(The following article by Dan Tracy and Mark Matthews appeared on the Orlando Sentinel website on December 14, 2009.)
ORLANDO, Fla. — SunRail was banished to a side track in May when the state Senate voted down the Central Florida commuter train.
Everything was shuttered. No contracts were signed, nor were land deals negotiated or equipment purchased.
Now, it’s full steam ahead, thanks to lawmakers’ approval last week in a special legislative session.
The train could be operating in late 2012 on its first 30-mile leg, from DeBary in Volusia County through downtown Orlando to Sand Lake Road in south Orange County. But a lot has to fall into place to meet a time frame called “aggressive” by the city’s top transportation planner, Roger Neiswender.
“Things don’t just stop and then pump back up and reload,” he said.
The Florida Department of Transportation holds the key role for the immediate future. The agency must complete the purchase of 61.5 miles of track from CSX of Jacksonville and secure an agreement with the federal government — eventually expected to generate at least $307 million in funding — to help pay for the $1.2 billion project. Those negotiations are supposed to take about six months, finishing up around June 2010. Construction cannot begin until both are complete.
FDOT also is pursuing $2.6 billion from the Obama administration for a high-speed train that would link Orlando with Lakeland and Tampa and $270 million in other stimulus funding to further underwrite the SunRail purchase.
“There’s a lot of moving parts, as you can imagine,” said FDOT Assistant Secretary Kevin Thibault.
The upshot is that all eyes and efforts will be focused on Tallahassee and Washington.
“I think we have moved the ball back to that court,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, a leading SunRail proponent who has lobbied frequently at the state and federal levels.