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April 19, 2009
Florida needs SunRail

Orlando Sentinel editorial

SunRail's environmentally responsible; costs a lot less than building a new highway lane; and is guaranteed to help lift the economy.

It's one of the best things to hit the state in years. But -- this is Florida, remember -- the passenger train's virtues aren't keeping it from getting booted around in Tallahassee.

That's because while SunRail promises commuters an alternative to gridlocked roads, and forestalls sprawl by enticing more people to live and work near its 61-mile route, several holdouts in the Legislature say it isn't getting them where they need to go.

Its next stop on Monday is the Economic Development Appropriations Committee. To get past it, SunRail's Senate sponsor, Lee Constantine, has agreed to give the committee's holdout -- and swing vote -- what he wants. SunRail's supporters should be OK with that. To get his constituents to support his vote for Central Florida's SunRail, Chris Smith of Ft. Lauderdale is requesting the Legislature allow a $2 rental car surcharge to help support Tri-Rail, now serving commuters from Miami to West Palm Beach.

SunRail's supporters can swallow that because they want thriving passenger rail lines serving all of Florida's major population centers, not just Orlando.

In fact, SunRail should help the residents of Tampa and Jacksonville get the passenger rail service they want. Last year, the Legislature gave $2 million to officials in Tampa for them to develop a regional plan to run a commuter rail or light rail line. Jacksonville's transportation authority is studying a commuter rail line.

If SunRail passes the Legislature, it would send a loud signal to Washington that the nation's fourth most populous state wants rail as much as any other. Millions of dollars promised to SunRail by Washington would begin making their way to Florida, and requests for federal money to help fund train travel for the state's other two major population centers would get more traction.

That's something legislators representing the regions around Tampa and Jacksonville would do well to keep in mind if SunRail passes the committee on Monday and makes its way to them for a vote in the full Senate.

Florida's interest in hosting a high-speed train running from Tampa to Orlando, or Orlando to Miami also would be taken more seriously if SunRail passes the Legislature. President Obama on Thursday mentioned Florida as a contender for billions in federal dollars for a super-fast transport. But hardly anyone advocating it in Florida believes the state would see a dime if the state spurns the far-more-modest commuter-rail venture. How can Florida be taken seriously if that happens?

Transportation officials in Washington know it would make no sense to finance one of the nation's first high-speed rail systems in Florida if only the state's southeast corner offers local rail service. High speed trains work best when they're part of a mass transit network, where passengers ride them, then transfer to other trains to reach their final destination.

Legislators who withhold their support for SunRail don't just harm its chances, but the chances of rail running throughout Florida.