Will Governor Kill SunRail Project Too?

Some state lawmakers are now demanding that, since Governor Rick Scott stopped high speed rail, he should stop SunRail, too. None of those lawmakers are from Central Florida, but some of SunRail's most vocal local supporters aren't holding out much hope.

Supporters are still working behind the scenes to save high-speed rail, but there's growing concern that the Governor's hard line could mean trouble for the commuter trains that are supposed to start rolling down tracks in two years.

It was supposed to be a done deal. The first phase of the SunRail commuter rail system, connecting 12 stops in Central Florida from DeBary to Sand Lake Road in Orlando, had lined up nearly all of the money it needed to get started, but Governor Scott put $235 million in SunRail contracts on hold

Now, even some of SunRail's fiercest supporters worry the project is in trouble.

"I'm very concerned. I never would've believed he'd walk away from high-speed rail," former Orange County commissioner Linda Stewart told WFTV.

Stewart now worries the Governor is ready to stop SunRail just like he shut down high-speed rail from Orlando to Tampa.

"We certainly don't need him dismantling both," Steward said. "If he doesn't think that it's viable, he will."

Some of the toughest SunRail critics say the state is paying as much as $10.6 million a mile to buy tracks from CSX, making it the most expensive rail deal in the U.S.

"If you can't afford high-speed rail, you can't afford SunRail," tea party activist Jason Hoyt said.

The state is on the hook to cover SunRail operating costs for the first seven years, and tea party activists, along with some state lawmakers, want the Governor to stand on principle.

"We have to be honest with ourselves and face that reality. We just can't afford these programs," Hoyt said.

Tuesday afternoon, State Representative Scott Randolph of Orlando told WFTV he believes the Governor has less say over SunRail. He believes leaders in the House and Senate can still push the project through, unless the Governor convinces them otherwise.

The first phase of SunRail would connect certain communities, using I-4 as a blueprint. Paralleling the interstate, it would run from DeBary to Sanford and, like the exits on I-4, it would stop in Lake Mary, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, and Winter Park. It would end with tightly-packed stops at two major hospitals, Lynx, and two entertainment destinations, Church Street and Sand Lake Road.