(The following article by Catherine Dolinski was posted on the Tampa Tribune website on February 19.)
TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s commuter rail deal with CSX Transportation cleared its first House committee Wednesday, despite state estimates revealing that long-term costs will be near $2.7 billion.
For more than a year, supporters and opponents have described the plan to bring a 61-mile commuter rail system to the Orlando area as a roughly $1.2 billion project. On Wednesday, however, Sen. Paula Dockery released documents she received from state transportation officials indicating that total costs will top $2.66 billion through fiscal year 2035-36.
Of that, the state would pay $703.4 million, and federal dollars are expected to cover $682.6 million. Local counties would shoulder $764.3 million, with $510.3 million coming from the fare box.
“As disturbing as the revised estimate is, it fails to include the updated costs of building five rail overpasses in north Central Florida, a documented condition of the sale,” Dockery, R-Lakeland, said in an e-mail. “And because the project’s three initial bids all came in over-budget, the price will likely swell even more.”
Those costs include purchasing track and building overpasses ($491 million, without including an estimated $150 million overrun), rail system construction costs ($615.4 million), operations and maintenance over 30 years ($947.7 million) and debt service ($339.9 million).
Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos said those figures do not reflect new cost increases.
“That’s the cost to operate and maintain the project for 30 years,” she said, which is not how the department normally cites a project’s cost. “It’s how you ask for the number. We’re trying to get everything that people ask for onto one page so that it answers everyone’s questions.”
She stressed that the Central Florida counties take over the costs of operation and maintenance after seven years.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said local governments have not decided which revenue sources they will tap to pay that cost. But “it’s not going to be a problem,” he said.
Dyer dismissed the significance of the long-term cost breakdown, arguing that operating costs can be projected over any number of years. “Whatever number’s new today, there will be another one tomorrow. It’s meant to confuse people,” he said.
The project represents lawmakers’ biggest opportunity this spring to stimulate the state’s economy, Rep. Gary Aubuchon told the House Economic Development and Community Affairs Policy Council.