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April 2018

MAN HIT, KILLED BY TRAIN IN FLORIDA

VALRICO, FL - A PEDESTRIAN HAS BEEN HIT AND KILLED BY A TRAIN, authorities say. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the crash occurred early Saturday morning, and the man died at the scene.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

Read more here.

BRIGHTLINE TRAINS LOOK EMPTY? PB POST COUNTS HOW MANY WERE ON BOARD

BRIGHTLINE'S SERVICE HAS BEEN TOUTED AS "A MODEL FOR THE FURNITURE OF PASSENGER RAIL" BUT THE TRAIN CARS ARE RATHER EMPTY, the Palm Beach Post reports. Over a six-week period, a dozen of Palm Beach Post reporters rode 44 randomly selected trains and counted how many people on board. On average, 50 riders took the trains reviewed by The Post, enough to fill about 20 percent of the seats.

76 TRAIN DEATHS IN 3 YEARS - FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN REPORTED

TRESPASSING FATALITIES ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST TRACKS IN SOUTH FLORIDA HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS AN "EPIDEMIC" AND 2018 MAY BE THE WORST. From 2015, at least 76 deaths by Brightline passenger trains and Florida East Coast Railway freight trains have occurred. This includes 19 in 2015, 26 in 2016, 23 in 2017, and 8 within the first four months of 2018.

This comprehensive data shows significantly more deaths than the Federal Railroad Administration's public data due to "certain suicide reporting restrictions intended to safeguard privacy."

DOES BRIGHTLINE QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL BONDS? TAXPAYERS DESERVE AN ANSWER!

U.S. SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, AS WELL AS MANY TREASURE COAST RESIDENTS AND OFFICIALS, WANT TO KNOW IF BRIGHTLINE QUALIFIES FOR FEDERAL TAX-EXEMPT BONDS. Rubio sent a letter this week to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao seeking clarification, saying "it is critical that the utmost transparency is provided to taxpayers" and that Brightline "has raised questions regarding whether federal financing was appropriately used."

SENATOR MAYFIELD URGES RICK SCOTT TO 'PROTECT' STATE FROM BRIGHTLINE BOND QUESTIONS

THANK YOU TO SENATOR DEBBIE MAYFIElD WHO URGED GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT TO PULL FLORIDA FROM FINANCING THE DEAL BACKING BRIGHTLINE'S PROPOSED PRIVATE PASSENGER RAILROAD on Wednesday. This is due to the congressional hearing last week where questions were raised about whether Brightline should have been approved for the $1.75 billion in tax-exempt private activity bonds.

Watch the congressional meeting here.

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO CHALLENGES LEGITIMACY OF BRIGHTLINE FINANCING

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO JOIN REP. BRIAN MAST AND QUESTIONS BRIGHTLINE'S APPROVAL FOR $1.75 BILLION OF TAX-EXEMPT BONDS. Rubio has sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, calling for "increased transparency" on Brightline and the U.S. Department of Transportation's questionable approval of the bonds.

This is not the first letter that Rubio has sent questioning the Brightline project. In January, Rubio asked Chao for a safety review after two people were killed within the first week of Brightline launching service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

RUBIO QUESTIONS $1.75B FOR BRIGHTLINE

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FLORIDA, CAST DOUBT ON BRIGHTLINE'S APPROVAL FOR $1.75 BILLION OF TAX-EXEMPT BONDS. This letter was sent after last week's Capitol Hill hearing, where congressmen criticised Brightline and the U.S. Department of Transportation for "circumventing federal law and defying congressional intent regarding the financing."

"When federal financing mechanisms are utilized, it is critical that the utmost transparency is proved to taxpayers," Rubio wrote. He requested for "information into DOT's analysis, review and the approval process" of the bonds as well.

BRIGHTLINE CRITICIZED FOR D.C. HEARING

CONGRESSIONAL PANEL BALKS AT REQUEST FOR PUBLIC FUNDS TO EXTEND RAIL SERVICE. On Thursday, Congressmen blasted Brightline for possibly circumventing federal law to obtain $1.75 billion of tax-free financing, and suggested the financing for Brightline's Miami-to-Orlando passenger railroad could be in jeopardy.

SUBCOMMITEE HEARING: EXAMINING TAX-EXEMPT PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS FOR ALL ABOARD FLORIDA'S BRIGHTLINE PASSENGER RAIL

TUNE INTO THE SUBCOMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTING ALL ABOARD FLORIDA'S BRIGHTLINE'S TAX-EXEMPT PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS ON APRIL 19, 2018. The purpose of this subcommittee was to examine the use of $600 million and $1.15 billion in tax-exempt private activity bonds to support the Brightline passenger rail system project and the broad implications of this type of financing for furniture infrastructure projects.

Watch the video by going here.

OFF-DUTY STUART POLICE OFFICER HELPS SAVE 90-YEAR-OLD-VETERAN WHOSE CAR WAS ON TRAIN TRACKS

90-YEAR-OLD ARNOLD MARK WAS SAVED BY OFF-DUTY STUART POLICE OFFICER DAVID JACOBSON, whose car was stuck on the railroad tracks and a train approaching. Marks, an Army veteran from Port St. Lucie, said Monday he had driven through Confusion Conver several times before and he meant to make a right turn but ended up on the tracks instead.

"I was going maybe 5 miles (per hour) when I was making that turn," Mark said. "I couldn't go forward, I couldn't go backwards. I was just stuck."

Read more about this story here

WHAT WILL ELECTED OFFICIALS, CANDIDATES DO TO STOP BRIGHTLINE | TC PALM GUEST COLUMN WITH SUSAN MEHIEL

TUNE INTO TC PALM'S GUEST COLUMN WITH SUSAN MEHIEL. Five people have been killed by Brightline trains, and it is clear that we need stronger safety measures to protect the Treasure Coast residents of Florida.

"When administrative officials in Tallahassee and Washington care more about policy preferences and corporations than the lives of citizens, it's time to deploy our only weapon: elected officials who are on our side," she says. "In this election year, we call on the residents of the region to make AAF/Brightline a campaign issue."