Prime example of FLA moving backwards - politics not reality
Any urban or transportation planner could see the need for rapid inter-city transit in the Eastern corridor as roads, planes and trains begin to max out. Also you need the proven technology and operational know how. So the federal government offered to fund a high speed rail from Tampa to Orlando and another couple of locations in the open west like Arizona.
First Florida turned it down mostly for politics to defy the Obama administration followed by Arizona. as in effect "We are not a city and do not need it. We prefer the freedom of our cars and SUVs. Here they could get it cheap and early before urbanization makes costs even more prohibitive and guide development of their states and cities and add to quality of life.
I guess they are waiting for the pitiful graduates coming out of our underfunded schools of the last 10 years where test cheating is the only measure of success -- so that our graduates can design, engineer, build and operate our infrastructure. Many of the people who developed our current technology are out there looking for a better job than MacDonalds and underutilized or unemployed.
We are even further behind Europe - do not forget they have had major urban AND rural transportation upgrades for 50 years now and continue to integrate it into city plans and exploit technological improvements. Get around town there in France or Germany or Spain and see the difference in quality, convenience and cost compare to what you see in the US. As with all US highways being subsidized, even toll roads, so subways and rail can be but the users pay some of the costs. You cannot say dump the NYC subway since it is subsidized - and lose its value to the society. Think global.
Denial won't make the baby go away. When you are PG -- all alternatives have issues.
