Transportation wasn't a major discussion point during the 2010 Florida governor's race.

So no one seems to know what Gov.-elect Rick Scott hopes to accomplish when it comes to roads and passenger rail.

"Hopefully Scott will release a more detailed transportation plan before he takes office," said Aubrey Jewett, a professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. "But right now we know almost nothing about what his plans are."

Scott, whose transition team didn't immediately return calls and e-mails, will soon have to decide whether to go forward with an ambitious high-speed rail project from Orlando to Tampa. He also will have to appoint a new head of the Florida Department of Transportation as well as have a hand in long-term road construction planning.

Needs a plan to get things going

It's important that Scott have a strong idea of what he wants to accomplish, said Bob Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders Association, which advocates for construction projects in the state on behalf of the building industry.

Without a strong plan, new projects become harder, Burleson said.

"There isn't as much money as there used to be," he said. "I worry about the Department of Transportation becoming the department of maintenance."

Scott campaigned on cutting government spending, including a 5 percent reduction in the state workforce, and creating more jobs, highlighted by his pledge to create 700,000 jobs in seven years. But those promises seem to be in conflict when it comes to transportation.

"Scott has said his goal is to get people back to work," Jewett said. "Most economists will tell you that one of the best ways a state can create jobs is by spending money on infrastructure improvements."

But Scott's position suggests he disagrees with that view, said Stephen Baker, a political science professor at Jacksonville University.

"I doubt spending on transportation is very important to him," Baker said. "I suspect he'll say that he can create more jobs by cutting transportation funding and outsourcing it to the private sector."

Rail in jeopardy

Scott may be about to scuttle a planned $2.6 billion high-speed rail line from Tampa to Orlando. He was critical of the project during the campaign and said he'd only support it if the federal government paid the entire cost.

As it is, Washington is kicking in about $2.1 billion. U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, a member of Scott's transition team, said this week he planned to talk to Scott and urge him to go forward with the project, which is expected to create about 5,000 jobs during construction and another 600 to 1,000 jobs operating the system once it's built.

But Scott wouldn't be alone if he scrapped the project. Incoming Republican governors of Ohio and Wisconsin, who are replacing Democrats, have vowed to scrap high-speed rail projects in their states and return the federal money appropriated for them.

Scott has promised not to raid the Florida Department of Transportation's trust fund, which has about $500 million in it set aside for road construction projects that will occur in the next few years.

Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed an effort by the Legislature to take $160 million out of the fund this year.

Transportation importance

That promise is a good start, Burleson said, and suggests Scott understands the importance of funding transportation.

Scott will likely have to name a new secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation almost immediately. Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, a Clay County native, announced this week that she will leave when Crist's term is over.

Under state law, the Florida Transportation Commission, which oversees FDOT, presents a list of candidates to the governor.

Marty Lanahan, a Jacksonville resident who is the chairwoman of the commission, said advertisements will soon go out asking people to apply.

The commission has not yet spoken to Scott's transition team about what qualities he's looking for but will meet with him if he wants to, Lanahan said.

If the governor is unhappy with the list of candidates, he can refuse to appoint anyone and ask for other candidates, but that has never happened before, Lanahan said.

Baker said he's curious to see who Scott picks.

"The person he chooses should give us a sense about what he expects," Baker said.

The last businessman-turned-governor with no experience in elected office was Jeb Bush.

He ended up pushing an ambitious $6 billion road-building program called Mobility 2000, which helped accelerate spending for major projects such as the $200 million in improvements at the intersection of interstates 95 and 10 in Jacksonville.

But Baker said it's probably a mistake to believe Scott will be similar to Bush.

"Jeb Bush grew up in a family that served in government," Baker said. "Rick Scott doesn't have that background."

larry.hannan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4470

link: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2010-11-11/story/florida-waits...