President Obama has sparked a revolution in transportation policy by making high speed rail and conventional rail travel a top priority. He announced on 28th January 2011 $1.25B in funds to construct the route.
The Florida ‘bullet train’ has received much criticism from opposers of the high speed rail project. However, Florida is urging its residents to stand up and vote for the bullet train.
The state has received enough funds to complete the Tampa to Orlando phase of the Tampa to Miami bullet train line. However, Governor Scott has not yet decided if he will accept the money necessary in order to begin work on the line.
Many Florida residents are aware of the importance of high speed rail and have launched a campaign to inform others of the benefits the bullet train could bring to the state should it get the go-ahead. They believe that Florida could gain substantial benefits from the travel and tourism industries.
Trains with a top speed of 168Â mph (270 km/h) to 186Â mph (299 km/h) would run on dedicated rail lines alongside the state’s existing highway network. As of 2009, the project is headed by the Florida Rail Enterprise (formerly the Florida High Speed Rail Authority), an agency under the authority of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
