Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Killing Wave would be a mistake
Congresswoman: Reneging would affect funding
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz says it would be “a colossal mistake” if Fort Lauderdale pulls the plug on The Wave streetcar project.
Three of the five City Commission members elected in March pledged to kill The Wave while they were running for office. A vote on canceling the city’s participation could come May 1.
Wasserman Schultz, whose Broward/ Miami-Dade county district used to include much of Fort Lauderdale, worked to secure the federal money for the streetcars that would run on embedded rails, powered by overhead electrical lines, amid traffic on downtown roads. She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
The first round of bids for the $195.3 million project exceeded the budget, and new bids are being sought for a slightly less ambitious plan.
Reneging on the deal would be remembered — negatively — when the region tries to get money for future transportation projects, Wasserman Schultz said in an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board.
“Quite frankly, if we cut it off now, I can absolutely assure you that we will jeopardize the ability of our [congressional] delegation to get future federal transportation funding,” she said, adding that a local promise was made years ago and money is competitive. “We will devastate our ability to bring home federal funding for transportation projects in the future.”
And, she said, reversing course now would be unfair to those who made investments in Fort Lauderdale with the idea that the streetcar project was coming. “There are important economic investments that have been made over the last 10 years as a result of the anticipation of The Wave coming. … There has been over $3 billion of investments that have been made in anticipation of The Wave,” She said.
Wasserman Schultz said the region needs additional transportation options.
“We need a streetcar system,” she said, to help move people around downtown Fort Lauderdale and as part of a decadeslong plan that could bring “mass transit street car development out west,” first to the college complex in Davie that is home campuses of Nova Southeastern University, Broward College, McFatter Technical College and Florida Atlantic University, and ultimately beyond.
Critics have labeled the project a boondoggle that relies on old technology — overhead lines — at a time of rapid change in transportation such as the rise of rideshare apps.
New Mayor Dean Trantalis and new commissioners Ben Sorensen and Steve Glassman, all elected March 13, have said they do not support The Wave. New Commissioner Heather Moraitis and re-elected Commissioner Robert McKinzie have said they support it.
Wasserman Schultz’s advice to the City Commission: “I think they need to move forward as the previous commission voted to do.”