SunRail-CSX faces crucial Senate vote today after compromise adds South Florida transit funding
The controversial SunRail proposal, called the CSX deal by detractors for its purchase of 60+ miles of freight track and rerouting that freight traffic through downtown Lakeland, is set for a climactic vote in the Florida Senate today.
The bill had been stalled in the Senate for weeks, but proponents hope they have secured enough votes to pass the Transportation and Economic Development Committee. The horse trade? A $2 surtax on car rentals to help fund South Florida’s own transit system, Tri-Rail.
From the Orlando Sentinel:
“I think we’re getting close,” said [Fort Lauderdale Sen. Chris] Smith, considered the swing vote on the committee, though it’s not certain how anti-tax Republicans will view the rental-car surcharge.
And even with committee approval, SunRail still must garner 21 votes in the full Senate. That could be difficult, according to Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, the train’s leading opponent.
“The true vote on the project will be on the floor, and it will not be close,” said Dockery, who has boasted that she has lined up as many as 26 votes against SunRail.
