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April 14, 2009
Orlando rail project would spur Manatee port

A boost to Manatee
Orlando rail project would spur our port
Bradenton Herald editorial

In a roundabout way, the Central Florida Commuter Rail Project stands to become an economic jolt for Manatee County.

The potential for a major increase in business and jobs at Port Manatee is so attractive the County Commission passed a resolution supporting passage of the Senate measure on the rail project, SB 1212.

Port Manatee already holds significant promise for our future economic development. In March, the port debuted a giant $3.9 million crane that allows off-loading of cargo containers.

That addition alone puts the port in a prime position once work on the widening of the Panama Canal is complete in about seven years and larger ships can transit from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Port Manatee could be a big beneficiary of that since it’s the closest American port to the canal.

Container ships could drop their cargo here and ship it throughout the East Coast and beyond — by rail.

The Central Florida Commuter Rail Project, also known as SunRail, is the linchpin to greater rail access out of Port Manatee — and the boost in business.

The legislation calls for the state to pay the freight-hauling giant CSX Corp. for 61 miles of track from DeBary through downtown Orlando to Lakeland.

The state would also pay for improvements to freight routes and other upgrades. These infrastructure enhancements between Jacksonville and Tampa would ease the freight train bottleneck in Central Florida and allow a larger number of shipments to head north. That translates into business opportunities at Port Manatee — and thus the inspiration for the Manatee County Commission’s resolution.

We support this legislation as well.

The container trade continues to grow, even in this economy, and is expected to balloon by more than double by 2024, according to a Morgan Stanley study.

Many ports, including Tampa’s, are boxed in by urban development, contend with traffic congestion and would have difficulties adding ship berths. That’s not the case with Port Manatee.

Commissioners agreed late last month on a batch of incentives and tax relief measures to spur economic development, and Port Manatee is a major component.

With better access to rail, Port Manatee would rely less on trucks for distribution. That would ease traffic on our highways, another bonus, and unclog Interstate 4 through Orlando.

The $1.2 billion commuter rail project includes more than $300 million in federal funding, and fits into President Obama’s economic stimulus strategy of infrastructure construction.

Those federal dollars will be lost without the passage of this legislation, supported by Gov. Charlie Crist, and the state cannot afford to foot the bill alone.

But several major hurdles remain in the Senate, one a concern over the state taking on too much liability for train accidents and the other over Lakeland getting placed on the waiting list for future transportation spending.

Passenger trains are a proven winner in the state. South Florida’s commuter rail, Tri-Rail, saw a surge in popularity last year. The 4.3 million passengers in 2008 represents a 22.9 percent increase from 2007, the Miami Herald has reported.

With passage of SunRail, commuter trains in the Tampa Bay region have a stronger chance of coming on line. The state could be spared the expense of widening Interstate 75 and other roadway expansions.

We urge the Senate to resolve the outstanding issues and approve the Central Florida Commuter Rail Project. The economic development benefits to a major portion of the state — including Manatee County — are too great to pass up.