Passenger Trains > Orlando Light Rail

Light Rail Back on Track?
(05/24/01) -- Light rail could be back on track before long. But, the big question now is where will the money come from?

The last time around, about $45 million was lost when Orange County backed out.

The Northern Alignment Study was approved by the Lynx board Thursday afternoon. The decision is just the start of a long ride. Only Seminole County voted no. But the bigger issue is what tax dollars will fund the project.

The plan shows the trolley would run from Altamonte Mall to Maitland Center, pass Florida hospital and go into downtown Orlando. The portion of the route from downtown to the Beeline is up in the air.

The 20-mile rail would cost about $750 million. But before Lynx can get state or federal funding there will need to be local commitments to foot the bill. If local cities, counties or private companies come up with 25 percent of the price tag, then Lynx could ask the state to kick in 25 percent and ask the federal government to foot 50 percent of the bill.

Locally not everyone is ready to fork over the cash, which is why there is still talking to do. "before we start spending any money we need to have some major commitments if we are going to do this at all," said Mary Johnson, an Orange County Commissioner. "We should be committed but I don't think we should move forward if we are not committed."

The southern part of the leg has not even been discussed. There are at least 3 different plans being discussed. But lynx wants to take this project one step at a time.

The next stop is Metroplan Orlando, where the same proposal will go before a board on June 13. If that is approved, the local communities must secure approximately $3 million to fund studies to access the entire northern leg of the project.

Then there will be discussion on the next phase that may run from downtown to the Beeline. That route has not been determined.

For heavens sake, why not to the AIRPORT???? There's the seat of most of the problems, altho downtown is hell itself. I live in Melbourne & dread going to the airport, but fares here are usuaally $200.00 more for any tkt than at ORL, so I have to drive, then park at an out of the way lot , then bus to the aprt.
Gee, folks, wouldn't it be nice to be able to get on a literail at ,say, US 1 & go to ORL or Downtown, or Disney???? Thanks to the NIMBYs & pols in the pay of the cab companies & vanlines I don't think I'll see it in my lifetime.

ACTUALLY that one is also on the drawing board. I live in Flagler County and the Airport curse gets us too when I am not doing an Amtrak thing of course.

I hope someday that LRT will run from Sanford to downtown and to OIA.

But one of the HSR proposals includes a link from OIA to Port Canaveral...

But this one thing I agree on the polotics need to stop and they need to get serious. Groups like Ax the Tax really make me mad as they are self centered and are looking for themselves.

Bob