8/14/2019 Courtney Cunningham - Tallahassee Democrat - Florida Can't Let High-Speed Rail Opportunity Pass

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ourtney Cunningham: Florida can't let high-speed railportunity pass

RTNEY CUNNINGHAM MY VIEW AUGUST 18, 2009

he first time in many years, the federal government is taking a real interest in high-speed rail.

The Obama administration has proposed a package of $8 billion dollars for high-speed

rail (HSR). Last month, the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee put an

tional $4 billion on the table for HSR. These are first-year dollars. More money will come each year. If

Congress follows the bipartisan House Transportation Committee leadership, then we will see

her $50 billion added. Over the next several years, we are looking at $62 billion in available grant

ing for HSR.

re will be an intense fight over this money. But, this isn't going to be a partisan battle; this is going to be

ate and regional fight. Republicans and Democrats all want to bring the buckets of money to their

es. Florida is well represented at this critical time, with Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, the ranking

mber on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From this position, he leads the

ublican House members on all transportation issues airports, highways, seaports, transit and

oads. Even though Congressman Mica is in the minority party and he's not a senator, he is one of the

t powerful members of Congress. He appreciates and understands what public transportation

stment can do for our state.

er this year, my firm organized a visit in Miami with Congressman Mica and local leaders, including

nty Commissioners Barbara Jordan and Dennis Moss, to discuss transportation funding issues. Attime, Mica stressed the importance of investing in transportation infrastructure. He hasn't wavered

that.

week, Congressman Mica told me, "Building transportation infrastructure will improve the lives of

dians through job creation, greater strength and efficiencies in the economy, more transportation

natives and improved quality of life. Sound investments in transportation can serve as the backbone of

da's economic recovery."

2)

congressman is right, and in order to be taken seriously, Florida has to buck up and show that it can

age a commuter rail before it can hope for a real shot at HSR. Florida, along with 39 other states,

ied for federal funding for HSR; the applications in total requested about $101 billion, but only $8

n to 12 billion is available right now.

During the last leg islative session, a proposal to add a $2-per-day fee to rental cars

transactions died. This fee would have provided Tri-Rail with a desperately needed

cated source of revenue. Some legislators didn't vote for it because they didn't want to vote for a "tax

ease," but I have an answer for that: Those legislators should simply say that they voted to raise taxes

eople who don't live here, so that they could create jobs for people who do.

we can't hope to get high-speed rail if we let our only commuter rail in the state go under because we

t want to raise taxes on tourists. We need do whatever it takes to get high-speed rail in Florida. Why?

Infrastructure investment creates jobs. Think about how much money we're talking about. Just $12ion is about equal to eight or nine Port of Miami tunnel programs. It equals about three rebuilds of

ami International Airport. It's 24 Marlins ballparks. It is six times the I-595 project in Broward County,

ich is Florida's largest public works project. Again, this is just first-year money. HSR would adduntless jobs to our economy.

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Courtney Cunning

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

q Courtney Cunningham is an attorney and president of

Cunningham Group, a communications, issues managemepublic involvement consulting firm with offices in Miami an

Orlando. Contact him at Courtney@TheCunninghamGroup

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8/14/2019 Courtney Cunningham - Tallahassee Democrat - Florida Can't Let High-Speed Rail Opportunity Pass

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We need it. We can build only so many more roads and add only a few more lanes. We need to be

e to move a lot of people at one time. We need to be able to get people off the roads and into clean,

fe, reliable public transportation.

We need to save the environment. Well, each of us really needs to reduce carbon emissions or ourrbon footprint. Our greatest carbon emissions come from driving. Let's get off the road. I would rather

ke HSR to Orlando than drive or fly.

, we have the need and we know where to get the money. We need the state leadership to support Tri-

il. Letting Tri-Rail disappear would show the federal government that we can't be trusted with a small

mmuter rail, so why give us the nation's first HSR? Put another way, if your teenager wrecked your old

V because he was careless, would you let him drive your new Porsche?

orida, let's show we can be responsible.

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