Florida bullet train would have reaped surpluses, ridership survey says

Contrary to claims made by Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), the state's proposed high-speed rail would have had an operating surplus of $10 million in its first year, a ridership survey released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Transportation showed.
 
When he rejected $2.4 billion in federal money for the proposed train connecting Tampa and Orlando, Scott said the train would not generate enough money to pay for its operation, and that the state would have been responsible for the shortfall.  
 
But the FDoT said the train would have brought in $62.89 million in 2015-2016, compared to operating costs that year of $50.65 million. By 2025, the train would have brought in $91.75 million, compared to operating costs of $59.17 million.

Backers of the Florida project said private companies would fund the remaining $280 million needed to build the train and assume the risk of operating overruns. But Scott rejected the money before bids could be sought, and several other states have already begun vying for the funds.
 
A bipartisan pair of state senators in Florida sued Scott to force him to accept the rail money, but the Florida Supreme Court dismissed the case last week.
 
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has insisted despite rejections by Scott and Republican governors in Ohio and Wisconsin that high-speed rail is viable in the U.S. After Scott rejected the $2.4 billion, LaHood said he had heard from a half-dozen governors and senators interested in receiving the money.