In early March, Florida Gov. Rick Scott declined $2.4 billion in federal grants to support a proposed high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando. That effectively killed the project, which Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and other supporters had said would encourage economic development while easing traffic congestion.

Dyer, American City & County's 2010 Municipal Leader of the Year, spoke with the magazine about Scott's decision, and the future of high-speed rail in Florida and the nation.