I’ve heard quite a bit of ruckus, both positive and negative since Obama’s State of the Union announcement that Central Florida would be receiving $1.25 Billion in Federal funding to connect a high speed rail between Tampa and Orlando.

Initially I thought this was awesome…but as the details unfold, I became less enthusiastic about the project.   Primarily because it doesn’t really connect Tampa to Orlando…it connects Downtown Tampa to the Orlando International Airport (stopping in Lakeland, Disney and International Drive).

Downtown Orlando, which is a good 25 minutes from the Orlando International Airport is not part of the equation.   This troubles me greatly…. because that’s where I live.

AND, there are no plans to connect the recently approved SunRail Commuter train to any of the stops on the proposed HSR line.

Hopefully this is just a temporary disconnect.  I don’t think the SunRail designers knew that the HSR would be approved.  But is it too late to do anything about it?

High-speed rail: How will downtown Orlando fit into high-speed rail – OrlandoSentinel.com.