Feds may disrupt Orlando commuter-rail plan

mosco wrote:

If our nation suffers a depression, then a massive infrastructure program will help heal some wounds. One part of that would be public transportation projects. Others would be roads, bridges, underground pipes and lines for every use, putting above ground lines, etc. underground, Etc., etc., etc.,...in other words ...modernize every electrical, water, telephone, cable, etc.,etc. in America. It will keep people employed. Especially when jobs will be lost,especially useless ones.

Walter Sobchek wrote:

<quoted text>
Only one problem - with the govt being a trillion plus dollars in debt to the Chinese, no cash on hand, a war to finance, tax cuts to be made permanent, hundreds of billions in cash payouts, etc., THERE IS NO MONEY to pay for these lofty projects you propose.
I SUPPOSE THEY COULD ALWAYS RAISE YOUR TAXES!
Just wait til gas is $6/gallon, the state invalidates the newly "portable" save-our-homes, and your property tax doubles to pay for a multibillion dollar train to nowhere you need to go ....

FDOT Thorn wrote:

Steve Homan, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation in Central Florida, called the new request for another study "a conundrum."
"When you keep changing the rules, it becomes challenging," Homan said. "We like to play be the rules, but we have to know what the rules are."
What? The rules keep changing!? The rules for environmental studies on projects this size have always been the same. FDOT has chose to ignore them for this project. The reason you don't here about the uproar from Polk County is that the Sentinel has bent over backwards in supporting this project. This project is supposed to be "a first step in the right direction" regarding transportation. But if you have cut corners and ignore processes that have been established for YEARS, this project will be a failure out of the starting gate.

common sense wrote:

<quoted text>
the issue at hand here is that the Federal gov't commissioned a new study to appease Polk County. this just happened last week. of course other environmental studies were completed, all to the specifications of the local and federal gov't.
(snip)
trains should be re-routed to areas of less dense population. forget about commuter rail in that discussion.
by the way, lakeland is probably the trucking hub of all of florida. you would think the train going there would enhance operations, not impede.

King Whitey wrote:

HA HA
The "train that nobody will ride except for liberals in the first week until they find out it goes nowhere useful"
Is not going to be built
HA HA

Jane Heely wrote:

Our Position: Shut up, Lakeland and Feds - I WANT COMMUTER RAIL!
What's wrong with you people? Don't you remember I wrote eleven (11) editorials favoring commuter rail? Don't you remember how I belittled Orange County and Winter Park Commissioners who had the audacity to question my desire for commuter rail? Don't you remember I said not to worry about future unknown and uncapped costs?
Look. We're Orlando, and you're not, Lakeland. Our mover-and-shaker developers have bought acres of land along the right-of-way, and they're counting on me to help see this thing through. I know, I know, I backed Orlando's sweetheart deals with Cameron, and that's all going south, but no matter. And, yes, Solaire didn't turn out so well, and Tradition Towers keeps getting delayed.
But I got the venues through! Even managed to make fun of the two Commissioners who actually wanted to put it to a referendum. I mean, really.
Bottom line: I WANT COMMUTER RAIL. Period. And with my buddy Kathy being shown the door yesterday, this is important to my livlihood, too! Any delay could jeopardize my place as a player.
So, shut up, Lakeland and Feds.
I HAVE SPOKEN.

Water wrote:

When we run out of water, the aquifer depleted, it won't matter whether we have commuter rail, I-4, or personal helicopters for every citizen. The problem is over-population. It's time to hang out the "No Vacancy" sign.

Ralph DeBary wrote:

Are we running out of water? <quoted text>

Jonny Urban wrote:

<quoted text>
There is no fix for the Interstate system. We keep building urban sprawl and non walkable communities. We will need wider highways to get the spawl livers to get to work 20 miles away. Build up downtown and alternate modes of transport form existing neighborhoods. Stop developing green sites, where their are no jobs or shopping!

No Mica Pork for CSX wrote:

<quoted text>
.
Sorry to have to tell you this, but it sounds like you have been mislead. In case you have never not heard the Mica CSX Pork story.....CFL needs rail so that those who live in Volusia country can work in Osceola county without driving on I-4. How do you like that for "urban sprawl"?? My thoughts.....why should all taxpayers pay to commute people from Daytona to Disney? If you want to live in Daytona and work in Orlando or Kissimmee, then go ahead, but don't ask the taxpayers to pay for it!!! Not to mention, 99.999999% of these commuters will never use the CFL rail. Additionally....you can be sure Mica will never use this rail system - except for a photo opp.
.
Let's be honest about Mica's goal. It is not to improve transportation in CFL. Have you asked Congressman Mica about the Feds decision to sell our Interstate infrastructure to Cintra-a-non-American corporation? This is related to the new "North American Union" that George Bush created in 2005 via the "Security Prosperity Partnership of North America". Furthermore...the Texas Super Highway is part of this "master plan".
.
Have you asked Congressman Mica any of these questions? I have and he won't answer. I wonder why?
.
So remind me again who Congressman Mica represents? There is no way he represents me or the people of Florida. He is just going for the pork and he does not care who or what he destroys along the way.
.
Sorry to have to break this news to you, but face it, Mica just wants the money for his friends and his new career as a lobbyist.

TheRunningNurse wrote:

ODD...the map with this story doesn't have the Maitland stop on it. I just drove by the Maitland location yesterday and they have cleared the land and are getting ready to build a station. What gives ?( the station is on 17-92 just South of the Maitland Interchange--just a hop, skip and jump to Kappy's subs )
Poor reporting or something else is going on..........