Transportation

Supporters of Florida's proposed high-speed-rail system unveiled a multimedia plan Tuesday to persuade President Barack Obama to pay for the $2.5 billion project.ConnectUs, a nonprofit group formed last summer to promote Florida's rail bid, has produced a television spot touting the economic impact that supporters say a rail link between Orlando and Tampa would bring. The TV ad will be broadcast 500 times each in the Orlando and Tampa markets during the next week.The media push comes as the Obama administration prepares to decide which of the 45 regions that have applied for high-speed-rail funding will receive money. The requests from 24 states seek a combined $50 billion, but there's only $8 billion available in federal-stimulus money."There's no lack of competition but our project is ideally suited." said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., citing the planning and design work done before the project was killed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. The recent approval of a commuter-rail line between Volusia and Osceola counties also adds weight to Florida's application, he said.In addition to the TV spots, the business interests and individuals who formed ConnectUs also launched a high-tech way for Florida residents to appeal directly to the Obama administration for funding. If mobile-phone users text the word jobs to the number 24453, they'll get a reply with the phone number for the White House and instructions to "ask the president to provide $2.53 billion to fund construction of high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando and jobs in Florida.""We want to have the ability to influence that decision within the White House," said Ed Turanchik, a leading rail supporter and head of ConnectUs.On Tuesday, Nelson headlined separate pep rally-style news conferences in Orlando and Tampa to announce the promotion. In Tampa, he was joined by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.But Nelson was late to the Orlando event with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty because he was stuck in traffic on Interstate 4 after the Tampa rally. A 2-inch depression in the roadway closed eastbound lanes on I-4, causing massive gridlock. "I am the poster boy for why we need high-speed rail," Nelson said.Dyer praised the grass-roots approach: "We're going to let them know it's citizens all over Florida who want high-speed rail, not just the politicians."