(The following story by James Miller appeared on the News-Journal website on May 6, 2009.)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Only days removed from a stinging defeat in the Florida Legislature, prominent backers of the proposed Central Florida SunRail say they’re exploring ways to keep the commuter rail system alive.
“You can’t let something like that, that you have so much invested in — the public time, money, effort, the future quality of life for Central Florida — go to hell in a handbasket,” said U.S. Rep. John Mica, a Winter Park Republican and one of the project’s most influential backers.
The system had been slated to connect DeLand and Poinciana in Osceola County, but last week state senators put the brakes on it for the second year, citing costs and a controversial liability arrangement.
The arrangement would have protected CSX Transportation — which planned to sell the 61.5-mile rail corridor to the state for $432 million and then lease it for freight — from up to $200 million in damages for many types of accidents.
About $75 million in federal, state and local money had been spent on the project, expected to cost about $1.2 billion in its initial stages, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Volusia officials said Tuesday the county had spent about $750,000.
Mica said he had spoken since the beginning of the week with major SunRail players, including its Senate sponsor, the DOT secretary and CSX representatives.
Last week, CSX indicated it did not plan to pursue the project beyond a June 30 deadline for the liability arrangement.
Mica and a spokesman for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said one strategy SunRail backers are investigating is an alternative liability arrangement.
They’re also trying to keep FDOT SunRail money from being used elsewhere.
The budget lawmakers will vote on this week, though, will use $120 million of transportation money to help balance the budget — more than enough to delay SunRail, even if lawmakers had struck a deal.
Volusia County Chairman Frank Bruno, who also spoke with Mica this week, said he was interested in all proposals but considers the odds long.
“I understand what they want to do to try to salvage anything we put into it,” Bruno said, “but I don’t see how we can proceed, I really don’t.”