Tampa to Orlando High Speed Rail Gets on Track

Officials with the Florida High Speed Rail Authority have designated the first leg of a Tampa to Orlando rail system. The authority voted to direct the first leg of the high speed rail from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World. Eventually the $1.5 billion rail system will reach all the way to Tampa.

North Carolina DOT Wants Tolls on I-95

Interstate 95, one of the nation's busiest roadways and the primary north-south route on the East Coast, may get some new tollbooths in the Tar Heel state. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has made a request with the Federal Highway Administration for permission to charge tolls on Interstate 95 to pay for improvements made on the road. North Carolina has already spent about $3 billion in the last 10 years on I-95. The request asks that six toll centers be built on I-95 that could charge as much as $3 each.

Study Claims Wichita Has Easiest Commute

American City Business Journals recently completed a study on commutes in U.S. metros. The study found that Wichita, Kan. has the easiest commute of any mid-size or large city in the country. The ACBJ Commuting Ease Index compares each metro's number of workers with short commutes to those with long commutes (45 minutes or more). The five worst commutes in the study, regardless of market size, were New York, Washington-Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago, Picayune, Miss. (outside New Orleans) and East Stroudsburg, Pa.

Commuter Rail for Austin?

A Texas lawmaker is proposing a commuter rail on existing rail lines in Austin to reduce that city's traffic problem. Rep. Mike Krusee (R-Taylor, Tex.), is suggesting that existing rail routes be used for a new commuter rail system that would cost about $100 million in the first phase. Voters in Austin defeated a light rail plan in 2000 that would have cost nearly $1 billion for a 20-mile section. Krusee maintains the commuter rail option is affordable for the Austin area and it could be implemented in three years.

Atlanta Stuck With Traffic

In an unusual admission, officials with the Atlanta Regional Commission say that no amount of money will be enough to reduce traffic congestion in the city for the foreseeable future. The ARC put together its "aspirations plan" in October, a list of transportation projects it would like to complete by 2030. But even with all of those projects becoming a reality, traffic will continue to be a major problem in the South's fourth-largest MSA for the next three decades. Officials with the ARC cite the fact that an estimated 2 million persons will be added to Atlanta's population by 2030.

County in Orlando MSA Defeats Sales Tax Increase

Voters in Orange County, Fla. defeated a half-cent sales tax increase that would have funded transportation improvements in the Orlando area. The sales tax increase, if approved, would have raised nearly $3 billion over 20 years. That money would have been used for a much needed widening of Interstate 4, which runs through Disney World and downtown Orlando. It would have also provided funds for new transportation projects, including mass transit.

Charleston Port Sets Record

In its 300-plus-year history, the Port of Charleston has never been busier. Container volume through Charleston increased to more than 1.68 million TEUs for the 2003 fiscal year marking a new all-time record and an 11 percent increase over 2002. The Port of Charleston is the fourth-busiest container port in the U.S. and the second-busiest container port along the Atlantic and Gulf coast. The port is undergoing a two-year, $128 million expansion and attempting to gain approval for a new terminal on the old Charleston Naval Base.

Jaxport Sets Record

In October, officials in Jacksonville, Fla. celebrated a new national record for a vehicle handling port. During fiscal year 2002/2003, 600,000 vehicles were handled by the port. Ford, Toyota and GM are the three largest auto manufacturers that use the port for import and export.