Crist, Republican leaders weigh new rental car fee to fund Tri-Rail
by Michael C. Bender | November 17th, 2009
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist said this morning he hopes to announce a special session dedicated to passenger rail issues by Thanksgiving. He described his ongoing negotiations with Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, over a potential December session as “hopefully optimistic.”
There’s a list of issues being hammered out, but at the top is finding money for South Florida’s cash-strapped Tri-Rail. Republicans are targeting a $2 fee on rental cars as the source and discussing whether to let county commissions approve the charge or require a referendum.
“That’s sort of one of the issues we’re dealing with,” Crist said.
Florida’s Republican leaders believe they need to settle funding issues for Tri-Rail and a host of insurance and money issues for a proposed Central Florida line known as SunRail before the state has any chance at securing $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money for an Orlando-Tampa bullet train.
“That – in terms of job creation, in terms of alternative transportation arteries for our fellow Floridians — is incredibly important,” Crist said of the stimulus money. “And I would really hate to see that opportunity lost.”
Some background on the issue here.
Tags: CSX, stimulus projects, SunRail, Tri-Rail
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November 17th, 2009 at 11:37 am
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