According to the Orlando Sentinel, Central Florida’s Commuter Rail Project and ultimately the CSX Rail Terminal planned for Winter Haven are stalled in Tallahassee, “The biggest reason: opposition from Lakeland.” According to reporter Aaron Deslatte “At the center of the fight is Sen. Paula Dockery, a Lakeland Republican whose husband was the driving force behind the now-repealed constitutional amendment to build high speed rail between Tampa and Orlando.” A plan, we might add, that included a stop in Lakeland but nowhere else between Tampa and Orlando.
The Sentinel report goes on to say “Dockery wants the state to look at other ways to eventually bring commuter rail to her district and to the Tampa Bay area. But she also wants CSX to abandon its plans to move its switchyard — now in Taft, in south Orange County — to land it owns in Winter Haven.” (Surely Senator Dockery knows the proposed facility is no “switchyard.” An intermodal terminal bears no resemblance to the rail yard of yesterday. If she has not visited an operating Integrated Logistics Center (ILC), we invite the Senator to travel to Alliance with us as we take area leaders on a fact-finding mission following the current legislative session.)
This entire ugly and confusing episode is made even quirkier by the fact that last Friday in Orlando, Lakeland Mayor Buddy Fletcher told assembled leaders from myregion.org, the Tampa Bay Partnership, State DOT Officials, CSX and Central Florida Commuter Rail that “Lakeland supported the commuter rail plan and wasn’t opposed to the the Winter Haven rail terminal.” For sure the city wants DOT to study the feasibility of alternative routes or a Lakeland bypass, but if Mayor Fletcher supports the terminal why does Dockery want the plans “abandoned?”
Representatives from Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties as well as the City of Orlando voted unanimously to fund 25 percent of the costs of establishing commuter rail on 61 miles of former CSX track. State DOT officials noted that this phase of bringing commuter rail to Central Florida would be the key to adding later segments such as those sought by Lakeland as well as Winter Haven and other East Polk cities. The cross section of Central Florida leaders were also told repeatedly that if we jeopardize the Federal funding currently in place, Florida would not see federal money for commuter rail again in our lifetime.
Let’s review, while Polk County is faring better than most, nationally the economy is in a downward trend — possibly recession, residential real estate is in a major slump and both the News Chief and Ledger report the state economy may not rebound until 2010. In light of this, Senator Dockery dismisses the potential long term boost of 2,000 new jobs, billions in investment and the potential Fortune 500 companies it could bring to our market.
It’s time for a wake up call!
Lakeland, a town that the railroads helped to build, feels it will be “devastated” by four additional freight trains per day. For the sake of discussion, let’s say the 16 trains a day that currently travel through the city require 10 minutes each to pass through town. That comes to 160 minutes in a 24 hour day or an average of 6.6 minutes per hour. If the terminal adds four more trains per day that would be 200 minutes per day (20 trains x 10 minutes) or 8.3 minutes per hour on average … hardly a major imposition.
There must be some correlation as well between four freight trains as compared to the traffic generated by Lakeland’s current 26 million square feet of warehouse industrial space (soon to be 31 million). When you consider the existing traffic generated by the Lakeland space, the five million square feet of warehouse and industrial business park planned for south Winter Haven seems manageable and will evolve over a five to ten year period — time to plan and implement infrastructure improvements as it grows.
We all need to remember that our economies are inter-dependent. We all have occasion to do business in other cities within Polk. Jobs in one sector of the county can benefit many various cities. It is time we work together for the greater good.
One need only make a visit to Alliance, Texas to see what planning and determination can create … a model economic engine with new housing developments underway within a half mile. More than 60 Fortune 500 corporate citizens and 150-plus new companies in 16 years.
Senator Dockery wants these plans abandoned for Polk County. It’s time we let her and our other delegation members know that there are economic interests on the east side of Polk County as well.
Your business, your employment opportunities, our cities, schools and county stand to benefit immensely from the construction of this project. We believe we have the expertise and vision to make it a model facility and business park.
Don’t let those with personal agendas block this opportunity. Send a note to our elected leaders today … here are their email addresses:
US Representative, Adam Putnam, www.adamputnam.house.gov (then click on the first link in left column “Contact Adam”
Alexander, JD, (R) alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov
Dockery, Paula, (R) dockery.paula.S15@flsenate.gov
Bowen, Marsha “Marty” (R) marty.bowen@myfloridahouse.gov
Ross, Dennis (R) dennis.ross@myfloridahouse.gov
Troutman, Baxter (R) baxter.troutman@myfloridahouse.gov
Attkisson, Frank (R) frank.attkisson@myfloridahouse.gov
Fantastic description of where we are and what it means to central Florida. This should be printed in the Ledger. I will certainly e-mail our ELECTED officials. thanks for keeping us so up to date.
Bob, great analysis, and one which I totally agree. Yes, it is time to turn up the heat on the legislators. As to the additional trains traveling through Lakeland, I wonder if the Lakeland downtown retailers have considered the economic impact the CSX facility will have on their stores as result of the additional jobs, and a substantial number of those employees living and/or shopping in their stores. Thanks for keeping us abreast.
Mr. Gernert, you really gave a quick analysis of the issue. I will send out my concerns. I wish all articles were as short and to the point as yours. Keep up the great work!
The integrated logistics center will bring Fortune 500 companies. In a bad economy we look for innovative ways to bring new business to the area. This is an opportunity that should not be overlooked. How often does an area like this see an opportunity like this?