speed and commuter rail....
Sen. Nelson says health reform is imperative, oil drilling risky, and commuter rail transformative
Health care concerns dominated an event in Brooksville that Nelson had billed as a veterans forum. "If we don't do something about health care, it's going to run our country into bankruptcy," Nelson told the crowd gathered at city hall. Lawrence Adkins, 62, of Brooksville said he worried that the bill could result in cuts to senior health care programs....
