Report: High-Speed Rail Wouldn't Lessen I-4 Traffic

ORLANDO, Fla. — There are new concerns about high-speed rail. A new, independent report reveals the project from Orlando to Tampa would have little impact on traffic congestion on I-4.

There are growing questions over how many drivers will actually park their cars to take the new train. Planners have promised that high-speed rail would take 11 percent of cars off I-4, but a new study says the impact will be less than two percent.

Some are really not convinced there's going to be enough people to ride the train. Of course, supporters say, even if it keeps traffic from getting any worse then high-speed rail will be a success. But promises of actually reducing traffic might be overblown and WFTV found mixed reaction to high-speed rail from people who use the road now.

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It's not exactly scientific, but WFTV asked more than 20 people in Orlando the same question: "Do you take the train or do you stick with your car?" WFTV found not everybody's jumping at the chance for a $30 high-speed train ride to Tampa while leaving their cars behind.

Planners had said the $3 billion rail line could shift 11 percent of I-4 drivers onto 150 mile-per-hour bullet trains.

For all the promises that the trains could take people off of I-4, some now think the real impact could be smaller than expected.

In fact, a recent study by the Congressional Research Service found high-speed trains might impact traffic by "less than two percent" on the busiest sections of I-4. The authors point out the majority of cars aren't traveling the entire length of the interstate, but are making smaller trips in between.

At the U.S. High Speed Rail Association Conference in Orlando, experts insist careful planning between now and 2015 can still make the Orlando-Tampa line a success.

"Every train doesn't have to stop at every station, there can be an express train from Orlando to Tampa," explained Thomas Hart, U.S. High Speed Rail Association. "The more express, the more ridership."

High-speed rail supporters say I-4 traffic gives them plenty of reason to push for an alternative. The Florida Department of Transportation said about 57,000 people a day travel between Orlando and Tampa. That's more than 20 million a year.

WFTV