The chair of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority on Friday accused the state of angling for a "corporate takeover" of the Tri-Rail commuter system.
Kristin Jacobs said she was "astounded" to hear a state Department of Transportation official claim on Friday that the Florida East Coast Railway could cut $10 million a year from the operating budget of the three-county passenger line.
"How does the state rely on FEC when the FEC has no experience with passenger rail?" Jacobs asked.
FDOT late Friday released a 2009 cost comparison of 12 other metro markets across the country. The agency said the projected savings were derived from "best-case projections."
Jacobs called the conversations between FDOT and FEC "big government run amok."
"This is taking the local voice away and moving it to Tallahassee," she charged.
Jacobs also discounted the FEC claim that it could shave Tri-Rail's annual operating expenses by nearly 20 percent.
"We're 81 percent privatized now. Our administrative costs are just 9 percent," she reported.
FEC spokesman Husein Cumber, in a statement earlier this week, said, "The Florida East Coast Railway has regular discussions with FDOT on various infrastructure projects throughout the state. With respect to passenger service, we continue to focus our conversations with FDOT on developing options to introduce commuter rail service within the FEC corridor."
Cumber declined further comment Friday afternoon, saying FEC was not at the SFRTA meeting where FDOT regional official Jim Wolfe made his presentation.
Calling Wolfe's cost-saving assertions "shocking," Jacobs said she was even more troubled that the FDOT-FEC conversations excluded local officials.
"Any privatization scheme would have to be approved by the three county Metropolitan Planning Organizations [in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade]," she said.
That, however, could be in flux, too, as FDOT director Ananth Prasad has talked about possible changes in the governing authority of regional transportation systems.
Tri-Rail receives up to $15 million in annual subsidies from the state.
"They're living in absolute fantasy land if they think a private company will get public subsidies while cutting out local representations and decision-making," Jacobs said.
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
