Florida Governor Rick Scott has announced that he will refuse $2.4 billion from the federal government to complete the Tampa-Orlando Intercity Rail Project.
From the Transport Politic:
The move is made despite the fact that several private corporations "have indicated that they would be willing to pick up the state's tab and cover construction and operations risks, in exchange for the right to operate the trains."
"Citing concerns that the project's costs would spin out of control and that taxpayers would be burdened with operating subsidies, Mr. Scott argued that fiscal prudence gave him no choice. The Governor apparently has no trust in the private companies he claims to laud, failing to give them a chance to demonstrate their interest in the project."
"Indeed, while the Governor's decision may have been framed in a rhetoric of financial austerity, the hastiness of the announcement and its timing just after the unveiling of the President's high-speed rail proposal indicates that intercity rail, more than ever, has become a tool for partisan disagreement," writes Yonah Freemark.
Read more high-speed rail news at The Railist.
Read the full story: Florida Governor Rick Scott Rejects Funding for Tampa-Orlando Intercity Rail Project
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