DOT Should Review Other Options To Build Commuter Rail In Orlando

Click title for story link. Someone in state government needs to step up and address the standoff over the proposed commuter-rail project in Orlando. The obvious choice would be Stephanie Kopelousis, secretary of the Department of Transportation. But so far, Kopelousis has been little more than a cheerleader for the off-strategy project she inherited. It's time she demonstrated leadership on behalf of all Floridians, not just Orlando's politically powerful lawmakers. In May the Florida Legislature rejected the deal her agency struck with CSX Railroad to buy 61 miles of track in Central Florida. But since the purchase agreement doesn't expire until next year, supporters are preparing for a second legislative battle next spring. DOT cannot afford to sit on its hands and hope for a different outcome, especially since the opposition shows no sign of budging. This state has a $30-billion deficit in public transportation projects, and DOT needs to get moving.