[Cathy H]

Fla. governor Scott decided today not to accept $ 2.4 Billion from the federal government to build the new high speed passenger railroad between Orlando airport and Tampa. This project has been in the planning stage for more than 20 years, with widespread support.
What a terrible mistake this is.

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by Cathy H

Fla. governor Scott decided today not to accept $ 2.4 Billion from the federal government to build the new high speed passenger railroad between Orlando airport and Tampa. This project has been in the planning stage for more than 20 years, with widespread support.
What a terrible mistake this is.

[LELANDJANE]

Shouldn't this be in the political thread?

[golf2140]

Originally Posted by Cathy H

Fla. governor Scott decided today not to accept $ 2.4 Billion from the federal government to build the new high speed passenger railroad between Orlando airport and Tampa. This project has been in the planning stage for more than 20 years, with widespread support.
What a terrible mistake this is.

This item was voted on by the people of Florida a few years back and we didn't want it then. There isn't public transportation in this country that pays it's own way.

[cybrgeezer]

"This item was voted on by the people of Florida a few years back and we didn't want it then."

Maybe you didn't, but the voters of Florida approved it.

[cybrgeezer]

I tried to edit my earlier post to add that the vote was in a November 2000 constitutional referendum.

[nitehawk]

Great News http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/high-...-new-york.html

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by Cathy H

Fla. governor Scott decided today not to accept $ 2.4 Billion from the federal government to build the new high speed passenger railroad between Orlando airport and Tampa. This project has been in the planning stage for more than 20 years, with widespread support.
What a terrible mistake this is.

am new to this discussion of the rail line...could you explain why you think this is a mistake...i can't figure who might benefit from this hi-speed line...do you know what the daily ridership would be...is their a regular commuter line there now...trying to find the details thru newsspaper archives is rough!

thanx for any background resource info you can provide.

[skyguy79]

Regardless of how one feels about the HS Rail situation, I'd like to provide a link for anyone who would be interest in the passenger rail situation in our country that includes both pro and con opinions and may also include not only sensible postings, but some not-so-sensible postings as well. In otherwords... reader beware! The link is:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/inde...hopping-block/

Also, I did agree with the original poster plus I am an Amtrak supporter, but my opinions stems not from politics, but from personal experience. For instance, my son lives in LA and I live in upstate NY. (as well as The Villages now) I cannot fly and driving that distance would be quite a physical discomfort with an unreasonable and unacceptable length of time to make the trip and return. That means, but for Amtrak and their Handicapped Accessable bedrooms, I would never be able to visit our son in CA. I'm fairly sure that there are probably many others that would be in the same or similar situations as I am.

But dispite all that, it does not mean that my opinion about HR cannot be swayed with the correct argument being presented. In that light I did find a posting at the same website as above that does a good job of giving me pause to think about the feasibility of the ORL>TPA HS plan. Click this link:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/inde...ost__p__275058

[Avista]

Originally Posted by nitehawk

Great News http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/high-...-new-york.html

We lived in Tampa and a rail is very much needed to connect Tampa to Orlando. It really irks me that New York might get OUR money.

[BlueHeronFan]

The difference between the USA and other countries is that we have the interstate system. Very few would actually use the rail. It's a white elephant, just like AMTRAK.

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by BlueHeronFan

The difference between the USA and other countries is that we have the interstate system. Very few would actually use the rail. It's a white elephant, just like AMTRAK.

With all due respect, I and many would hardly call Amtrak a white elephant. Speaking of my personal experience only and I don't travel as miuch by train as many do, but I currently do have over 42,400 rail miles with another 4,000+ scheduled for this year alone, And as I previously stated, I would not be able to travel cross country to visit my son if it were not for Amtrak.

If Amtrak were privitized I doubt that it would be any better, without subsidization and the passenger cost would rise from the already substantial to a level that could make it unsubstainable and drive a large portion of the ridership to air travel, which would quite possibly raise passenger cost up their as well as the already current crowding in airports becoming even more over crowded.

My wife and I have traveled from ALB to CHI then on every train that goes from CHI to and from the pacific coast as well as Texas. I've rarely seen a station waiting room that wasn't fairly crowded and trains that were not full. There are many that cannot even get train reservations because of demand, and many more passengers could be handled if they had the capacity, which they don't because of a lack of adequate federal support, much like the level that air travel gets.

Now someone mentioned that they don't like that NY is getting their (meaning FL) money. Again, with all due respect, it's not FL's or NY's money. It's the tax payers money. I agree that Orlando<>Tampa could use rail service, but with regular rail service as mentioned in the Times Union article and not necessary as HSR any more that it's really needed from NYC to upstate NY.

One final thought, if we one day get HSR everywhere its wanted, what's next? Demands for the development of matter transporters like were in sci-fi movies like in "Star Trek" or "The Fly"?

[billethkid]

Orlando to Tampa and back was a piece it might look like we were entertaining a system that some day could offset oil driven/dependent cars.
Sorta like an interstate system but for HS trains.
A roadmap (no pun intended) of where the HS system would be some day in the future.....instead of just pushing one very little segment serving Orlando/Tampa.

Are you ready to step up to the plate and pay a sur charge on gasoline/groceries/etc to help pay for the system?

Why is it that there are no investors standing in line to provide monies needed for such a venture?

One of the above post suggested Amtrak would do no better if they were private. I disagree. If they were private they would be performing to the expectations of the owners and customers who expect to make a profit.

The federal government has no such requirement. And has the benefit of over running costs without the worry of the banks pulling the string.

I also do not agree this subject is political. Is building a new road in TV political? Could be I guess.

btk

[Sparky-30]

Suits me just fine, thats why we voted him in, we cant stand any more tax increases.

[golf2140]

Leading the list was the train traveling between New Orleans and Los Angeles – the Sunset Limited – which lost $462 per passenger. Taxpayers subsidize the losses to keep the passenger train service running.