State House Passes Sun Rail Bill
Monday, December 7, 2009
By: Tom Parkinson

The Florida House passed a bill Monday morning that clears the way for a proposed commuter rail system in central Florida and adds a new permanent funding source for the Tri-Rail system in South Florida. The bill was approved on a 84-25 vote. The system, known as SunRail, will run from Debary to Orlando in its first phase and serve 12 commuter stations. Supporters say SunRail will create thousands of jobs and may help Florida attract $2.6 billion in federal stimulus money to build a high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa. Opponents say it's a costly boondoggle and some labor unions are objecting because there have been no guarantees that union labor would be used on the project. SunRail is expected to cost $2.66 billion over 30 years with the state, federal and local governments each contributing $775 million and the rest coming from fares. The bill now goes to the Senate, where the outcome remains in doubt. State senators have defeated similar measures twice in previous sessions.