Bill Nelson: “Floridians who travel Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando need relief. The congestion they encounter on the I-4…”

“Floridians who travel Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando need relief. The congestion they encounter on the I-4 corridor is paralyzing, and it is not just a problem for our residents in Florida. It is also a nuisance for the millions of tourists who visit central Florida each year. With each new tourist attraction comes another traffic snarl. We must find ways to relieve the gridlock, but double-decker highways are not the answer. Last year, Florida's voters approved an initiative in a statewide referendum that requires the State to build a high-speed train linking five of our largest urban areas, and the spending measure that is now before the Senate, particularly today--and we hope to complete it today--will begin to start helping Florida meet that goal. I am very grateful to our colleagues for including in this Transportation appropriations bill $4.5 million for bullet train planning in the corridor from Orlando to Tampa. Senator Graham and I fought for this funding because we knew that our traffic problems could not be solved by adding more lanes to our highways. And we have an excellent opportunity in this high-traffic corridor between Tampa and Orlando, where you can't build your way out of the problem with new lanes, of creating a model for a new kind of transportation corridor with specialized lanes and a high-speed rail running down its center.”