1. Home
  2. Monthly archive
  3. March 2019

March 2019

VIRGIN TRAINS USA NAME WILL MAKE ITS FIRST MUNI MARKET APPEARANCE

VIRGIN TRAINS USA WILL BE ISSUING $1.5 BILLION IN PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS TO BE PURCHASED NEXT WEEK. These bonds will pay for the 236-mile passenger rail line between Miami and Orlando, refund the $600 million of PABs issued in 2017 and more.

This high-speed passenger train is not entirely supported. Safety advocates such as Susan Mehiel of the Florida Alliance for Safe Trains are concerned about having trains (that will run up to 100 mph) barreling through the Treasure Coast's densely-populated downtowns.

BRIGHTLINE SAYS IT'S "STILL ON TRACK" DESPITE CONCERNS & QUESTIONS ABOUT RAIL SAFETY

DESPITE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT HIGH-SPEED RAIL SAFETY, BRIGHTLINE CLAIMS IT IS "STILL ON TRACK." Advocates for rail safety such as the Florida Alliance for Safe Trains say the "high speed of the train and lack of physical barriers along portions of the route make for a dangerous combination."

"We have 16 people (now 17) dead on the section of track where it operates now," said Susan Mehiel of the Florida Alliance for Safe Trains. "We want to know what are you going to do to protect the citizens."

CALL TO ACTION | HELP US DEMAND SAFETY REGULATIONS

Call to ACTION!

17 are dead on the tracks and there are NO regulations to Make Them Safe when they come through the Treasure & Space Coasts!

Go to the Florida Alliance for Safe Trains website to find your local and state elected officials. Contact information has also been listed below. Tell your officials that the FDOT must act now! They can't go 110 mph through our towns without safety regulations!

How many more must die before the Governor acts???

DRIVER HURT WHEN CAR SLAMS INTO SIDE OF TRI-RAIL TRAIN IN POMPANO BEACH

A DRIVER WAS HURT SUNDAY AFTER SLAMMING THEIR CAR INTO THE SIDE OF A PASSING TRI-RAIL TRAIN IN POMPANO BEACH, authorities said.

Spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold for Tri-Rail stated that no passengers on the train were hurt. The driver was transported to a local hospital.

Read more here.

ONE DEATH REPORTED AFTER BRIGHTLINE TRAIN HITS CAR

ONE PERSON HAS DIED IN A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN-CAR COLLISION WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WTVJ-Ch. 6 reported the car may have been dragged for several blocks before the train came to a complete stop.

This story will be continually updated. Read more here.

TRAIN WRECK TIMES - NEWS, NOTES AND EVENTS

Train Wreck Times by Susan Mehiel - New, Notes and Event

Here’s a list of upcoming events and we encourage you to join us!

TODAY - March 19, 9:00 AM

Martin County Board of County Commissioners meeting – We will speak during Public Comment regarding the need to Make Them Safe!

Please see the agenda for location and time here.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: LOCAL TREASURE COAST VOTERS DO NOT WANT HIGH-SPEED RAIL

"THE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA/BRIGHTLINE/VIRGIN HIGH-SPEED RAIL VENTURE HAS BEEN A DEBACLE OF EVERY DIMENSION SINCE IT WAS FIRST PROPOSED FIVE YEARS AGO," Douglas Sweeny accurately states in an opinion article to the TC Palm. Sweeny highlights how financially infeasible and unsafe the project is, and comments that the majority of local Treasure Coasts residents do not want Virgin Trains USA's high-speed rail.

Read more here.

LOCAL ADVOCATES AIM TO STOP BRIGHTLINE FROM GETTING OK FOR MORE STATE-SANCTIONED BONDS

AT WEDNESDAY'S FDFC MEETING, DYLAN REINGOLD, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY'S ATTORNEY, WILL ARGUE BRIGHTLINE ISN'T A GOOD INVESTMENT RISK.

A Feb. 25 letter outlines Reingold’s objections to the FDFC approving the bonds. His objections include: