Further proof came in an updated ridership study on Wednesday that, Gov. Rick Scott’s claims were bogus when he stated the Orlando to Tampa high speed rail line would be a drain on Florida taxpayers. According to the tampabay.com, the rail line would have had a $10.2 million operating surplus in its first year of operation in 2015 and a $28.6 million surplus in its 10th year.
The forecasting study, undertaken by the Wilbur Smith Associates and Steer Davies Gleave, shows the rail line would have had $3.3 million riders in its first year. A previous study estimated that there would have been 2.4 million riders in 2015, the first year of the line’s operation.
Scott who even before purchasing the Florida governorship, was skeptical about the Florida High Speed Rail project, on February 16, first rejected the funds for the bullet train. Subsequently, he continued to mislead residents, citing construction cost overruns and telling Floridians they would be on the hook if the project failed, despite receiving assurances to the contrary from the federal government.
The Orlando to Tampa bullet train, the first leg in the construction of a rail system in the state, had been awarded $2.4 billion in federal government monies, with the remainder, $300 million expected to come from the private sector.
Scott had earlier said, his decision would be based on the ridership and feasibility study, but went ahead nonetheless and killed the 84-mile line project which was expected to generate 30,000 jobs. His decision was based on a verbal review of the ridership study and documents from the libertarian Reason Foundation and the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, reports tampabay.com.
