Press Releases

Representative Alan Grayson (D-FL09), today made the following statement supporting the approval of the extension of SunRail to Orlando International Airport:

Today’s announcement that the US Department of Transportation has approved an East-West extension of SunRail to Orlando International Airport is great news for 20,000 airport employees, 100,000 people who fly in and out of MCO every day, commuters in our region, the environment, our economy, and anyone who wants a quick and affordable way to get to the airport. This 5.5 mile extension of SunRail will take cars off of our congested freeways, easing traffic and lowering our carbon footprint.  It will expand employment opportunities for people without cars. With the connection to All Aboard Florida, it will allow a traveler to go from Miami International Airport to Orlando International Airport without having to hire a cab or rent a car. And, it will create construction jobs in our region.

I have been a supporter of an expansion of Florida’s commuter and long-haul passenger rail service throughout my time in office. I have worked with my Central Florida colleagues, Reps. Corrine Brown and John Mica, to bring more SunRail financing and projects to our area. I petitioned President Obama to include $93 million to expand SunRail to Osceola County in his budget several years ago, and met with the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration to ensure a full funding agreement for the project. Ms. Brown and I led the opposition to a series of anti-transportation funding measures that would have jeopardized the All Aboard Florida project.

The population of the I-4 corridor is expected to explode in the next 15 years. We need to develop and fund projects, like this SunRail expansion, to serve both these new Central Floridians and our long-term residents. I look forward to seeing this project through its scheduled 2020 completion.