August 2014

By Matt Dixon August 28, 2014 TCPalm

Opponents of All Aboard Florida had what they called an “open and candid” meeting with top transportation officials from Gov. Rick Scott’s administration.

Bill Ward, a leader with CARE-FL, said his group’s chief concern is public safety, particularly how it would impact things like ambulances and firefighter traffic.

NO WAY!’: In what may be a harbinger of things to come along the Treasure Coast, the Indian River County Commission rejected a request this week from All Aboard Florida that would have cost taxpayers money.

The request would have left county taxpayers responsible for maintaining a second track and safety features the passenger rail company plans to add in the county.

FORT PIERCE NAMED TO "IDYLLIC AND HISTORIC MAIN STREETS ACROSS THE USA" LIST MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE WAITED - HERE COME DOUBLE TRACKED TRAINS

USA Today named Fort Pierce to its “Idyllic and historic main streets across the USA” list. The story mentions the swaying palm trees that line the sidewalks, and “the atmosphere evokes the early 1900s when the city came into its own.” The story also mentions the Sunrise Theatre and said the Saturday Farmer’s Market is a must.

By Kimberly Miller and Jennifer Sorentrue Aug. 20, 2014 Palm Beach Post

All Aboard Florida was not up for discussion at last week’s Florida Realtors conference, even as local Realtor associations come out against the express passenger rail service and Palm Beach County’s property appraiser is raising concerns over home values.

By Bill DiPaolo -Aug. 20, 2014 Palm Beach Post

All Aboard Florida is a “high-speed fiscal and safety mistake” that would be a burden to taxpayers, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy told about 220 people at a breakfast meeting Wednesday.

“There is not a single passenger train that is profitable. Bringing passenger and freight trains up the busy areas of the East Coast presents serious safety issues,” said Murphy, D-Jupiter, at the PGA National Resort & Spa.

BY Henry A. Stephens  TCPALM

VERO BEACH — It’s illogical to think All Aboard Florida would seek a $1.6 billion federal loan, and spend “hundreds of millions” of its own money, on passenger-rail improvements just to add more freight trains to the Florida East Coast Railway, All Aboard President Michael Reininger told the audience of a sold-out debate Wednesday.

Dear Comptroller General Dodaro,

All Aboard Florida’s (AAF) plan to run 32 additional trains daily through the Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast of Florida poses significant threats to our community’s public safety, economy, and our way of life. Although initially sold as a “private” project, AAF is actually seeking more than a billion dollars in taxpayer-backed loans from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Before the FRA risks public money on this project, it is imperative that AAF’s relevant financial viability be thoroughly reviewed.

By Isadora Rangel  TCPalm

August 13 2014 LOCAL10.COM

Watch the You Tube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnLXBQ5G3n4

Thank You Commissioner Solari!

Full Article at the TCPalm

The All Aboard Florida forum ended after one hour and 45 minutes.

Read the full article at the TCPalm and scroll down to review our live coverage and to see a blow-by-blow of comments traded between All Aboard Florida President Michael Reininger and Indian River County Commissioner Bob Solari.

MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE POLLS THROUGHOUT THE ARTICLE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

3 HOUR RIDE TO THE AIRPORT - REALLY?

Letter by Bill Boothe of West Palm Beach to Palm Beach Post
August 11, 2014

Reading Sunday’s All Aboard article makes me wonder why anyone would believe that this absurd concept could ever be viable (“Local station may be busiest”).

By Paul Owers, Sun Sentinel August 10, 2014

All Aboard Florida, the passenger rail line thats' about to connect South Florida to Orlando, says a bus depot is the key to the company's efforts to redevelop the downtown area near its Fort Lauderdale station.

Isadora Rangel August 9 2014 TCPalm

Because many Indian River County voters oppose All Aboard Florida, the two candidates running in the state Senate District 16’s Aug. 26 Republican primary have made it a high-priority campaign issue.

By Kimberly Miller and Jennifer Sorentrue - AUG 9 2014 Palm Beach Post

All Aboard Florida’s $29 million train station planned in downtown West Palm Beach is expected to be the company’s busiest South Florida stop, providing more than 3,800 trips a day by 2019, according to a ridership and revenue study included in a recent bond sale for the private rail project.

From WUSF News, Aug 8 2014

Gov. Rick Scott dodged questions on Monday at a campaign event in Largo about a recent  campaign stop in Tampa, to which on-duty police officers were invited. Then on Tuesday, when Scott was in Tampa on official business on hurricane preparedness, reporters again asked him questions outside that topic. One of the questions was, "Why do you think you have a reputation for not answering questions?" In the end, both reporters and the governor got a bit testy.

By RON NIXONAUG New York Times

WASHINGTON — High-speed rail was supposed to be President Obama’s signature transportation project, but despite the administration spending nearly $11 billion since 2009 to develop faster passenger trains, the projects have gone mostly nowhere and the United States still lags far behind Europe and China.

By Anthony Man Sun Sentinel August 5, 2014 Sun Sentinel

 Charlie Crist, the former Republican governor seeking the Democratic nomination to run for his old job, visited the Sun Sentinel on Tuesday, where he was interviewed by editorial writers and reporters.

By Arnie Rosenberg Aug 5, 2014 TC Palm

PROTESTERS FIGHT OIL TRAINS
By James Goodman, Democrats and Chronicle
Holding signs with statements such as "No exploding oil trains" about 40 protesters gathered Sunday near the railroad tracks at North Main and Railroad streets in the village of Fairport.

Worn, fractured rail caused Ellicott City train derailment, NTSB determines
By Kevin Rector, July 31 The Baltimore Sun

"We have had investigation after investigation of defective track that leads to derailments, but nobody's doing the hard work that I think needs to be done to determine how they can prevent track from becoming defective in the first place," Goldman said. "They should do investigations and studies to determine if rails should be life-limited. We haven't done that hard work. They do it in aviation, but not in rail."

By Sabrina Rodriguez NewsTImes Blogs

Rick Scott's pet project to build a new passenger railway service between Miami and Orlando has lately turned into a public punching bag. Carl Hiaasen calls it a "future train wreck for taxpayers", while Michael Grunwald writes in Time Magazine that Scott's chief of staff's ties to the firm building the line are "pretty sketchy."