First Choice, Not Just A Last Resort

"Some Anecdotal Thoughts About Public Transit As A Preferred Alternative Rather Than Just A Last Resort" by v. johns, 10/22/14, 5:55 PM

I like how on TV commercials and other kinds of biographical vignettes people will say that they went from “having to take the bus” to “riding in style” with a vehicle of their own. But as a former resident of Tallahassee and a former student at Florida State University (GO NOLES!), I can tell you that looking for somewhere to park on any given large university campus will change your mind QUICK about exactly where “riding in style” fits into the grand scheme of things.

Coming from anywhere OFF CAMPUS to be ON CAMPUS… it’s do or die. You’re either on time and getting your money’s worth or late all the time and wasting all that tuition money on circling some dusty, rocky, off-trail parking lot. And then having to WALK quite some way, still, from there. Not even “remotely” worth it. Give me a crowded campus shuttle bus ANY DAY.

Unlike in college, my problems these days have revolved around getting to work. I’ve had break-downs, flat tires galore, engine failures, major damage from a fallen tree, vehicle repossession, etc., etc. Add to all that an argument a few weeks ago beginning with my offense over the use of the n-word and ending with my then ride to work hitting me (like a girl) and throwing me out of his trashy gas guzzler In the middle of a swamp.

But other than all that, the kind of work I prefer to do at this time is clearly more abundant in Northern Palm Beach County than anywhere in Martin County. Not even West Palm Beach, as some have said to me, can match the amount of home and commercial construction going on between Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens. That’s where all the big money is, so naturally, that’s where all the action is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be wasting my time trying to get there.

BUT… gotta have a car.

Thus, thanks to some major assistance from relatives, I’m fortunate enough to be driving again. Especially since there aren’t many available carpools, vanpools or people willing to offer same-way rides out of Indiantown. None that I’m aware of. So having a car of one’s own for working elsewhere is a must. But rest assured if there were buses or trains going to Palm Beach County from out here in Western Martin County, I’d be more than happy to let someone else do all of the driving. But now that I’m finally driving again, I suppose that the next best thing, while lacking such an option, would be to to mix it up a bit by taking a bus to complete the last leg of my daily commute to work.

As a matter of fact, were it not for a co-worker pulling up to the bus stop and offering me a ride, this morning, I would have been on a Palm Tran bus today, bypassing all the traffic and dumb driving on Indiantown Road that I normally fight in a car of my own. But other than that, I’ve tried to develop a car-to-bus routine whose need has arrived in part out of having relatives incur wear and tear on their vehicle just to transport me from the City of Indiantown to Jupiter, east of Military Trail. Rather than travelling so far into town and putting so many more miles on their car, I have elected on some occasions to have them drop me off at the Palm Tran bus stop nearest to I-95 in Jupiter.  Worked like a charm.

As for now, maybe not every day, but whenever I see fit, I will try to continue this park-and-ride routine on my own in order to save gas and cut down on vehicle wear and tear. Or perhaps more importantly, in order to avoid having to park my latest attempt at vehicle ownership on dusty, rocky, nail-ridden construction sites that aren’t maintained as well as they should be. And now that my employer has furnished our driver with an official company transport vehicle, used primarily for workers without cars, I can save use of my own vehicle on some days, for the best part of the day... going home!

My only wish in all of this would be for Palm Tran to update and improve on their park-and-ride system. I think it would make far more sense if some of their designated park-and-ride lots (like the one in West Jupiter) were actually serviced by a bus or if all of the the lots were on the same side of the street as the stops. You shouldn't have to cross a maddeningly congested street like Indiantown Road, or any given dangerous intersection, to get from your car to a bus stop on the other side. Really, “park-and-ride” should work just as seamless as it sounds. Otherwise, you just end up turning people off. 

But that’s another story… Don’t worry, we’ll talk!

All Aboard Florida, Passenger Rail

"All Aboard Florida’s Plan for Passenger Rail in the State of Florida" by v. johns, 6/22/13, 8:13PM

I should disclose, again, that I am personally biased in favor of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s plan to extend Tri-Rail service (PDF) northward up into Jupiter, on FEC tracks, and quite possibly up into the rest of Treasure Coast, as well. All Aboard Florida, a private outfit, on the other hand, picks up where the failed Orlando-to-Miami bullet train project left off, but with additional stops in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Much like its doomed-via-rejection-of-federal-stimulus-money high-speed-rail forbear, All Aboard Florida’s passenger rail proposal (PDF) calls for a potential Orlando-to-Tampa route, in addition to another potential route connecting Jacksonville and Miami. For more information, please visit All Aboard Florida’s homepage. For more information on Tri-Rail and other regional transportation projects, please visit SFRTA’s website, as well. Links relevant to this topic are highlighted throughout this post.

Mass Transit Systems

"Mass Transit Ecosystems: Revisited" by v. johns, 4/15/12, 6:49 PM

When most people think of mass transit, trains and buses come to mind. This is correct. But what most people don’t readily understand is that there are modes in between shoes and trains that don’t seem to be accounted for when building and maintaining modes designed for large numbers of end users. Effective mass transit systems should include all or more of the following: Trains, planes, automobiles, buses, cabs, shoes, bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, trolleys, boats, water taxis, monorails, scooters, wheelchairs, etc.. This is what can be called a mass transit ecosystem and is what I call a logistical ecology of scale. I’ll explain what I mean in due time. But before I define this term and present base arguments for a more professional assessment from experts, here’s a quote from a previous column posted on March 12 of last year:

Mass transit has long had a reputation for having low dollar returns on investment. OK, I get it. But what people don’t realize is that the returns, unlike in a business where goods and services are sold and accounted for, are not direct. They tend to spread out into less tangible and less easily measured ways such as increased revenue from tourism or corporate relocation. Not to mention the maintenance of urban population without further gridlock from cars. While Palm Tran and Martin County Public Transit may occasionally suffer from budget shortfalls and low ridership, the real costs of not having these outfits would come in the form of higher unemployment, low growth and lack of any real business investment from serious firms that look for low labor costs and infrastructure efficiencies as pathways to profitability.

My final point is a theory in which I have no real name for at this time, but involves a potentially new way of looking at mass transit that’s often overlooked: how to make it profitable, at best, or at the least, self-supporting… A theory which not only calls for examining the implementation of full service on a regional scale but ignores population support in favor of scope and reach… This way of looking at public mass transit can only thrive if it is constructed in such a way that driving a car to a certain destination makes no sense whatsoever. Thus, the heart of this theory is the idea that smaller transit outfits like buses, taxis, rental cars, city rail, cruise lines, bike routes, walking trails, etc. would feed into larger outfits like regional trains and airports to form a symbiotic relationship that would eventually lead to self-sustainability. For example, with the proposed Amtrak line from Jacksonville to Miami, aligning Martin County Public Transit in such a way that [it] collects riders and tourists from the train station to reach their destinations in Martin County would mean that MCPT would not have to worry much about funding since fares collected from enticing train riders would stabilize ridership.

The overall idea in aligning various modes of transportation so closely together, including cars, would be to create an economy of scale of sorts, but with regard to human logistical efficiency, rather than an industrial economy of scale in which suppliers and distributers align themselves closely together to reduce logistical and informational costs. An example of an economy of scale would be a parts store and other automotive-related entities being located near car dealerships. Another example would be the biotech companies forming around Scripps Florida to take advantage of proximity to their research.

Nearly a year later, I’ve finally found a term to describe the close alignment of as many modes of human transport as possible. I define the term logistical ecology of scale as the symbiosis between all available modes of transportation, public and private, within a city, county, or regional structure, that forms a nearly seamless and self-supporting human-logistical ecosystem. Borrowed from the economic term, economy of scale, the concept suggests that in order for large modes of transportation to make profits and thrive, or at least sustain themselves, their connections to smaller, less costly modes of transportation (that claim more users, in aggregate) must not only be able to accommodate and collect traffic from all available modes, but must be able to send that traffic out just as orderly and smooth.

 

© 2012 LostParadiseJournal.blogspot.com

Transportation's Role In Building Economies

"CEO Scott’s So-Called Pro-Business Stance Fails To Acknowledge Public Transportation And Its Role In Building Economies" by v. johns, 3/12/11, 1:40 AM

I’m not going to pull my hair out over Gov. Scott saying “No” to federal stimulus money to begin constructing high-speed rail in our state. What’s done is done. Besides, once Floridians begin to realize the real costs of such poor decisions, sooner or later, something will have to give. It’s going to take awhile for people to wake up to the filth that soils our beautiful capitol city, but based on Mr. Scott’s appalling budget proposal that favors corporate persons over real people, this year will be the year that people begin to feel those costs, rather acutely, as they witness themselves, their families and friends losing even more ground than they’ve already lost, not necessarily because of the Great Recession itself, but because of our state’s poor response to it.

Something to consider in the interim is this: With snake oil salesmen like Scott at the helm in our state government, come 2012, will buyer’s remorse set in? Or will the people of Florida continue to reward a seemingly mean-spirited state government with one-party rule? We’ll see. And for those who say Florida is a “sucky state,” ask yourself two questions: (1) “Who’s running this state?” and (2) “Who did I vote for (to run this state)?”

Regarding high-speed rail, Scott rejected the money on the notion that Florida would be stuck with operating costs after stimulus money runs its course on the now defunct Tampa-to-Orlando project. First of all “Duh!” It’s our state, of course we would have to pay to operate the damn thing! Second, the first immediate remedy to being stuck with operating costs would be to run it properly so that what we pay to operate the trains would be matched with more federal dollars. Third, it amazes me how people like Scott could run for office on their alleged business acumen, promising to run a state like a business (and other dumb nonsense), but fail to find creative ways to make their cities, counties, states or districts “profitable.” You would think that a former CEO would look at a project such as the now dead bullet train proposal and say, “I’m gonna make this work and I’m gonna make sure the people of Florida not only are not stuck with the operating costs, but are getting a clear and visible return on their investment in such an expensive endeavor.” Instead, Scott decides to take the lazy way out, possibly posturing for a presidential bid according to the Palm Beach Post, by rejecting a job creating instrument and allowing 2 billion dollars worth of jobs and infrastructure creation to be injected into some other state’s coffers. How much dumber does it get than that?

Mass transit has long had a reputation for having low dollar returns on investment. OK, I get it. But what people don’t realize is that the returns, unlike in a business where goods and services are sold and accounted for, are not direct. They tend to spread out into less tangible and less easily measured ways such as increased revenue from tourism or corporate relocation. Not to mention the maintenance of urban population without further gridlock from cars. While Palm Tran and Martin County Public Transit may occasionally suffer from budget shortfalls and low ridership, the real costs of not having these outfits would come in the form of higher unemployment, low growth and lack of any real business investment from serious firms that look for low labor costs and infrastructure efficiencies as pathways to profitability.

My final point is a theory in which I have no real name for at this time, but involves a potentially new way of looking at mass transit that’s often overlooked: how to make it profitable, at best, or at the least, self-supporting… A theory which not only calls for examining the implementation of full service on a regional scale but ignores population support in favor of scope and reach… This way of looking at public mass transit can only thrive if it is constructed in such a way that driving a car to a certain destination makes no sense whatsoever. Thus, the heart of this theory is the idea that smaller transit outfits like buses, taxis, rental cars, city rail, cruise lines, bike routes, walking trails, etc. would feed into larger outfits like regional trains and airports to form a symbiotic relationship that would eventually lead to self-sustainability. For example, with the proposed Amtrak line from Jacksonville to Miami, aligning Martin County Public Transit in such a way that collects riders and tourists from the train station to reach their destinations in Martin County would mean that MCPT would not have to worry much about funding since fares collected from enticing train riders would stabilize ridership.

The overall idea in aligning various modes of transportation so closely together, including cars, would be to create an economy of scale of sorts, but with regard to human logistical efficiency, rather than an industrial economy of scale in which suppliers and distributers align themselves closely together to reduce logistical and informational costs. An example of an economy of scale would be a parts store and other automotive-related entities being located near car dealerships. Another example would be the biotech companies forming around Scripps Florida to take advantage of proximity to their research.

This stuff isn’t rocket science. Neither is proposing a draconian budget that adds to the state’s deficit. For people who commute, as I do, it’s not difficult to see how all these things fit together. I just find it hard to digest that a former CEO could lack similar depth of observation. Guess there really is a big difference between taking a bus or train to work everyday and being shuttled around in a limo everywhere you go, huh? So, while high-speed rail may be off the table for the time being, let’s hope that commuter rail and mass transit in general won’t have to suffer at the hand of politicians how care soooo much about budgets and so little about people…  

Jobs In The State of Florida

"Outsider Scott’s Campaign Promise To Create Jobs In The State of Florida: Off To A Bad Start So Far" by v.  johns, 3/10/11, 12:27 AM

Last Friday, Governor Rick Scott, a California-hailing outsider, rejected stimulus money from the federal government to begin building a bullet train system in our state that would eventually connect Tampa with Orlando and Miami. That dream is now temporarily deferred. I believe the Florida Legislature will, at some point, do the right thing and make some attempt to revive the project. In the meantime, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson seems to hold a small glimmer of hope as he told the Palm Beach Post’s Dara Kam that “there’s an old proverb: Fall seven times, stand up eight!”

My prediction of a “mass transit nexus” snaking its way through South Florida transitways holds firm. Governor Scot is merely a blip on the map. A potentially dangerous one at that. Make no mistake about it, some damage will be done while Scott is in office, but only if the people of Florida and our famed state legislature allow this damage to occur. So far, while claiming to aspire to create jobs and balance the budget, by rejecting federal grant money to begin building the Tampa to Orlando segment of a federally approved high-speed rail project, Scott has managed to: (1) waste $70 million (money that has already been spent to plan the bullet-train segment), (2) obliterate 20,000 construction jobs that would have been created from building the project, and (3) kill the creation of 1000 permanent jobs that would remain once the project was completed. And according to today’s Palm Beach Post (Mar. 9th) his budget proposal calls for $2 billion in tax cuts for corporations and property holders. Property owners, I can understand, but corporations? Excuse me, corporations are not people and do not require food! 

Clearly, Scott has no understanding of the symbiotic relationship between business and human logistics. He fails to understand that public transportation is the most basic and efficient way to ensure that workers get to work and make their companies profitable. With no car and $1.50 any idiot starting out in life can hop on a bus or train and and begin the process of becoming a productive, tax-paying citizen, rather than a jobless drain on our system. Scott’s party, the once great Republican Party, has done a fantastic job in getting unwitting ordinary people to believe that they are the party of business and industry while simultaneously pushing policies that are essentially harmful to individual liberty and bad for business in the long run. Mr. Scott continues this fleecing of America with unflinching ease.

Mr. Scott’s cold tone and lack of respect for the middle class and the poor combined with his ill-willed plans for our state, should they proceed easily through the legislature, will put Florida’s future in utter limbo for years to come. But while his initial support seems strong, its not bullet-proof, as even some of his own colleagues are questioning the sanity of his proposed budget. Thus, I would hope that, once the true costs of his ideas become clear, the people of Florida will begin to understand and know that whatever reason Scott is in office, its not for real business development and its not for the people of Florida…

Florida’s High-Speed Future

"With $70 Million Already Spent On Planning, Will Governor Scott’s Budget Proposal De-Rail Florida’s High-Speed Future?" by v. johns, 2/21/11, 11:50 PM

I just came up with a great title for a post should I come to the conclusion that Governor Scott is as bad for the state of Florida as I suspect that he is. Ready? Here it is: “Florida’s War On Its Own Middle Class Has New General… Rick Scott.”

Despite my apparent prejudices I think it would be premature, at this point, to cast a final verdict on Mr. Scott when he’s only been in office for less than two months. Still, the fact that he’s an outsider and has appointed outsiders to help him govern our state (Ref: TCPalm.com) bothers me greatly. And while I’m no big fan of the state-proposed and federally-approved Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail line, the idea that Florida, a donor state whose tax dollars help support other less appealing states, can afford to reject $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money to begin building the project reeks of ill intent in the name of budget balancing. According to Opinion Editor Randy Schultz of the Palm Beach Post, $70 million in planning for this high-speed rail line that would eventually connect Tampa to Orlando and Miami had already been approved by previous Florida governor Charlie Crist and would be wasted money if stimulus dollars are not rewarded for all that planning. Then there’s the “20,000 construction jobs” and “1,000 permanent jobs” that would come from constructing the rail line that would all be up in flames (R. Schultz, PBPost.com). Does any of this sound “fiscally responsible” to you?

According to WPTV News Channel 5, Senator Bill Nelson is trying to get the governor to change his mind or to get the Feds to give the money to “an outside-government entity” and that the U.S. Department of Transportation has given Florida until Friday of this week to come up with an alternative plan in order to get the money. U.S. Department of Transportation officials, Channel 5 says, will be visiting Florida, on Tuesday, to discuss the matter with state officials.

With Bill Nelson involved, there is no doubt in my mind that the project will be saved. Senator Nelson is not only a smart leader who gets things done, he’s also a true Floridian who loves his state and puts its people first.

Its very clear to me from watching “Capitol Update” on Channel 2 (WXEL) that our governor is certainly very sharp and rather smart. Some of his ideas, his “Diversity In Government Initiative” for instance, sound pretty good and may actually be of some benefit to our state, if implemented properly. But while Mr. Scott is no dummy, his far-right agenda, beginning with his controversial budget proposal, begs for forgiveness and may leave Florida substantially worse off, in the long run, if vital services are cut as drastically as has been proposed. And while the jury is still out on Mr. Scott, at first glance, I simply cannot imagine a person that favors abstract numbers over flesh-and-blood human beings gaining any traction in the “great leader” column.

Sooner or later, barring any changes to his current trajectory, I predict that many Floridians will realize their haste and experience a mild case of buyer’s remorse once the disconnect is felt. There’s already some suggestion that Governor Scott’s outsider-laden administration may not be sitting so well with some in the current Florida establishment and that his proposed budget has been cited by other important GOP players as not making much sense in some areas of concern (Ref: TCPalm.com).

In my opinion, Mr. Scott should have stayed in California and made some attempt to bring his own home state back from its infamous state of fiscal ruin. His apparently disrupted California Dream should not be allowed to become our Florida Nightmare… 

Treasure Coast’s Show of Support for Amtrak

"Treasure Coast’s Show of Support for Amtrak Demonstrates Need for Commuter and Passenger Rail Service in Our Area" by v. johns

The only thing better than getting home and opening up the Sunday Paper and reading until you get tired is getting home and seeing mass transit news splashed across the front page. While I’d read in yesterday’s metro report in the Palm Beach Post about an Amtrak tour for state and local leaders, to double my delight in such matters, I arrive home to find splashed exuberantly across the Stuart News’ front page the headline: “Is Treasure Coast ready for new Amtrak service?” My response: DUH!

According to the Stuart News “dozens of Treasure Coast residents lined up at stops along the Florida East Coast Railway on Saturday” to get a look at the “invite-only” Amtrak train carrying “state and local elected officials, community leaders, members of the media” and “top representatives from the (FEC) railway and Amtrak” on a “351-mile trip from Miami to Jacksonville, with stops in Stuart, Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.” The trip, according to the News, was to “review the feasibility of restoring rail service on the FEC Railway.” (Stuart News, Howk).

Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero told the Stuart News that the show of support for the 11:35am arrival in Stuart on St. Lucie Ave. was the largest officials had seen since the train’s departure from Miami earlier that morning. The article goes on to say that the show of support in Ft. Pierce on Avenue A was even larger than the crowds in Stuart and Vero Beach and that it would be another two years, at best, and seven years maximum, before service could actually be restored along the FEC tracks. (Stuart News, Howk).

To read this article, please click on the online home of the Stuart News and other Treasure Coast publications owned by E.W. Scripps at TCPalm.com. See also: The Palm Beach Post. For the purposes of this blog, I would like to opine on the significance of this event and give the clearest possible picture of what Southeast Florida’s mass transit future should or may look like.

As I mentioned before, in a previous post, I envision massive train systems intersecting dynamically along South Florida’s coastal urban core to form what I call the Southeast Florida Mass transit Nexus that will culminate at a massive transit hub being built in Miami (St. Petersburg Times, Chardy) that will house and service Amtrak, Tri-Rail, MetroRail, Greyhound, etc. This “nexus” will consist of (1) the aforementioned Amtrak service being proposed that will shuttle passengers into South Florida from Jacksonville and all points south of there, (2) high-speed rail from Tampa to Orland to Miami (Florida’s Peninsula mega region), (3) proposed shorter-distance commuter-rail service along the FEC tracks between Jupiter and Miami (South Florida’s Tri-County Area), (4) possible Tri-rail expansion into South Florida’s Treasure Coast, and finally, (5) the smaller city and county-based bus and rail systems, like Community Coach and MetroRail that will be plugging into these massive systems snaking their way down South Florida’s coastal urban core toward a common point in Miami’s ever metropolilizing environment.

Can you imagine being in downtown West Palm Beach at West Palm Beach Intermodal Center and watching (1a) Tri-Rail trains pulling in from the south via Miami, (1b) “Tri-Rail 2” coming in from the north unloading commuters form Stuart, (2) Amtrak pulling in 10 minutes later unloading passengers from PSL, Ft. Pierce, Vero and all points north, (3) high-speed bullet trains blazing by on their way to Miami from Orlando, (4) FEC Corridor trains ready to shuttle you from West Palm to Lake Worth or Miami and (5) Palm Tran busses buzzing all over the place to shuttle these folks to more specific points throughout the county?  Can you imagine being in downtown Stuart at their new transit hub and having to catch “Tri-Rail 2” down to Jupiter since you missed the 11:35AM Amtrak?

To make a long story short, once these systems are built and up and running, Southeast Florida, like its larger sister region, the New York-based Northeast, is going to be ONE BUSY PLACE. And if you’re a large biotech company looking for a global hub, you’d have to be “not in the know” to not consider setting up shop in what will be, in the future, the best place to live, work, study, play, relax and do business…

Palm Beach Gardens, Bus Shelters, Biotech

"Palm Beach Gardens’ $500,000 Investment On Its Image as a Unique South Florida City Far From Being a Waste of Money" v. johns

I just finished writing a post on the importance of the marketing and branding of the South Florida region (Please scroll down and read it). In addition to the article in the Palm Beach Post on FPL Group’s rebranding itself as NextEra Energy, I also took note of an article regarding Palm Beach Gardens city council getting shaky on spending money to upgrade its bus shelters and simultaneously boost its image as a city of art.

I think it would be disastrous for Palm Beach Gardens to NOT invest in their city’s aesthetic qualities. With so many other South Florida cities nearly looking the same from over-development and rampant gentrification, Palm Beach Gardens actually stands out among many of them with its unique, unassuming skyline, its palm-tree hidden flyovers and overpasses and its overall visual appeal as a peaceful place that beckons to be lived in. I love driving through there at night when the bridge spheres are lit on the PGA Blvd./A1A overpass bridge. And while I like Lake Worth, I miss taking art classes on Palm Beach State’s Eissey campus. It’s smaller and easier to walk around.

I blame WPBF, one of my favorite South Florida newscasts, for all this second guessing. I like WPBF News. But they had no business, a few weeks ago, getting involved in how the City of Palm Beach Gardens has decided to spend money that can only be spent for the purpose it has been designated for… art. All they’ve done is stir up unnecessary controversy about nothing. Not like them at all. Instead of picking on pre-approved art funds, they should be going after pain clinics and corrupt state officials who seek to cripple the state’s education system just to get rid of the unions...

In my opinion, this matter is VERY important for Palm Beach Gardens. Their image as a city of art must be backed up by none other than… you guessed it… art. While “being seen as a highfalutin city that wants to spend a half-million dollars on bus shelters during a recession” (as Councilman Joe Russo told the Post) only happens once, being seen as a city of art and learning and biotech prowess must happen every day. When Scripps Florida leaves its Jupiter campus for a permanent Palm Beach Gardens headquarters across the road, the city is going to have to really stand out and be recognizable the world over in order to keep its allure and keep the biotech buzz and growth going. It’s got a good start already. Why not let them keep it up?

* * *

CORRECTION (Mar. 29): I made a mistake in saying that Scripps Florida was moving to palm Beach Gardens. Thank you Mr. Keith McKeown, Vice President of Communications for The Scripps Research Institute, for clarifying that the permanent campus is on the Jupiter side of Donald Ross Rd. and that "The property on the other side of Donald Ross Road is reserved for potential Scripps Florida expansion and for biotech companies and services."

SunRail, Tri-Rail, High-Speed Rail

"So-Called Deal-with-the-Devil SunRail Bill Paves the Way for a Southeast Florida Mass Transit Nexus" by v. johns

Since this is old news, I'm going to keep this post as short as possible... As you may know, funding Tri-Rail has been an issue almost since its inception. Several attempts to do so, including the creation of a surcharge on car rentals in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, that was vetoed by Jeb Bush and would have served as permanent revenue for the train, have all failed up to this point. To add insult to injury, last year, in an attempt to get votes for a similar new system in the Orlando area, Tri-Rail's fate was linked, by a few crooked Central Florida politicians, to the approval of that system. South Florida elected officials rejected the apparent bribe and voted "no," dooming both the proposed SunRail and the existing Tri-Rail into potential nonexistence. A "yes" vote would have granted Tri-Rail its funding while saddling the state with the mandated creation of $1.2 billion system for the Orlando region that it would not have been able to afford amid the state budget crisis that had, in 2008 and 2009, forced state and local governments to make drastic cuts in services and operating budgets.

Enter the Obama Administration's promise to get high-speed rail outfits up and running across the nation... Last fall, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, at a conference in Orlando, told the state's leaders, literally, to get their "act together," regarding Sun-Rail's liability-contingent approval and Tri-Rail's funding-source issues. This led Senator Jeff Atwater, of North Palm Beach, to push for a special legislative session, late last year, to resolve these issues. If not, Florida's chance at a potential $2.6 billion stimulus grant to get high-speed rail up and running in the state, would have been lost. Federal dollars, totaling $8 billion, were only to be allocated to states with shovel-ready projects and a proven ability to operate commuter rail lines. This being "Flori-DUH," our legislature's failure to fund Tri-Rail, after 20 years of its existence, has exposed, albeit very briefly, the dirty politics and poor policies that have been hiding behind Florida's governmental incompetence in even the most mundane of matters.

This incompetence nearly cost our state a piece of the high-speed rail line pie. And while the cesspool of incompetence, camping out here in our state, is quite obvious, the arrogance, greed and utter filth that hides behind it, isn't always apparent...

Over the holidays, the Palm Beach Post reported that the bill from the aforementioned special legislative session to solve Florida's commuter rail issues had passed by a margin of 27-10 in the state senate. Out of this bill has come, not only a new Florida's-Turnpike-like entity called the Florida Rail Enterprise, that will oversee Tri-Rail, SunRail, high-speed rail and other commuter rail projects being proposed throughout the state, but also the $13million - $15 million per year in state funding for Tri-Rail, which will be taken from "state fuel taxes and fees." A far cry from its $47 million annual operating budget (St. Petersburg Times, Chardy), but a start nonetheless. And as suggested, just one sentence ago, the approval of a brand-spanking new SunRail system for the Orlando area has gotten its long awaited approval...

For more information and history on this issue, and to learn why this bill is seen as a deal with the devil, please refer to the Palm Beach Post's print and online editions, with special attention to articles by Dara Kam and editorial columns by Joel Engelhardt. See also: PostOnPolitics.com...

In the meantime, for the purpose of this blog, I'd like to focus on analyzing this, and other recent developments, to form the clearest picture of commuter rail in Southeast Florida that will potentially evolve from the passage of the bill, namely, the creation of what I call the Southeast Florida Mass Transit Nexus, which I define as the dynamic convergence of federal, state and local mass transit systems along South Florida's coastal urban core. This "Nexus," upon realization, will consist of five core components: (1) Amtrak service along Florida's entire east coast from Jacksonville to Miami, (2) high-speed rail lines connecting Tampa to Orlando to Miami, (3) Tri-Rail sevice from Miami to the Treasure Coast, (4) the proposed South Florida East Coast Corridor between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade that will compliment and complete Tri-Rail service, and (5) the smaller county and city-based bus and train systems, like Palm Tran and Metrorail, that will plug into these large train systems, allowing unprecedented full regional access and mobility to occur, throughout seven counties from Indian River county on down to Monroe...

I will be delving further into this issue in upcoming posts. For now, however, I just wanted to go on record in fleshing out how I believe these systems will ultimately evolve to form a massive point of convergence and access throughout South Florida's seven counties (Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe). The result will be unlike anything in the nation, not only rivaling the systems that serve the great Northeast Corridor, anchored by New York City, but reaching the level of putting South Florida on par with Europe and Asia, in mobility, to compete for the best medical, technical and biotech talent and capital from around the world. While we Americans are pretty comfortable in our cars, trucks and SUV's, the immigrants trickling into the state from Europe, Asia and Latin America, who may be used to transit-based lives and will be fueling the next great boom in our state, just might feel right at home. In the meantime, for those of us here now, without the proper infrastructure in place for full regional mobility, we may as well be stuck in the mud. But with the upcoming arrival of the Southeast Florida Mass Transit Nexus rail corridor will put South Florida on pace to go from being a lost paradise to finally becoming the best place in the world to live, work, study, play, relax and do business...

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...

Transit as Way to Go Green

"Martin Sees Mass Transit as Way to Go Green" by v. johns

I was surprised to read in the Stuart News Sunday edition about a "Transit Fair" held this past Saturday at the Blake Library in Stuart, hosted by the Martin Metropolitan Planning Organization (See TCPalm.com:" 'Martin's Going Green' theme of Transit Fair Saturday in Stuart," 6-06-09). I've always criticized Martin County for not being out front on mass transit issues because it seems to me that Martin considers itself to be a part of the "Treasure Coast" sub-region and not of the larger "South Florida" region as defined by the Center for Urban and Environmental Studies at Florida Atlantic University (SoFlo.org). But based on what I read in this article, this isolationist mindset is about to change. BIG TIME. Ann Perotta, MPO director, told the Stuart News that she wanted "people to become more aware of the variety of services that are coming in the near future." One of our county commissioners, Doug Smith, apparently a proponent of public mass transit, made this comment to the Stuart News in reference to these upcoming services: "I'm excited about where we're headed. These developments prove that Martin County is part of a larger region."

Among these developments, the fall season launching of the Interstate 95 Commuter Express that will go from Halpatiokee Park at I-95 and Kanner Highway, just outside Stuart, to downtown West Palm Beach, with stops in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens along the way. The article also mentioned that a "more promising" development being planned is the northward expansion of Tri-Rail from Mangonia Park to Jupiter -with further plans to expand to Stuart, Port St. Lucie and Ft. Pierce.

These certainly are exciting developments. Not just for Martin and the Treasure Coast, but for all of South Florida as it will add stature and dimension to our image as a regional powerhouse and will help put us on par to compete with Southern California, the Northeast and other regions of distinction in America and around the world. You simply cannot have a region where only a certain portion of that region is serviced with optimal choices in mobility. Its not optimal and it certainly isn't green. I would opine further that I certainly hope that Vero Beach and Sebastian in Indian River County are added to the mix in some way or another. Perhaps the Treasure Coast Connector, which runs from Indian River to St. Lucie to Martin and back, would be of service in this area. As far as I know, the Connector is now managed by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

In conclusion, I should have known from the outset of this blog that it would take some type of green initiative to get Martin going in the area of mass transit development. Don't get me wrong, some of these things being planned are as old as I am, but the matter at hand is that its one thing for them to be on the drawing board, its another for them to be presented to the public in a way that will make us all care about these issues...

FEC Corridor Passenger Rail

"SFECC Study Group Begins Public Meetings to Assess FEC Corridor Passenger Rail Development" by v. johns

As I mentioned before, it's one thing to comment on news that's already been gathered, but quite another to attend town hall meetings and presentations and attempt to process raw data into a meaningful package that's well presented and devoid of any misrepresentations. Today, I attended a kick-off meeting, in Jupiter, by the South Florida East Coast Corridor Study held for the purpose of getting input from the public on determining the best way to construct a commuter rail system on the FEC Railway that would provide more useul and intricate sevice through major downtowns as well as integrate with and compliment Tri-Rail, which services a less convenient path along I-95 on CSX tracks away from major urban centers.

The meeting showcased "Phase 2" of a 3-phase study to assess local preferences for improved mobility along the 85-mile FEC corridor in the Tri-County Area of Southeast Florida. Among the issues to be determined are: grade crossings, how to finance, where to place stations (96 possible) and how to phase the study. This study, according to one presenter, replaces three separate studies that were underway in individual counties. The first presentation concluded with the types of stations possible for approved locations such as: City Center, Town Center, Neighborhood, Employment Center, Local Park-N-Ride, Regional Park-N-Ride, Airport/Seaport and Special Event Venue. Among the types of "modal technologies" or vehicles in consideration are: Regionl Rail, Regional Bus, Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit and Rail Rapid Transit.

The second part of the presentation presented several overlays in which to view service considerations along the FEC tracks in the Gold Coast sub-region of South Florida in regards to environmental considerations. Such as: The regions natural boundary limitations (Everglades forms western edge) and characteristics (Biscayne Aquifer), its historic districts, neighborhoods and parks/recreation areas, its proximity to underserved low income and minority neighborhoods, and, finally the FEC's position to fit int the Eastward Ho! Initiative imlemented by the late Gov. Lawton Chiles to contain sprawl and concentrate major development east of I-95.

The post-presentation Q&A tended to center around noise levels, with costs coming in a distant second. According to one representative, the cost would be 4 million dollars. regarding noise levels, another representatve assured the participants that with passenger trains running mostly during the day when overall activity is high noise levels would less of an issue than they are with industrial trains that run overnight, hauling rock and other raw materials to industries in the area. He noted that passenger trains are lighter and cleaner and would not produce the thundering vibrations that industrial haulers produce.

I myself had questions. I asked why the study stopped at the Palm Beach County line when South Florida reaches up to Sebastian. A representative assured me that while efforts have been made to bring the Treasure Coast into the fold, the study itself is limited to Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. I asked if there were instances in which the "build it and they will come" appraoch fostered development as opposed to population fueling major demand for mass transit. They told me that while the FEC railway, built by Henry Flagler, did just that, Florida's outdated land use policies complicates transit issues and that they are trying to get jurisdictions in the region to embrace more mass-transit centered policies that would consider mobility first, with development taking place around those considerations. Currently, developers build what they want, where they want, and all else is considered later... Even roads. Finally, I expressed my concerns about access for smaller communities outside the major urban core of South Florida. They assured me that although, the curent study is restricted to Metropoltan South Florida, efforts are being made to assess connections and extensions to outlying areas. I was referred to a particular project being looked at to improve travel on State Road 710 (the Beeline Highway). As I write this now, I'm looking at the website and I like what I see. Awesome!

I can't believe I remembered all this. My childhood nickname of Absent-minded Professor is pretty descriptive of this writer. Anyway, I'm one of those people who not only knows what they know, but knows what they don't know. There's so much more that I need to consider. Thanks to this meeting, I now have a clearer picture of what I don't know. And its a lot. In addition to opining on what I see on the news and read in the papers, I will continue to attempt to make it to meetings such as the one I just described. I'm also going to try to get more poor people, such as myself, to come to these meetings as we tend to brush over such mundane things without considering their impact on our lives.

In conclusion, you may be surprised to find that I'm not entirely sold on rail "technology" along that corridor to alleviate traffic in all directions. I'm not thoroughly convinced that a passenger train system along an 85-mile rail segment with 200+ rail crossings in the Tri-County Area would do much to improve mobility. Busses are clearly the way to go as the preferred "technology" to facilitate the needs of this densely populated area. They're cheaper and more flexible. East-West traffic flow is bad enough throughout the region with industrial trains slowing traffic. Upon attending the next meeting, in West Palm Beach, I will seek clarification as to how trains will alleviate traffic in that direction. In the meantime, I really enjoyed the presentation and I hope that many more of our citizens and our political leaders will attend these meetings to help us create a more sustainable and and accessible region for all...

Grand Central Station, West Palm Beach

"Grand Tropical Station" by v. johns

I wrote some comments on the Palm Beach Post's "Your Post" blog concerning an idea to use Evernia Street in West Palm Beach as a central hub for the city and as a short connector route enabling Tri-Rail to switch from northwest bound CSX tracks to north bound FEC tracks that would run trains further north into Jupiter and Stuart. My opinion was that: No, West Palm Beach does not need it's own "Grand Central Station." Although the article, which has expired from the Post's site, seemed misleading in its title ("Grand Central Station envisioned for downtown West Palm Beach"), the real story was that downtown West Palm Beach is the closest and most logical choice out of three or four sites that can host new tracks to connect the FEC tracks that continue running north past West Palm Beach with the CSX tracks which start running northwest in Riviera Beach.

My thoughts about this now, on one level, is that it might not be such a bad idea after all. I just don't think it should be done in a grandiose, big city-wannabe fashion. It should be done on such a scale that there is both financial feasibility and room for future expansion. On one hand, it makes perfect sense to connect two different sets of tracks at the closest point between them. On the other hand, the city of West Palm Beach has already been hurt a great deal by a bevy of downtown construction projects. And they have every right in the world to be concerned about even more construction.

On another level, West Palm Beach seems to be poised in such a way that, once it matures as a major metro, it can compete with Miami to position itself as the flagship city of the South Florida region. Certainly, there is much growth and influence to be gained by serving as the bridge that connects South Florida's northern and southern districts - as West Palm would be a regional draw from both ends. Perhaps more so than it already is.

On yet another level, as I mentioned before, we have a problem here in South Florida: A fractured region with two faces: one relatively tranquil and sparse (the Treasure Coast) with the other, not counting the Keys, very urban and nearly built-out (the Gold Coast). While the southern tier has enjoyed the luxury of having their own transit systems, the Treasure Coast - Martin county especially - has languished in such services, due in part to a far less dense population set than Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade. But in the last decade, the Treasure Coast has boomed to a point where it has finally run smack dab into the rest of South Florida to form one continuous coastal link that now warrants the need for highly efficient inter-regional travel.

For the moment, our only hope up here on the Treasure Coast for connecting with the rest of South Florida, via rail, and being able to loose our cars on some occasions, lies in running trains northward on the FEC where CSX doesn't go. Putting so much hope into a city in a neighboring county to consider our part in the play, it feels a lot like playing a bit part in the last act of a major Broadway production. Our future in coming online with the rest of the region as soon as possible might depend on what they decide.

Believe me, I really would hate to see West Palm Beach be further inconvenienced by what is being proposed. But if that's what it will take to finally bring commuter rail service to Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, I believe that it is at least worth a look. There has got to be something they can bring to the table to make it feasible. And I would urge West Palm Beach city leaders to consider our needs in whether or not it would be a good idea. Since Martin is considered to be a bedroom community serving West Palm, they might want to keep us in mind. Initially, it might actually benefit them more than us. Loads of Martin and St. Lucie residents crowding into CityPlace, Clematis and the Waterfront sounds good to me, West Palm. How does it sound to you?

No Progress Without Transit

"No Progress in Paradise Without Public Transit" by v. johns

With the current mortgage and foreclosure fallout on our hands now - not to mention a souring economy and potentially irresponsible state budget cuts - a descent transportation system for all of South Florida is probably the last thing on the minds of all these politicians and officials we've managed to elect to screw us over and beat us out of countless dollars. Countless dollars that, in addition to building a world-class education system, could have also been used to fund and attract matching federal dollars to build a world-class transportation system. Instead, we've allowed short-sighted and, often crooked, politicians who run and win on empty promises of "cut taxes" or ''no taxes'' take control of our state and shift our hard-earned money into the already fattened pockets of road builders, home developers, tax-evading corporations - and their ilk.

Here's what's funny about all this? For a state that's run on the cheap - a state where everything is so cheaply executed and poorly planned - there sure is a great deal of money that's either being wasted or going into the wrong pockets, isn't there? It's like living with a roommate or relative who spends thousands of dollars annually on Lotto, cigarettes and booze... but won't buy toilet paper... even when it's out... Funny how some state-level politicians will scoff at funding sorely needed social programs and services while showering corporate cronies and chums with unholy amounts in tax breaks, ''incentives'' and subsidies.

To say all this is not to argue against progress. I'm arguing FOR progress. SMART progress. Without jobs a community cannot prosper. Yes, we know this. But without the means to get to all these wonderful jobs we crave so much, any progress made can quickly be strangled and choked off from inefficiency, low productivity and lack of further private investment in any given community. The ''build it and they will come'' approach to public transportation is not what I'm advocating. I'm advocating the very foundation of a regional framework for economic prosperity... public mobility...

Our cities, towns and villages have formed into a regional multi-city agglomeration with ever-growing needs and demands from its citizens. At this point, mobility has become, not an option, but a must. What I'm proposing is, not only the building of a comprehensive regional inermodal mass transit system, but the changing of a mindset of an entire region. Leaders and advocates are going to have to work hard and market a whole new attitude toward local travel to get people out of their cars and SUV's. And they are going to have to make sure that whatever is built meets or exceeds all expectations.

Before I continue any further, a word on the issue of gridlock: There is no permanent cure for this headache. It can only be eased, channeled or contained - not stopped. Road-building, though needed sorely, isn't the answer to eliminating gridlock. And it certainly isn't the solution for boosting an overrated tourism-based state economy. More personally, it definitely isn't the answer for those party animals up here in Martin county who would love to go down to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale - every weekend - on the cheap.

So, why is the so-called Department of Transportation here in Florida so bent on constructing more highways and toll roads at a time when cities are drowning in gridlock and demanding alternatives to cars, bikes and walking shoes? More roads only lead to more vehicles. We've heard all this before. But where I diverge from the anti-gridlock crowd is in my capitalistic training in economics and business: My argument for good public transit is based on economic and regional promotional considerations. But there is no doubt that in addition to those benefits, some environmental and personal comfort concerns can also be satisfied, in the process, with innovative regional mass transit initiatives backed by governmental powers...

When I think about transportation, my differences with other people tend to go out the window. I feel that there are a lot of people down here in South Florida who are lazy and don't want to work. I don't trust, nor do I get along to well with, people who are able to work and choose not to. But I also see that there are only so many opportunities to work in any given community or town and when they run out, you gotta look over and see what the next city or town has to offer. And I pray that you have a car or a ride of some sort as you are looking for your first or next job.

Just to let you know, I'm one of the many so-called "working poor" living down here in this sub-tropical land of riches and gold. I don't have much, but what I do have, I damn sure earned it. I work and go to school on my own dime. I avoid expensive habits. And I don't drain relatives of their hard-earned cash when things get bad. I take my medicine like a man. If I can't, I get a payday loan! So, yes, I pull myself up by the jock straps, boot straps - whatever! - as much as I can. But all over Florida and much of the South, there seems to be this idea that we REALLY are - each individual - 100% on our own. We CAN make it without other people... On our jobs, we'll make money, even if no one buys our employer's products and services... If we're self-employed, same thing: our products and services will be purchased, not by people, but by thin air and we'll be rich from now until infinity if we just dig in and let thin air do its thing, right?

Anyway, the idea of shared public space is a concept that seems to be embraced more freely up north than it is down south. Down here, in the South, even in Florida, we value private property. The only problem is that, eventually, you get all these private properties sprawling out and running into one another until you get this big, bad 7000+ sq. mile swath of seaside, beachside, lakeside, riverside - not to mention canal-side - chunka land called South Florida that has become the 5th or 6th largest urban metropolitan statistical area in the nation that's over HALF the size of New York in population. Okay, NOW what?

Not to sound overly biased, mind you, but I have noticed that these politicians, particularly these Republican types (I'm Independent, by the way), have quite often played the urban and not so urban places against one another and have used their clout to punish the generally more liberal and Democratic urban areas with budget constraints and conflicting state rules. While at the same time allowing their developer friends to make money off of them in the midst of their problems. With us ever-mindful, common-damn sense independent thinkers forever caught in the middle of all this foolishness. Ahhh, the politics of fear at its best!

So, for those of you who subscribe so whole-heartedly to this ''pull yourself up by the bootstraps'' nonsense espoused so arrogantly by some in our wonderful state and local governments here in the Sunshine State, I've got news for ya... There are no boots left. And the straps, apparently, have come off!

See, the problem with Florida is that people all over the world continue to actually want to live here. Yeah, I can't believe it either! What the hell are these people smokin'? And as much as some of us cringe at the thought of overpopulation, by law, we can't prevent people who want to move here from moving here. Unless they're a threat to our national security. And just as the rich are attracted to our state, so too are the middle class and the poor. As common as car ownership is, many people arrive here with no transportation (Especially those from large cities with transit so available that driving is just nonsense). Some have barely functioning vehicles when they get here. While others lose their transportation when they get here. What do we do with these people? Tell them to suck it up and walk 30 miles from their home in Indiantown to their job in West Palm? Tell them to quit that 75K job in Lauderdale and work at a grocery store in Jupiter where they actually live?

This whole tough guy, ''I got mine... screw yours'' thing is really bad up here in the northern districts of the Treasure Coast and has lead to, in my opinion, some of the most backward demands and idleness from our citizens... causing a very bizarre and unnecessary type of isolationism that most modern, progressive communities are trying to do away with. We've let our own personal disgust with other types of people and their various habits cloud our picture of the grand scheme of things. But since we don't value each other as much as we should, let me translate this into I, I, I, Me, Me, Me: I don't care how tough and independent you think you are, a bad day or week is always lurking around the corner for ya. And if your brand new Hummer breaks down or your ride to work stiffs you or you have no driver's license temporarily or if you become disabled and you can't get to your big, bad, high-paying tough guy job down in Miami or West Palm Beach... buddy... you ain't gonna be making no money on that day, that week that month, that year, etc.! So, cut the crap put yourself in other people's shoes for a change...

My argument for regional public transportation is for the greater good of a long stretch of municipalities and counties that have grown and ran into one another and formed a densely-populated territory and now depend on all the others, to some degree, for economic sustenance and vitality. Come on, do you really think that even he mighty Magic City of Miami can be on its own without the rest of South Florida feeding into it? Its like New York saying that its economy has nothing to do with North Jersey! Really, folks. Come on, now... Put two and two together, here, will ya? It's a no-brainer, people: Without mobility, there IS no economy. If people can't get to work consistently and efficiently, exactly what sense is there for any given job or business to exist? Why should I relocate my world-class corporate headquarters from a world-class place like New York or D.C. where the pool of available people who can make it to work is much larger than what you people got down here? Why should I relocate my world-class headquarters from a place where 90% of the citizens graduate from high school and can measure and calculate things based on my company's needs... to a place where the graduation rate is 40% and its citizens so poorly educated that hiring them would risk the vitality and productivity and therefore, profitability - and even very existence - of my company?

We don't always see how all these things fit together, but now that we've formed into an alleged national and international regional powerhouse with stiff competition from the likes of Dallas-Ft. Worth, the Northeast, Phoenix Valley of the Sun, Las Vegas, Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle, Greater Los Angeles, etc. - not to mention our very own Tampa Bay, Central Florida and North Florida - we had better start thinking this way! The sooner we get this thing up and running, the better off we all are. We need JOBS down here, man. BETTER jobs, at that. And what do job creators look for other than loyal customers? They look for people with talent and means to make it happen. People who can arrive and show up on time and attain and keep loyal customers and satisfied clients. So, let's not take ourselves too lightly...

Tourism and home-building can only get us so far. There's a lot of fun and sun in South Florida, for sure. On the surface. But there's also a lot of big business and strong national and international connections going on in the background that isn't always apparent to ourselves nor outsiders. That's what makes this area so appealing, if only subconsciously. Why is this concept not being cultivated and integrated into our own international mystique?

While other, more progressive regions, around the nation and around the world have, at least, heard the call for revival and greatness, South Florida is in danger of becoming the story that could have been. Drowning in a massive sea of reidential, tourist-trap madness - while other areas build great monuments to their honor and make great efforts to prepare their citizens for the fast approaching future. Still, it's not about being like New York or NOT being like L.A. It's about creating an entirely new dynamic in a way that only South Florida and its people can brand most successfully. A dynamic so original and so profound that it's mere imitation would demand that it be packaged and exported as THE blueprint for successful regional interface cultivation. The potential is there. Unfortunately, the character... and the will... are not...

Books, Buses, Bad Driving, B-Movie Politics

 "From Books and Buses to Bad Driving and B-Movie Politics" by v. johns 2-5-08 at 7:10pm

Call me a rolling stone... If I were in Atlanta, or if I still lived in Tallahassee, then this blog would certainly be about one of those places... My loyalty tends to lie wherever I lay my noggin. But since I seem to be stuck in South Florida, for the time being, I will comment on my experiences here while I'm here: Many of which have been nightmarish and often uninspiring. I've realized since returning here in 2001 that this is undeniably not the place I once knew as a child, nor as a teen. Even Indiantown has changed a little. But not as much as it's gonna. As we speak, there are plans on the board to bring the same chaos (over development) that the rest of South Florida has experienced out here to our little town. The only thing that has spared us thus far (other than Martin County's shameful historical neglect) is the unfortunate collapse of the housing market here in South Florida and nationwide.

One experience here that I find to be problematic and unsatisfactory, that a lot of other people bitch about way more than I do, is traffic. Particularly interstate traffic and its ilk. But in my opinion, metropolitan interstate traffic here in South Florida (ex. I-95 from Hobe Sound to Miami) is nothing compared to rural interstate traffic in Central Florida (I-75 between Gainesville and Tampa). Or even worse city-specific rush-hour traffic (Tallahassee on any given Monday or Friday during the football season or legislative session). So, as bad as I-95 can get down this way, for those of us who travel in the Tri-County Area, the thing that makes it bad is the never ending road construction going on down that way. Not much fun, but nothing a little talk radio can't cure. Still, God forbid if there's garbage on the radio at the time you're driving... On top of the fact that you forgot you iPod when you left this morning...

I will concede, however, that talk radio is of no comfort to anyone who really has to be somewhere - to pick up the kids or interview for a job. To be to a job. Not to mention the smoldering sun shining dead on you as you drive home from work or school in the late afternoon rush. And quite often when I-95 traffic gets REALLY, really bad, other roads (U.S. 1, A1A, 441, Congress Ave., Military Trail, the Turnpike, Indiantown Road, Kanner Highway, PSL Blvd., Glades Road, SR 7, etc.) get choked up pretty bad as well. But, again, I've seen worse in isolated Tallahassee... I'm talkin two hours to get home... in one town... And I say "isolated" because there are no other towns that connect with Tally the way places down here connect. Not yet. And, really, would anyone in South Florida even THINK about trading places with those poor people up in Atlanta? I don't think so.

Well, our traffic might not be the worst, but our drivers are! THAT'S where all the stress for me comes from when I'm driving. While the trips and the time spent on the road don't bother me, the PEOPLE do! A lot of these folks who drive down here, in the land of the blazin' sun, have absolutely no concept whatsoever about what responsibilities owning a motor vehicle entails. And while other more well-known, better organized metros like New York and San Francisco Bay have estblished and well-planned transit systems to funnel some of their own driving-challenged idiots off the road, we here in overrated South Florida, DON'T... I say overrated because South Florida is nowhere near as sophisticated as it can and purports to be.

Sure enough, our dilemma is nearly purely regional in nature... not confined to any one city but to multiple municipalities with common economic ties. A good dilemma, maybe. But a dilemma that demands to be addressed nonetheless. And now that people are beginning to see the true size and depth of the South Florida landscape, we need ways of getting around in all theses places down here. Other than in our cars. Especially when so many people here either can't drive. Or they drive even though aren't supposed to be driving... Yes, indeed, even people with Florida-style multiple DUI's deserve to have SOME way of getting around (hopefully to work and not to a bar) besides expensive taxi cabs, unreliable family and friends, uncommitted carpools, limited community shuttles... Or even worse yet... driving illegally with a revoked or suspended license... Driving home from a bar at that... So, by having a full regional train system or by somehow linking each county's current bus system - no matter how quaint - with that of neighboring counties... uh... wouldn't we be doing ourselves a big favor by getting as many teens, alcoholics and bad drivers off the road as we can? (Sorry, teens. Nothing personal.)

Concerining my days up in Tally (Tallahassee)... a little background, here: I left South Florida circa 1992 to attend college up there. Beautiful place: Nice locals, lots of trees, good schools, diverse, generally well-educated population. Not to mention hot babes... who like to read!

Well, anyway, majoring in math-laden business economics, I just couldn't handle the load, nor the math, so I dropped to part time and eventually ended up changing majors - and schools - multiple times. Later on I got a job, got a car, become a local and ended up staying there for a rough total of about nine years - not counting summer breaks. Unfortunately, I never finished my goal of acquiring a bachelor's degree of some sort... This is to be continued. And my time up there wasn't all bliss. I had some major troubles for sure. Murphey got me good, for sure. But other than an abundance of beautiful women who read and wear clothes, the one thing I miss, and may have taken for granted, is riding the bus to class and using it as a backup to my car. It was just so convenient...

For people who walk or "bike it" or for people with ''A-to-B'' cars or ''hoopties'' or ''junk wagons'' - whatever you wanna call 'em - good public transportation as another option is a godsend. When I lived in Tally, I walked, hitched it or bussed it until my latter years at FAMU. Then, I got a car, I liked it, I got used to it, I got spoiled... THEN my car broke down. Repeat this, eh, about three or four times. If I remember correctly. Still, I knew the bus system so well that each time my car broke down on me or I couldn't use it, I hopped back on the bus as if I had never stopped riding it. Even when I bought a bike, later on, I still used the bus (Bike racks are the bomb!). After awhile I left FAMU for TCC and then FSU. Oher side of town. Same story, nonetheless. With slightly different variations (owed money on title loans, etc.). On some occasions, when my car was actually functioning, the parking at FSU was so bad - and so scarce - I gladly said to myself: "To hell with driving!"

The city buses that were used to move students around town and from one end of the campus to the other? NICE! Living near one of the campus bus routes that went directly to where my classes were? PRICELESS!

Fast forward to today: I find myself in a bit of a quandry. I actually miss Tallahasse. It wasn't all good, but it wasn't all bad, either. And I wish I could go back sometimes... With two big state colleges there, the generally brainy environment suits me much better than the segregated, NIMBY-pimby, low-brow, worker blues, retail misery that has become Martin County... Tallywas kinda sleepy, but the buses buzzing all over town - not to mention the big games in the Fall and the legislative sessions in the Spring- made the place look a lot busier than it actually was. I knew the bus system there inside-out. Even when I got all comfy and big time riding around in my car to places I couldn't go before, on some days - when I wasn't at work or in class - I actually took the bus to the mall or whatever just for old time's sake...

Compare that with this: Out here in Indiantown, other than a poorly funded call-ahead county shuttle called Community Coach, THERE ARE NO BUSES! Most people out here drive, true, but I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have a car! I have a more reliable car now - Thank God - but when I first came back to South Florida, I drove the same death trap of a vehicle that I had driven in Tally. So, whenever I broke down, I had to either catch a ride with relatives or borrow their vehicles. How embarrassing.

Okay... SO... if I have a car and I can get around, why am I bitchin about there being no buses where I live? I'm glad you asked...

For one thing: I actually give a damn about other human beings... For the most part. I can drive and I can go when and where I want to, but many people can't and it reduces their economic potential. Besides that, it's no fun, at all, not being able to go where you need to and want to go. Granted, you can't get as far - or to as many places in a day - on a bus or train as you can in a car, but if you're poor and can't afford a car, yet, it's a start!

Second: Anyone, who has utilized public transportation extensively, knows how awesome it is to just kick back and let someone else do the driving while they enjoy the view. Who better to do the driving than a well-trained bus driver or train operator? Not only is it nice to ride and not have to keep your eyes on the road or worry about gas prices, you get to finish a book or newspaper or magazine or homework you couldn't find the time or concentration to finish at home - while someone else drives you to work or school. Like I said before... Priceless!

Third: It's a part of what I call "the regional dilemma": When you live in a relatively remote place like Indiantown, where your choices in jobs, shopping, entertainment, etc. are very limited, you often have to go out of town to get what you want or need. Limited choices makes for very limited lives... Lucky for Indiantown, we're not hundreds of miles out in the middle of nowhere - like towns out West. But let me tell ya, there are a ton of us up here in the northern districts of South Florida who commute further south to work, party and go to school. And believe it or not, some of our Gold Coast brethren even travel up here to the Treasure Coast for the same things. Though to a much lesser degree, of course. So... how do we address the fact that people don't - or even just can't - do all their living in one central place?

Fourth: As I mentioned before, on a more personal note, unlike my days in Tally, I have no permanent backup should my car fail me. Like many out west here in Indiantown, Okeechobee, Canal Point, Port Mayaca, Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay and maybe Clewiston, I work (and go to school) on the metro coast. That's a good 20 miles or more for me... In any direction... Despite the good ratings and reliability reputation of the make and model of my car, there's no guarantee that it will always be good to me. Yeah, I got people, but a lot of people don't. And as good as my people are, I doubt they'll tolerate me damn near taking over their vehicles - when they themselves have places to go and things to do.

And finally: With all the fuss in the newspapers, online and on local TV about the lack of transportation funding for our region, I'm essentially just pissed off with the backward politics and the tax games that some of these idiot showboating politicians are playing with funding mass transit initiatives for our area. The expansion of real mass transit to the Treasure Coast hinges on finding a dedicated source of funding for the South Florida Regional Transit Authority - funding that the federal government would match us on! How hard can it be?

Time and again, RTA and other local officials have proposed ideas for funding only to have the legislature find some dumb, idiotic reason to discard these ideas as mere trash. It's clear to see that some games are being played up in Capitol City. The people of Florida, especially South Florida, have almost no say in what we get and how we are governed... Forever floundering in a sea of mediocrity on all levels, we are at worst a state run on the cheap and on the broken backs of the poor for the benefit of the rich. And at best a place where middle-class values and middle-class people are slowly, but surely, being squeezed out by the two growing extremes of rich and poor...

I do believe that as car-centric as Florida tends to be, especially South Florida, there appears to be a growing demand for public transportation brewing among officials, planners and citizens alike. Apparently there just isn't enough of it. I just want to add my own voice to the chorus. I'll be writing about stuff other than transportation, most likely, but overall, I want to write about stuff I see along the way as it relates to the entire region at large...

There are a lot of good blogs, websites, daily papers and alternative publications out there covering - and coming out of - the Miami area on almost anything you can think of. My blog will concern South Florida, in general, with specific emphasis on bringing commuter rail to all of the Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast. Other than what is covered in the news, there seems to be, at first glance, at least, a dearth of citizen concern on this issue, here on the Treasure Coast... compared to the constant vigilance of our neighbors to the south... Palm Beach County wants to expand commuter rail further north to Jupiter and beyond. Ft. Lauderdale is actively planning its next phase in mass transit for its residents. But the populous flagship city of Miami, with its many buses, trains, expresses, and transfer connections with neighboring counties, is where the entire region should be - at this point, on some level - with regards to public mass transit.