A large chunk of the $1.25 billion Florida won in federal economic stimulus money is in the state’s hands now, transportation officials said Thursday.
The Florida Department of Transportation said Florida received $66 million of its total award, which was higher than any of initial payments made to four states, though Florida trailed California in the overall funding announced in January. Then, only California, which got $2.25 billion for a 220 mile-per-hour Los Angeles to San Francisco train, topped Florida’s rail haul for the long proposed bullet train between Tampa and Orlando.
The DOT said the $66 million the state received this week will cover the completion 30 percent of the project by updating ridership projections, buying right of way and doing preliminary station designs.
The department said that it has already begun testing soil in the medium of Interstate 4 for possible tracks.
Gov. Charlie Crist, who pushed lawmakers to approve a separate commuter rail in Orlando to convince federal officials to give Florida the high speed rail money, hailed the first installment Thursday.
“Florida received the largest share of grant funds because our federal partners realize we are ready to go now with our high speed rail project,” Crist said in a statement. “Florida’s high speed rail will create efficient transportation options, boost our economy and put Floridians back to work.”
DOT Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Operations Kevin Thibault, who is also interim director of the new Florida Rail Enterprise, said the department will look to private companies to make up the remainder of the $2.6 billion the project is expected to cost.
“We will eventually ask private companies to compete for the right to submit bids to build, operate and maintain the system,” he said.
Source: News Service of Florida
