OLYMPIA — What is Florida’s loss could be Washington’s gain.
State officials let it be known Wednesday that they’re very much interested in $2.4 billion allocated to Florida for a high-speed rail project, and subsequently rejected by Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
Scott, who had the back
ing of the Florida tea party when he won election last year, said the project for which the money was allocated, a passenger rail line between Orlando and Tampa, was too costly to taxpayers, according to reports.
“I’ve said many times, if other states don’t want this funding, Washington state is ready to put it to work,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said.
Washington already has benefited from two other GOP governors’ refusal to take federal funds for rail projects. Last year, Washington received $161.5 million that had been allocated to Ohio and Wisconsin.
Washington state also received $590 million on its own, for a total of more than $750 million.
Most of that has been allocated to track improvements between Seattle and Portland. While the state’s rail system has a long way to go before it becomes truly “high speed,” officials have said, immediate track improvements can help trains reach speeds of more than 90 mph from the current maximum of 79 mph, reducing travel times.
Track improvements planned for between Everett and the Canadian border have yet to be funded. Depending on how much of the Florida money the state gets, some of it could come to Snohomish County and north, said Ron Pate, high-speed rail program manager for the state.
It’s not likely the state will get all $2.4 billion. The Ohio and Wisconsin allocations, more than $8 billion altogether, were distributed in chunks all around the country, Pate said. It could be known within a couple of weeks where the Florida money will go, he said.
The state has identified $539 million in improvements above and beyond those already funded, Pate said.
“We would be willing to take that money, whatever they would give us,” he said.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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