I didn’t think this day was going to get here. Not when you consider a lot of the ignorance of our elected and appointed leaders. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was in Orlando today to help kick-off SunRail and sign over $178 Million in federal funds to help Central Florida begin a commuter rail system. It’s about fucking time.
Like any project requiring tax dollars, SunRail is imperfect and opposed by some who think it’s a boondoggle. Well, so is most of Washington and Tallahassee, but they seem to muddle through year after year. I can’t say that some of the criticism is without merit – SunRail has problems. However, it’s still a step in the right direction.
We desperately need more public transportation and less reliance on individual vehicles. The benefits reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and money spent on gas. Central Florida’s population is growing and our urban sprawl is tightening around our necks as people clog a few main routes daily going to and from work.
SunRail won’t be a viable solution for all of those workers heading Downtown or to Disney World, but it provides a start for some, and room for expansion to other routes in the future. The question is whether people will give it a chance or not.
Instead of fighting your way to and from work, your route changes. You head to your local station and leave your car behind (or carpool there if it makes sense), catch the train and make your way to the office.
Ah, but how? For some people, it’s a short walk. For others, it may require building up other forms of localized commuter transportation. It may change the way we live, too. Instead of building out, we may start building up – just as people live in other major cities.
Orlando will not become New York or Chicago, but the downtown core may get closer to resembling Seattle.
Creating a viable transit system provides jobs to build and operate it, but there’s another impact in that it may attract employers here. Employers moving to a region look for elements that will help them attract and retain talented employees, and transportation is an important part of that list.
No doubt, SunRail will have bumps along the way. Beyond that, it could be a catalyst for expanding transportation options locally and throughout the state. Let’s just hope the TSA doesn’t come along and fuck it all up.