ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - High-speed passenger rail between Tampa and Orlando may become a reality after all.
An unsolicited proposal to the Florida Department of Transportation and the Central Florida Expressway Authority to lease property owned by both entities along Interstate 4 has opened a state competitive bidding process to allow other interested applicants to apply, Gov. Rick Scott's office said Friday.
Scott did not name the interested company.
However, The Tampa Bay Times said the company was Brightline, and FDOT put the proposal in its website.
Read the Proposal: Intercity Passenger Rail by 10News WTSP on Scribd
You're welcome, Connecticut?
Scott rejected more than $2 billion in federal funds in 2011 for a high-speed line between both cities, citing potential taxpayer cost.
"Instead of placing taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars, our goal is for the private sector to invest in this project," Scott said in Friday's statement. "Through private investment, we ensure that this major project has zero financial risk to Florida taxpayers.”
The $2.4 billion was already allocated to the state, with private companies willing to cover any overrun and initial operational costs.
If Scott had accepted the funds, the high-speed line, with stops in Lakeland and at Walt Disney World, would've opened in 2015.
And it would've been profitable, according to a 2013 report by the firm Steer, Davis, Gleave. The project would've made an annual surplus of $31 million to $45 million within a decade of operation, serving up to 5 million riders annually by 2026, according to the report, per The Tampa Tribune.
Coincidentally, Sen. Bill Nelson, who faces a challenge from Scott for his U.S. Senate seat, tweeted about the rejected funds less than an hour before the governor's statement:
Instead, Connecticut used the funds to build their own high-speed line from Hartford to New Haven, which opened this month.
"It's rare that Connecticut says this, but thank you, Florida," The Hartford Courant wrote in an editorial.
Support remains mixed
High-speed rail is an idea Hillsborough and Pinellas voters have rejected in the past, but Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn expressed support for the effort.
“Whether it’s visiting our pristine beaches or catching a game, adding safe and affordable private passenger rail service will provide a needed alternative for those wanting to spend time in Tampa," he said in Scott's statement. "Establishing private passenger rail service enables more public transportation options while creating jobs and reducing congestion on our roadways.”
Interested parties have 120 days to submit proposals after the request for proposals process starts.
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