Florida residents wanted high-speed rail but governor rejected funds

- Oct 29, 2012 7:59 am

Skift Take

Like Governor Christie in New Jersey, Florida’s Rick Scott rejected a rail construction program that would benefit his gridlocked citizens just to prove a political point.

— Jason Clampet

Voters in Florida’s critical swing Interstate 4 corridor favored the construction of a high-speed railway between Tampa and Orlando that was killed by Florida’s Republican governor Rick Scott.

Early into his first year in office in 2011, Scott turned down $2.4 billion for a high speed rail line that had been one of the centerpieces of President Obama’s vision for a nationwide rail network.