Orlando Sentinel Editorial

Click title for story link. We think: State leaders need to get their commuter-rail act together now July 27, 2008 It didn't have to be this way, with Central Floridians from DeLand to Poinciana climbing into stifling-hot cars only to watch their gas gauges deflate in slow traffic.For two decades, Central Florida leaders have been talking about building a commuter-transit system. Everything from political infighting to, well, political infighting has derailed a series of plans.Meanwhile cities such as Charlotte, Miami and Salt Lake City have eclipsed metro Orlando. They have helped untangle traffic jams and free motorists from their cars with commuter-rail systems. Orlando now competes with those cities and others for federal transportation dollars, but they're expanding their systems while we're just trying to launch ours.Left up to state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, Central Floridians would forever be trapped in their cars while residents of Denver and other transit-friendly cities build commuter systems with federal dollars that might have gone to the Orlando area.