[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 79 (Tuesday, June 21, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1995

                                 ______


                               speech of

                            HON. JIM BACCHUS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 1994

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4556) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Transportation and 
     related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1995, and for other purposes.

  Mr. BACCHUS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 4556, the transportation appropriations bill. Despite the 
continuing budgetary constraints confronting this body, this bill 
reflects a strong commitment to meeting the transportation needs of 
this country. I commend the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee 
on Transportation for this tremendous accomplishment and thank him for 
his attention to my specific concerns.
  I am especially pleased that this legislation includes funding for 
several projects that will help meet the transportation needs of 
rapidly growing central Florida. This funding will move forward the 
downtown Orlando circulator project; rehabilitate Runway 18L/36R at the 
Orlando International Airport; and provide additional buses for the 
Lynx system serving a tricounty area. These multimodal projects will go 
a long way toward improving the mobility of residents and the many 
visitors traveling in the Orlando area and provide more efficient 
transportation for a region that continues to experience unprecedented 
growth.
  With respect to the downtown circulator project, otherwise known as 
OSCAR, I believe the city of Orlando has chosen the most responsible, 
cost-effective, and affordable system for its citizens. By changing its 
locally preferred alternative earlier this year, the city not only 
improved the financial performance of the project, but also reduced the 
Federal requirement for the project by $25 million.
  The funding provided for the rehabilitation of one of the Orlando 
International Airport's major runways will enable the airport to 
proceed on extensive capacity improvements, achieve its development 
goals, and avoid future congestion delays. As the largest airport on 
the east coast, these improvements are vital to the operations and 
safety of air travel.
  Finally, I am pleased with the subcommittee's continuing support for 
the Lynx bus system. This system serves Orange, Seminole, and Osceola 
Countries, with a total population of 1.3 million residents and tens of 
millions of visitors each year. Lynx needs to rapidly expand its 
service to keep up with growth, and this bill's support is critical to 
doing so.
  Again, I strongly support this legislation and commend the 
subcommittee chairman and others who spent their time and energy to 
bring it before us today.

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