(The following editorial appeared on the Orlando Sentinel website on August 6, 2009.)
ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s time to get over the blues stemming from SunRail’s defeat in Tallahassee more than three months ago.
Time, too, to bury any skepticism about whether CSX’s agreement in June, which waived its deadline to sell the track for SunRail, could possibly amount to anything.
We have. You should. Here’s why.
If the 61-mile commuter-rail line planned to run from DeLand through Orlando to Poinciana didn’t have a prayer, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wouldn’t be looking to champion it at an upcoming SunRail summit in Orlando. U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown on Tuesday heralded Mr. LaHood’s participation.
Its leading opponent wouldn’t have rushed down to South Florida to try and derail mounting talk of linking SunRail’s future to that of Tri-Rail, the beleaguered commuter train serving that region.
And several of its leading advocates wouldn’t be spending so much of their time this summer making real progress in getting SunRail back on track.
They’re pinning their hopes on CSX and the state fashioning a new deal that enough lawmakers could get behind in a special legislative session sometime between October and February. And that just might happen.
It might happen if Washington takes on more of the project’s financial load. And indeed, SunRail’s now a solid candidate for about another $400 million in federal funds, either from a grant or financed at more favorable terms than the state could. That would be on top of the $308 million U.S. Rep. John Mica says he has secured for the project.
It could give a lawmaker or two who feared supporting SunRail last session in a down economy even more reason to support it in a special session.
The higher federal contribution also has strengthened Alex Sink’s support for the project. A spokesperson for Florida’s chief financial officer says she’s eager to get involved in the details over how liability in case of accidents is divided.
Also wanting to jump in on that is Florida’s attorney general, Bill McCollum, a SunRail supporter. Both are running for governor — something new since legislation apportioning blame in case of accidents got defeated last session. But as candidates, they can become more forceful advocates for projects that benefit the entire state, projects like SunRail. They can, and they should.
It’s possible, however, that the terms Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, state Sen. Lee Constantine and others are fashioning on liability might win over more lawmakers even without the involvement of political candidates. CSX has signaled its willingness to possibly take on more of the risk.
Still, the key to SunRail’s future likely rests with Democratic lawmakers representing South Florida districts. Most of them fought it because they’re beholden to unions who oppose SunRail because they fear losing union jobs.
But they’re also desperate to secure funding for Tri-Rail, Florida’s sole commuter rail system, hobbled by inadequate funding. The SunRail bill last session would have given South Florida the chance to raise millions through a rental-car surcharge. But that region’s lawmakers spurned it, thinking they could later secure the money on their own.
Wrong. But this time it may be too hard for some of them to refuse, even with the unions opposing it.
State Sen. Dave Aronberg, for one, is running for attorney general. But several potential supporters along the Interstate-4 corridor won’t even hear his pitch because they’re angry he voted against SunRail. They and many South Floridians also believe, rightly, that without SunRail, Florida likely won’t get federal funding for high-speed rail projects that could serve metro Miami.
That may be too much for Mr. Aronberg and others to resist.