By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

High-speed rail running between Tampa and Orlando is still on track for now but the project is $300 million short of funding.

Kevin J. Thibault, executive director of Florida Rail Enterprise, Florida Department of Transportation, updated Osceola County commissioners Monday on the 84-mile project, which would run from Tampa to Orlando. The rail line, which would run along the Interstate 4 median for much of its route and then along State Road 528 in Orange County, would have five stops — the Marion Street bus station in Tampa (at Interstate 275); Lakeland (on I-4); ESPN Wide World of Sports in Osceola County; the Orange County Convention Center; and the Orlando International Airport.

Thibault said $1.25 billion in federal funding was set aside for the project in January. Two weeks ago, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a second round of high-speed rail grants, with Florida being awarded $800 million more, putting the shortfall at the $300 million mark.

A second phase of this project would run from the Orlando airport to Miami International Airport; the route for this leg of the system, though, has not been finalized but could follow either the Florida’s Turnpike or Interstate 95.

The top speed for the train running between Orlando and Tampa, Thibault said, would be 181 mph, with an average speed of 100 mph. The train, if there were no stops, would make the run in 43 minutes. Traveling between the two ends of the rail route by car takes about 90 minutes, on average.

According to Thibault, the state will issue a request for proposals for the rail project in March, with construction to start in 2012 and the opening sometime in 2015. The company chosen for the project would build, operate and maintain the system for 30 years.

“We expect eight responses to the request for proposals,” Thibault said, adding that the state projects that revenue from fares would pay for operating and maintenance costs. He also said the state is now updating its ridership projections.

Questions

County commissioners had several questions on the project.

Commissioner Brandon Arrington asked about what assurances are in place that the county would not be asked to fund part of the project, such as the station at ESPN. Thibault said the state is responsible for construction costs through its partnership with the federal government.

Commissioner John Quiñones asked whether a final decision had been made on the stop at ESPN and whether a site in Celebration was under consideration. Thibault said the only “federally approved” station was at ESPN, which is off Osceola Parkway.

Commission Chairman Fred Hawkins Jr. asked whether construction would move forward without all the money being in place. The answer was that either the money or a letter of commitment must be in place before the project would move to construction.

The line along I-4 would run mostly at ground level, going under or over some cross bridges, FDOT officials said. The section from I-4 to the Orlando airport, however, would be elevated.

State Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, on Thursday said the fact that Osceola County has a high-speed rail stop would be a major boost to the local economy. He also said tying the ESPN Wide World of Sports stop with SunRail through a commuter rail spur along Osceola Parkway to the station along Orange Avenue would make sense.

"The state is looking for a place to tie high-speed rail and SunRail together, the Osceola Parkway stop should be studied for that connection," Horner said.

According to the Florida Rail Enterprise website, each station would have parking facilities and rental cars available, plus offer bus, light rail or commuter rail transit connections. There also would be small retail outlets developed.

Funding in jeopardy?

In widely published reports Wednesday, the Republican lawmaker in line to head the U.S. House Transportation Committee said he wants to re-examine $10 billion in federal grants for high-speed train service, one of President Barack Obama’s signature programs.

Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, the committee’s ranking GOP member, in an interview with the Associated Press said he believes high-speed trains are a good idea, but he doesn’t agree with the projects selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation for funding.

The biggest awards announced last January were $2.3 billion to California to begin work on an 800-mile-long, high-speed rail line tying Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles and San Diego; the $1.25 billion for the Tampa-to-Orlando project; $1.1 billion to Missouri and Illinois to improve a rail line between Chicago and St. Louis; and $810 million to Wisconsin to build a new line between Madison and Milwaukee, which eventually could be part of a line connecting Minneapolis to Chicago.

Mica said most of the projects weren’t truly high-speed trains like the trains in Europe and Asia and that the Northeast is probably the only region in the United States with a population density great enough to financially support a high-speed rail network.

Mica also said he wants to focus on projects that could be a success, particularly in the Northeast corridor, which was almost totally neglected by the administration.

Mica suggested possibly scaling back the Florida project to a line that runs between the Orlando airport and theme parks and tourist destinations in the Orlando area.

Such a route, he said, would have the potential for actually making money.

For more information, visit www.floridahighspeedrail.org.