PalmTran, Treasure Coast, Gold Coast, Mass Transit

"Mon., Aug. 24: PalmTran to Link Treasure Coast and Gold Coast Together Via Mass Transit" by v. johns

On Monday, August 24, the South Florida region will officially begin to take shape with the formal recognition of its true boundaries as a seven county region spanning from Sebastian to the Florida Keys. That formal recognition coming in the form of PalmTran’s new bus line between Stuart, here on the Treasure Coast, and West Palm Beach, on the Gold Coast.

The Interstate 95 Commuter Express will shuttle commuters, residents and travelers from Halpatiokee Park at I-95 and Kanner Highway in Stuart, to downtown West Palm Beach’s new Intermodal Transit Center (near Tri-Rail), with stops at Jupiter Recreation Center and the Gardens Mall, along the way. There will be two morning runs from Stuart, south to West Palm Beach, at 5:10AM and 6:10AM, respectively, and two evening runs from West Palm Beach, north to Stuart, at 5:20PM and 6:20PM, respectively.

The real significance of this development, other than more choices in mobility for our residents, is that the I-95 Commuter Express will set the stage to form the missing links between two very popular and uniquely distinct-in-character sub-regions of Florida, the Treasure Coast (Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties) and the Gold Coast (Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade counties). And, as Martin County commissioner Doug Smith has said, it illustrates that Martin is part of a larger region. While the Gold Coast has enjoyed the benefits of mass transit for quite some time with PalmTran, Broward County Transit, Miami-Dade Transit, Tri-Rail, etc., the Treasure Coast is just really beginning to come into the fold with smaller, more on-demand services like GoLine, Community Transit and Community Coach.

The only drawback to the I-95 Commuter Express, for now, is that it will only connect Martin County residents to West Palm Beach from outside Stuart’s city limits. Residents, unless they live near Halpatiokee Regional Park, will still have to drive or carpool to the park to use the bus. In addition, there are only two exclusively southbound trips very early in the morning (no stops as bus travels back to Martin) and two exclusively northbound trips very late in the evening (no stops as bus travels back to Palm beach). So, unless you work in Palm Beach County, or shop there all day, this bus will be of no service to you. Still, it’s a start and perhaps more trips or routes will be added at a later date to accommodate late morning and afternoon riders.

In addition to forming the long-awaited missing link between the Treasure Coast and the Gold Coast, the I-95 Commuter Express will also, potentially, help bolster tourism and conventions in our area by tying us in with the rest of South Florida through public use commons. Out near Halpatiokee Regional Park, two hotels have sprung up recently, a Holiday In Express near the park, visible from I-95, with a Dunkin Donuts, Wendy’s and a Sunoco nearby… and across the street, on the northeast corner of Kanner and I-95, also visible from the Interstate, a Marriot with a Cracker Barrel, McDonald’s and Chevron nearby. People new to South Florida, staying in those hotels, on business, will have a nearly direct link to the Miami area, via the Commuter Express and Tri-rail, without having to stay in Miami where hotel rates are more expensive.

There is no doubt that people heading to work and doing business in our area will find the Commuter Express to be very convenient. I just hope that at some point in the future, more trips or routes along the same corridor will be added to accommodate more casual riders who travel in the late morning, afternoon and late evening hours, outside the rush-hour flow. In addition, if other routes or trips are added, Martin County would do well stress its desire to be a destination and not just a starting point. Please keep in mind that Halpatiokee is a regional park. In much the same way that New Yorkers enjoy escaping to South Jersey, I’m sure that many residents in Palm Beach, Broward and Dade would love to enjoy a more natural and tranquil setting on the Treasure Coast to relax and unwind. Working in retail, I have seen my fare share of people from those three counties visiting and enjoying Martin County’s clean, down-to-earth beaches and Indian River’s surf-ready waves.

Bottom line: I believe that the Interstate 95 Commuter Express, upon further expansion, will ultimately be a boon to two counties that have had a very long and symbiotic relationship throughout the years. Bringing Martin County into the South Florida fold, via mass transit links, not only exemplifies this relationship between bedroom enclave (Martin) and urbanized hub (Palm Beach), it almost certainly ensures that the rest of the Treasure Coast (Indian river and St. Lucie) will be provided their own nodes on the map that connect to the rest of South Florida. In much the same way that our regional flagship city, Miami, has its own immediate sphere of influence within the region, stretching from the Keys to Boca Raton in Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach also has its own sphere of influence from Boca Raton on up. Thus, the phrase: “The Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast.”

For more information on the Interstate 95 Commuter Express, log onto http://www.palmtran.org/ or contact South Florida Commuter Services at http://www.1800234ride.com/ (1-800-234-RIDE). These links can also be found along the sidebar of this blog under the heading “South Florida Transit.”

As a final note, even if you don't like or don't currently use public transit, please help keep Martin County -and South Florida- green by supporting public mass transit. Call or write your congressman or local representatives to show your support. The greener we are, the better off we all are and with more and more choices in mobility and lifestyle gained, without overburdening the average taxpayer, the more likely it is that we'll emerge as the one premiere region in the world to live, work, study, play, relax and do business...