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FL: FLDOT to Use Road Funding to Operate SunRail?

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DanTheMan414:
In an article from Monday's Orlando Sentinel, Central Florida's $1.2B SunRail commuter train system is facing the potential of cost overruns, and to solve the problem, FLDOT is planning to dip into the local roads coughers, putting a number of future Orlando-area roads projects at risk if SunRail costs continue to swell.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-sunrail-cost-overruns-20100409,0,6742338.story

leifvanderwall:
That depends on how many people actually use the Sunrail system. If there is quite a bit of usage on the rail system and it leads to less highway congestion in the city. I would be in favor for the dipping of the local roads coffers.

D-Dey65:
I really don't like it when road funds are misued for other projects.

mightyace:

--- Quote from: D-Dey65 on April 13, 2010, 08:17:08 PM ---I really don't like it when road funds are misused for other projects.

--- End quote ---

Agreed, that was part of my opposition to the dead-for-now, I-80 tolling project in PA.

Anyway, I don't have a problem with states using a higher percentage of their transportation dollars on non-highway transportation.  But, I want them to be honest about it.  Don't say it's for the roads then spend it on trains or vice-versa.

D-Dey65:

--- Quote from: mightyace on April 13, 2010, 08:34:58 PM ---Anyway, I don't have a problem with states using a higher percentage of their transportation dollars on non-highway transportation.  But, I want them to be honest about it.  Don't say it's for the roads then spend it on trains or vice-versa.

--- End quote ---
True. If they're going to use the money for roads, the should stick to that plan. The only connection that this has to the roads is that it's also tied to the high-speed rail project, which is intended to run along the median of I-4. The trouble with that project is that there are so many people requesting stops in between that it's not going to be as high-speed as they're promising. You'd be better off driving a car. And if you want to travel between Tampa and Orlando by rail you've always got Amtrak right there to the south of I-4.

And I have to remind people here, I'm not against the SunRail project. I actually think it can be successful. They might have to struggle to get it going in DeLand, but I think it could work out there eventually. That doesn't change the fact that using road funding is a rotten idea. With that kind of money, they could use it to complete the Orlando Loop, or upgrade US 27, or turn more of US 19 into an expressway between Clearwater and Weeki Wachee, or complete the Suncoast Parkway, or turn US 301 into an expressway between Ocala and Fernandina Beach.

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