Fl: The counties in Südflorida are asked to pay millions to keep the Tri-Rail running

Three counties in Südflorida have to pay millions of dollars to keep Tri-Rail, the 73-mile commuters-schiene system, the senior director of Tri-Rail, told the leaders on Friday.

The need to determine what is likely to be an annual deficit of 90 million US dollars comes when the federal moon looks at the federal stimulus and the government ends, said the director.

The direct question of Tri-Rail is $ 10 million per district to compensate for an annual deficit of $ 30 million, said David Dech, the executive director of the regional transportation Authority / Tri-Rail in South Florida, while he was still assured by the leaders that “no existential crisis today”.

Even the minimum request could be a problem for the counties because they prepare their budgets for the next financial year. Counties use property taxes to pay regional services such as libraries, parks, the office of the sheriff, homeless, affordable apartments and more.

“I am very concerned,” said Broward County's commissioner, Steve Geller, on Friday after the presentation of Dech, the regional planning councils from Südflorida and Treasure Coast. “We have to continue Tri-Rail. … I don't know how we do it and I don't know how we don't. “

Dech said the train system stormed into a deficit.

He keeps the system over water with the BUND COVID-199-stimulus-dollar $ 71 million of which were used last year. But this money will go out in 18 months, he said.

Each district already contributes 4.2 million US dollars. Other funds are: $ 60.7 million from the state, which has contributed to Tri-Rail in 1989, but has announced Tri-Rail that it would reduce the financing to $ 42 million and then completely end it. 15 million US dollars from the driver's shipping tariffs and 4 million US dollars from the federal government.

The Tri-Rail operating budget is $ 150 million each year.

Dech told the Sun Sentinel in Südflorida that he has not yet blade alarm bells, but said that it was “conceivable” that one day the system could die without additional means one day.

“We are okay this year before it becomes a crisis,” he said. After drying the federal dollar, he must immerse yourself in reserves if no other source of financing can be found. And then a reduction in the service could come, such as: B. no weekend routes to save money.

There are some initiatives to collect money.

Expected in the later year, a groundbreaking colony could occur in Boca Raton, an eight-story residential project with 340 units in the Yamato Road near Tri-Rail with 30,000 square meters of retail. 51 units are intended for affordable and labor -resistant apartments, and it is expected to attract employees who have to be removed from public transit on foot. The project is located on Tri-Rail-Land and the train station receives rent.

But projects like this are not enough to make a dent, and the commuter railway has a limited country, he said.

However, none of the three counties were enthusiastic about finding their way to save millions of dollars in their budgets every year.

Sean Adgerson, deputy director of transport and public work for Miami-Dade County, told planning managers that the request was a “challenge” and asked them to make the state to continue its financing.

“We are very concerned,” said Verdenia Baker, administrator of Palm Beach County. “The state decreases, the government is reduced.”

Tri-Rail is required to bring workers from one county to another and in every county, she said.

But to be asked for $ 10 million: “I don't know how to deal with it. Funding is an important problem for us, ”said Baker.

Monica Cepero, Browards Administrator, said the talks with Tri-Rail have already started, but it will be a difficult elevator and a large route. “

Tri-Rail has around 15,000 drivers a day and 4.42 million drivers a year. This is a minor decline in 2019, which was the all -time high when there were 4.49 million drivers a year. That was before the pandemic and before other workers worked from home.

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