ORLANDO, Fla. – A new $1 trillion infrastructure plan presented by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson and other senators includes an extension of commuter rail Sunrail service.
Nelson and the senators held a press conference Tuesday on Capitol Hill to announce the plan.
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Citing the American Society of Civil Engineers estimate, the senators said that the United States would have to spend $1.6 trillion more than the current spending level to get the country’s infrastructure to a “good” state.
Including Sunrail, the infrastructure budget would include $180 billion to replace, repair and expand rail and bus systems to reduce the cost of commuting for Americans.
“To address overcrowding and ridership growth, we will invest $25 billion to advance subway, light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit projects that are under development but lack funding and $15 billon to expand existing public transportation facilities, like stations,” according to the Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure released Tuesday.
Nelson said in a news release that the $180 billion would including expanding Sunrail service in Orlando and restore Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast.
"Florida is growing at a rate of nearly 1,000 people per day," Nelson said. “You can imagine the toll that’s taking on our state’s infrastructure. This is our chance to make some much-needed repairs and create millions of new jobs in the process.”
During the announcement Tuesday, Nelson talked the infrastructure needed to protect Florida from environmental flooding in South Florida and the toxic algae blooms from Lake Okeechobee that polluted Florida rivers last year.
"We need to shore up that whole dike of Lake Okeechobee, that's a billion plus dollars," Nelson said. "We desperately need the infrastructure."
The plan also includes funding for airport and school improvements and new Veterans Affairs facilities.
If the funding is approved, the overhaul of U.S. infrastructure would create more than 15 million jobs across the country, according to the news release.
Read the senators' full plan proposal above or for mobile users click here. Watch Sen. Nelson discuss Florida's environmental problems below.