beeracuda
Sea Bass.
Joined: Apr 09, 2008
Posts: 35
Location: Florida
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 Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:13 pm Post subject: High speed rails coming to florida |
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It's official. High speed rail is coming to Florida.
Within five years, you should be able to catch the high speed train from downtown Tampa and be at Orlando International Airport within an hour.
"This is American history happening right here," said Ed Turnachik, president of the Connect US, the grassroots campaign to bring high speed rail to Florida.
President Obama and Vice President Biden announced Florida is getting $1.25 billion of the $8 billion pot of stimulus money for high speed rail.
"It's a down payment on a program that's going to change the way we travel," said Vice President Biden.
While it's not the entire $2.65 billion the state asked for, no state was expected to get its full request.
The Florida Department of Transportation tells 10 Connects it doesn't need the full request to get started.
"Today's awards provide only initial funding for the rail system, like the Tampa-Orlando route. More funding is going to come in the future as progress is made," said Vice-President Biden.
In all, 31 states are receiving the stimulus funding to build new tracks, upgrade current rail or prepare for high speed rail.
Alex Sink, Florida's Chief Financial Officer, is confident Florida will get the money it needs to complete the 84 mile route.
"The indications are coming out of Washington that the federal budget will have the other billion dollars for us in the later years," she told 10 Connects.
High speed rail has long been in the works in Florida. The state has already acquired 92% of the land it needs to lay down the tracks, most of it in the median of I-4.
The state expects to break ground on the fast track between Tampa and Orlando next year with a completion date of late 2014 to early 2015.
FDOT says of the more than 270,000 people who use I-4 everyday between Tampa and Orlando, 10 percent of them will turn to high speed rail.
It's estimated the average last minute, one-way ticket will cost you about $30. Tickets for commuters or those who buy in advance could run about $10-$12, according to FDOT.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=123883&provider=rss
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