Commuter rail, not light rail

Broward needs commuter rail along the Florida East Coast Railway, where Brightline runs. The corridor is already built and the tracks go where people want to go. The system already has a name — the Coastal Link — and taxpayers have already spent $7 million to study its possibilities.

“I think that is the best rail we could possibly use,” agrees Broward Mayor Beam Furr, among many others. “It connects 41 downtowns. It would bring life to all kinds of cities up and down the coast. … But we don’t have the right-of-way on that railroad. We would have to get access rights from them, just like Miami-Dade is figuring out. And right now, they’re not willing to say what the costs are.”

Furr says the tax plan includes $4 billion in contingencies — built into city projects — for the Coastal Link. Wait a minute. Four billion dollars in contingencies? Check out the county’s tax plan at www.broward.org/ pennyfortransportation. Do you see $4 billion for just-in-case projects?

We understand flexibility is needed in years on out. But a guaranteed 30-year revenue stream means taxpayers can’t turn off the spigot if people pulling strings create shenanigans with this enormous pot of money. Nothing holds politicians more accountable than asking voters to reauthorize a tax. If Broward does it right, the Palm Beach experience shows voters will remain onboard.