Florida HSR Committee Forges Ahead Despite Repeal, Disney route scrapped Options

[NickG]

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 11/10/04:

ORLANDO --  A proposed bullet train system has a new route and may soon have a new contractor.

The Florida High Speed Rail Authority decided Wednesday to scrap plans that would run the bullet line directly to the Walt Disney World resort from Orlando's tourist-rich airport. The new route would take the train past the International Drive tourist district, which includes the Orange County Convention Center.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the Orlando Sentinel, 11/11/04:

Rail panel acts as if train is going ahead

Voters may have kicked the bullet train out of Florida's constitution, but that hasn't stopped efforts to keep it going -- or to make radical changes in its plans.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the Stuart News, 11/12/04:

Stuart News editorial: Are they deaf?

Never mind the people's vote, bullet-trainers steaming ahead

The people of Florida went to the polls Nov. 2 and passed a constitutional amendment removing authority for the construction of a "bullet train" from the state Constitution. You would think that would bring everything dealing with the high-speed rail project to an abrupt halt. Think again.

This charming editorial is here.

[NickG]

From the Ledger, 11/14/04:

Keeping the Train Rolling

Shortly after Jeb Bush became governor in 1999, he took major action that would haunt him through his first term and his next. Florida was about to embark on a major project to connect the Orlando, Tampa and Miami areas with a high-speed bullet train. Bush killed the project.

The full editorial is here.

[KevinKorell]

Opinion from St. Petersburg, FL Times, 11/23/04:

High-speed rail on a smaller scale

It is a rare case in which losing a ballot could mean scoring a larger victory. After voters repealed the state constitutional amendment requiring development of a high-speed rail system for the state, members of the Florida High Speed Rail Authority took the opportunity to try making the project better.

For this opinion, click here.