WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today issued the following statement on High Speed Rail in Florida.
This morning I met with Governor Rick Scott to discuss the high speed rail project that will create jobs and economic development for the entire state of Florida. He asked me for additional information about the state’s role in this project, the responsibilities of the Florida Department of Transportation, as well as how the state would be protected from liability. I have decided to give Governor Scott additional time to review the agreement crafted by local officials from Orlando, Tampa, Lakeland and Miami, and to consult with his staff at the state Department of Transportation. He has committed to making a final decision by the end of next week. I feel we owe it to the people of Florida, who have been working to bring high speed rail to their state for the last 20 years, to go the extra mile.
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I love rail but this money should not be in the form of a ‘HSR Grant or Nothing’ form. Florida should use the 2.5 billion to develop better transit within our cities like light rail and traffic light synchronization. Yes, traffic lights. It’s actually a very costly endeavor but can save tremendous amounts of wasted fuel, improve efficiency and actually make things safer for pedestrians as cars and other vehicles don’t have to speed to beat mistimed lights. Light rail to connect airports like FLL with the urban core, etc. These aren’t as sexy as HSR but they are way more realistic. We can’t expect people to utilize HSR in numbers by plopping down a few stations without legitimate transit options once you arrive at your destination.