All Aboard Florida, TCPalm.com, Quiet Zones, NIMBY

"All Aboard the Future" by v. johns, 4/13/14, 9:44 PM

I mildly disagree with TCPalm.com columnist Rich Campbell, regarding the Stuart News’ Shaping Our Future series, that “All Aboard Florida is a bad idea for all of us.” I do agree, however, that several demands should be met in order for All Aboard Florida’s passenger trains to benefit everyone that its proponents (myself, included) are claiming that it will benefit. Everyone, meaning: The whole state of Florida. Including the Treasure Coast area, which hosted one of President Obama’s annual retreats, last year, in Palm City.

Before listing and commenting on these concerns (concerns that should be packaged into a set of demands), I’d like to, as Mr. Campbell did, in his column, encourage Treasure Coast and other South Florida residents to speak out on these matters. You can snail-mail your concerns to the Federal Railroad Administration at: 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590. Or you can email your thoughts to the FRA at: www.fra.dot.gov.

Right now, let’s look at some of the concerns that have been noted and gathered by Rich Campbell, Eve Samples and others about All Aboard Florida’s presence in our region:

QUIET ZONES: For any state- or federally-proposed outfit, quiet zones are a given. If this had been the original public high-speed-rail project that was submitted to Washington for proposal  by Charlie Crist and later de-railed by Governor Scott, quiet zones would have been a built-in feature, right from the start. Quasi-private All Aboard Florida should do the same, without dumping that responsibility on the citizens of the Treasure Coast, even though we will initially not be served by their trains.

STOPS ALONG THE TREASURE COAST: If there are no overt plans to have stops on the Treasure Coast, one of our nation’s most important centers for agricultural, biological and marine research, why should we foot any part of the bill we’re being asked to dole out? Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce and Stuart are all key South Florida cities that deserve the same significance of destination and importance as our larger, more hectic metropolises to the south.

BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE: Existing railroad infrastructure won’t suffice and isn’t going to cut it for the purpose of high-speed rail. There should be additional tracks laid (double tracking, etc.), along with safety features such as double grade crossings to prevent cars from passing on both sides.

THE LEAST ALL ABOARD FLORAIDA CAN DO FOR THE TREASURE COAST?  All of the above. And, maybe, a great deal more. What to do about delays for boaters; congested traffic at railway crossings created from 16 trains a day, both ways; impacts on home values, etc., I really don’t know. These are all things that are gonna have to be worked out in town hall meetings, and perhaps, in the courts. 

Still, there’s no reason to try and stop All Aboard Florida from happening. Not this late in its development. And not so long as they are willing to address major issues that will impact its initial partial presence on the Treasure Coast. It’s counter-progressive to even think that way. We can iron out all of our noted concerns as the project matures.

The optimal time to have addressed any major issues of concern would have been early on in the game. Where was the NIMBY crowd, back then? Still, most of the blame for any recent outrage over secrecy and lack of disclosure on some issues should be attributed to All Aboard Florida. Several years ago, I had an opportunity to attend a few meetings in Jupiter for the proposed SFECC Corridor project and felt that not only was I listened to, I was well-educated by the SFECC Study Group on the scope, scale, benefits, drawbacks and impacts of the project that they were proposing. They were all very professional and their project was very well thought out.

Here, on the Treasure Coast, we’re all very excited about Amtrak passenger service returning to the east coast of Florida. So, there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be just as much enthusiasm about having high-speed passenger-rail service between Miami and Orlando. Not to mention the possibility of future rail service to Jacksonville and Tampa. But it would help if (like Amtrak, like SFECC, like Tri-Rail) All Aboard Florida was more forthcoming on some things and more thoroughly engaged with the public about the good, the bad and the ugly regarding what I think could very well be a very beneficial and game-changing service for our state.

We have, right here, in our hands, the opportunity to become the most intermodal, transit-oriented and well-connected state in the nation. It’s either now or never. And I say we go for it! But thoughtfully and carefully, not foolishly or in the most mindless way.

Tri-Rail Expansion

"Tri-Rail Expansion" by v. johns, 11/14/11, 3:53 PM

I haven't looked at SFRTA's Fast Start plan for Tri-Rail, yet. Nor have I examined the competing plan from FDOT & FEC. But I have read about them and if I were you, South Floridians, I'd trust the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority's best guess over the state department of transportation's fiscal crystal ball on any given day.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the state wants to privatize Tri-Rail and hand operations over to the FEC Railway. HELL NO! If SFRTA says they can expand service faster, cheaper and WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, then why the hell not give them a go at it?

FDOT, says the Sun Sentinel, would have to raise $300 million in construction costs. Who has time for all that? SFRTA, on the other hand, could do it for $265 million and would be able to begin construction in a year!

FDOT's intentions sound kinda funky to me. And where the hell does the Florida Rail Enterprise, created by the legislature when Charlie Crist was in office, fit in all this? I haven't heard a peep out of them. That's if they exist. Were they axed in Governor Scott's budget from hell? With this state, who knows?

If I had to put money down on anything, at this point, I'd bet on RTA's Fast Start plan, first and foremost. Who knows South Florida's mass transit needs better than RTA? And as far as their plan goes, personally, I'd like to see Tri-Rail expanded up into Stuart or Jensen Beach. Why stop at Jupiter when the Treasure Coast is screaming for commuter and passenger rail?

© 2011 LostParadiseFL.us.  

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…

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...

Tri-Rail 2

"Tri-Rail 2 Would Help Bring all of South Florida Together" by v. johns, 1/3/09, 1:20 AM

I'm reading in Thursday's Palm Beach Post about Tri-Rail's record 2008 ridership of 4.3 million people compared with 3.5 million in 2007... Not only is Tri-Rail the second fastest-growing commuter rail system in the nation behind Albuquerque, New Mexico's Rail Runner Express, according to spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold, an estimated 64 percent of Tri-Rail's ridership own automobiles. One rider questioned by The Post, who owns an SUV, said that even though gas is much lower than this past summer, she continues to ride to save money and work on her laptop.

What I want to know, that I haven't researched yet, is that with gas prices so low, will ridership remain steady or will riders go back to their pre-gas bubble ways? I don't want to speculate, but I'm certainly hoping that people within range of the commuter rail system will continue to conserve energy and restrict their driving by supporting the train system they are fortunate enough to have in that part of our region.

In the meantime, Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties continue to languish in the area of public transportation. Though we currently lack the dense population, here on the Treasure Coast, needed to support full mass transit outfits for each individual county, our status as bedroom communities of the West Palm Beach area, with thousands of our residents clogging up the roads heading south for work every morning, justifies our need for expansion. But the type of mass transit I'm interested in, for the time being, is lighter systems designed to plug into the main terminals and hubs of our more populous neighbors to the south.

In the spring, there was talk of building a "grand central station" in West Palm Beach that would switch trains from CSX to FEC tracks allowing them to run further north (See: "Grand Tropical Station" on this blog). What I have in mind, with regards to this issue, is stopping the trains at that station, if it is built, and running a different set of light rail trains along the FEC tracks through downtown Stuart, Jensen Beach, Port St. Lucie, Ft. Pierce, Vero Beach and Sebastian with a spinoff brand name of "Tri-Rail II."

I say "Tri-Rail II" ("the T-2 train") because once the train system extends northward, the addition of other counties would render obsolete the "Tri" part of the "Tri-Rail" brand. Naming the new trains with "Tri-Rail II" branding, yet allowing either set of trains to be used in either part of the region, would signify the expansion of an established system that recognizes the boundaries of the larger region. The only other logical thing to do would be to rename the system entirely. The initials of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, "S.F.R.T.A." would probably suffice, but would not be as good for marketing as the "Tri-Rail" brand name.

My suggestion of creating a "Tri-Rail II" train system for the Treasure Coast stems from the idea of an expandable regional train system with the capability of reaching smaller, less populous areas of our region, as efficiently as possible with shuttles, buses or park-and-ride stations to compliment the train system. Unlike the "population-support" model, the "regional-access" model assumes eventual density and is more concerned with overall continuity of service provision. Although Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin don't have the population densities to support full-throttle mass transit systems for each individual county, our economic ties to our neighbors to the south, in the form of thousands of people commuting further south to work, as well as the newly recognized geographic boundaries of the region, justifies the need to provide a system that will serve our needs on a regional level. Thus, the aim in creating "Tri-Rail II", initially, would be to connect the less populous Treasure Coast with the rest of South Florida. As ridership grows and as the Treasure Coast grows, further provisions would be made within our sub-region to provide more detailed connections on the county level for locals, travelers and commuters alike...