About

This site is dedicated to promoting public education, strategic thinking and good public policy as Florida addresses its passenger-rail needs, with a special emphasis on the pending deal with CSX Railroad.

The documents on this site were compiled by about a dozen interested citizens – including elected officials – who report enormous difficulty in getting straight answers from the Florida Department of Transportation.

The text was written and presented by ProCitizen Media, a new-media company dedicated to exploring public-policy issues in depth from a citizen’s point of view. ProCitizen will follow the CSX deal through the end of the 2009 Florida Legislature, so check this site regularly to follow the story.

ProCitizen was founded by Rosemary Goudreau, former editorial page editor of The Tampa Tribune and leader in state and national newspaper circles.

This site commits itself to the truth, to immediately correcting any errors of fact and to an unfettered ability to comment, within the bounds of good taste.

No registration is required to comment, which means the identity of those who post remains unknown to all, including ProCitizen.

Comments

#1 Sundance Ranch Estates

Submitted by visitor on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 22:50.
Baxter Troutman, We Need You. The residents of Sundance Ranch Estates have been disrespected by CSX, The City of Winter Haven, and the legislative proponents of this terrible deal. When the site for the ILC was selected absolutely no consideration was given to the incompatible nuisance or the financial injury that would be caused to these property owners. When CSX is being offered excessive compensations in this deal, the residents of Sundance are being ignored. The investments and the homes of these residents will be destroyed by this development. Are the elected officials who should be their advocates, too concerned for their own personal gains to care about the needs of their constituents? Thank you, Paula Dockery, for championing this cause. Stop this travesty. Log on to helpsundance.blogspot.com.

#2 Capital cost bid - IOS - Jan 30th 2009

Submitted by visitor on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 15:27.
The FDOT received bids last Friday Jan 30th 2009 for design and construction of the Initial Operation Segment (IOS) - 32 miles of double tracking where not already, grade crossing improvements, an Operation Control Center (OCC) with maintenance yard in the existing Rand Yard, signal and communications package, etc. Enough to be ready to run trains from Fort Florida to Sand Lake Road. The package included platform slabs (but not the hardware above concrete level, or the rest of the stations e.g. parking lots) and a partial bridge replacement of the wood trestle over St Johns River. It did not include any rolling stock. It did include maintenance of way for the entire 61.5 miles during the construction period from 6-30-09 to 9-30-11. FDOT put a maximum bid amount of $158m in the RFP, and all three shortlisted design-build firms turned in a NO BID stating that they could not get under the budgetary ceiling.

#3 IOS Bids

Submitted by visitor on Tue, 02/03/2009 - 09:01.
So anyone know what will happen next? I think the DOT was caught off-guard by all three firms not being able to get under the max price. I guess the DOT will be issuing a statement concerning this development in the near future.

#4 http://www.erreauk.com

Submitted by visitor on Sun, 06/28/2009 - 08:56.
So anyone know what will happen next? I think the DOT was caught off-guard by all three firms not being able to get under the max price. I guess the DOT will be issuing a statement concerning this development in the near future. erreauk

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