According to MetroPlan Orlando, the 2030 LRTP was amended by the MetroPlan Orlando Board on November 10, 2010 to add the Orlando to Tampa high speed rail project. Because high speed rail will be built within existing right-of-way on Interstate 4, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) determined that an amendment to MetroPlan Orlando's 2030 Long Range Transportation plan was necessary. Prior to board adoption, MetroPlan Orlando conducted a public hearing on the amendment and provided a summary of comments to the board.
High speed rail was not included in the 2030 Plan when it was originally adopted in August 2009 because it was not considered financially feasible at that time. Since then, federal funding has become available and the project is moving forward. Construction will be completed in phases and is expected to create approximately nine thousands jobs during peak construction. After the project is built, it is expected to provide 700-1000 permanent jobs working on operations and maintenance on the Orlando to Tampa line.
According to Myregion.org, through surveys, meetings, blogs, and other conversations, Central Florida’s residents, business leaders, and elected officials overwhelmingly embrace a future that is different than our current path. A future in which the Central Florida region is recognized as a world-class place to live, learn, work, and play. A future where people with diverse backgrounds and talents come together to enhance a global economy that rivals the greatest cities in the world. A future where the natural beauty and other amenities that are unique to our region are enjoyed by all. A future in which Central Florida consumes less land, preserves more precious environmental resources, creates more distinctive places to live in both rural and urban areas, and provides choices for how people travel.
I personally attended and participated in the meetings of Myregion.org as well as meetings in Winter Park by the citizens, and at all those meetings the majority of the people overwhelmingly supported more pedestrian/bicycle/public buses/rail options for commuting. Both traffic planners and citizens alike have discovered through simple observation that a policy of continued road widening and expansion will not solve traffic woes. Why do hard right wingers continue to bash freedom of transportation choices while they cling mindlessly to an auto-only approach to transportation? Are they attempting to force everyone to drive automobiles? Do they want to ban walking and bicycling? Do they wish to use the lest cost-effective approach to solving transportation problems? Do they have any solutions to fix the decaying and highly tax funded automobile transportation system?
Meanwhile, what are our other public officials doing? Are they getting out of cars and using other transportation options, or are they simply talking the talk and not walking the walk?
Here are the facts:
1) It costs money for all types of mechanized transportation systems.
2) All transportation systems should be compared on the basis of completely built systems. In other words, from start to finish and accounting for all direct and indirect costs, in today’s money, how much does each cost to build, maintain, and operate?
3) All systems should be compared on the basis of which is more easily maintained.
Americans need to wake up and find out the facts. Can the United States continue to fund automobiles, highways, bridges, overpasses, parking lots, fossil fuels, ethanol use, and all the accidents, traffic police, and related expenses? Or should Americans adopt a more reasonable policy of mixed transportation that expand freedoms of choice?
High speed rail was not included in the 2030 Plan when it was originally adopted in August 2009 because it was not considered financially feasible at that time. Since then, federal funding has become available and the project is moving forward. Construction will be completed in phases and is expected to create approximately nine thousands jobs during peak construction. After the project is built, it is expected to provide 700-1000 permanent jobs working on operations and maintenance on the Orlando to Tampa line.
According to Myregion.org, through surveys, meetings, blogs, and other conversations, Central Florida’s residents, business leaders, and elected officials overwhelmingly embrace a future that is different than our current path. A future in which the Central Florida region is recognized as a world-class place to live, learn, work, and play. A future where people with diverse backgrounds and talents come together to enhance a global economy that rivals the greatest cities in the world. A future where the natural beauty and other amenities that are unique to our region are enjoyed by all. A future in which Central Florida consumes less land, preserves more precious environmental resources, creates more distinctive places to live in both rural and urban areas, and provides choices for how people travel.
I personally attended and participated in the meetings of Myregion.org as well as meetings in Winter Park by the citizens, and at all those meetings the majority of the people overwhelmingly supported more pedestrian/bicycle/public buses/rail options for commuting. Both traffic planners and citizens alike have discovered through simple observation that a policy of continued road widening and expansion will not solve traffic woes. Why do hard right wingers continue to bash freedom of transportation choices while they cling mindlessly to an auto-only approach to transportation? Are they attempting to force everyone to drive automobiles? Do they want to ban walking and bicycling? Do they wish to use the lest cost-effective approach to solving transportation problems? Do they have any solutions to fix the decaying and highly tax funded automobile transportation system?
Meanwhile, what are our other public officials doing? Are they getting out of cars and using other transportation options, or are they simply talking the talk and not walking the walk?
Here are the facts:
1) It costs money for all types of mechanized transportation systems.
2) All transportation systems should be compared on the basis of completely built systems. In other words, from start to finish and accounting for all direct and indirect costs, in today’s money, how much does each cost to build, maintain, and operate?
3) All systems should be compared on the basis of which is more easily maintained.
Americans need to wake up and find out the facts. Can the United States continue to fund automobiles, highways, bridges, overpasses, parking lots, fossil fuels, ethanol use, and all the accidents, traffic police, and related expenses? Or should Americans adopt a more reasonable policy of mixed transportation that expand freedoms of choice?
No comments:
Post a Comment