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Commuter rail in Winter Park
November 17, 2008
Winter Park City Commissioner Karen Diebel is determined to advance Rep. John Mica's pro-development agenda, which shows no respect for Central Park. No cost/benefit analysis could ever justify Mica's high-pressure tactics to cement his legacy with an unnecessary Central Park commuter-rail stop reeking of pork.
Blame me, not Beth Dillaha. Commissioner Dillaha is trying to get the numbers to work. I'm not. Dozens of noisy buses circulating in Central Park would be an environmental disaster for the tranquil setting listed as "threatened" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There is no difference in your Interstate 4 commute with a rail stop at Central Park or Florida Hospital. We don't need two Winter Park rail stops.
Littering, loitering and crime increase with transient commuter-rail passengers as opposed to destination Amtrak passengers. Improved marketing helps merchants. Nurses commuting to Winter Park Hospital can protect Central Park by riding the bus from the Florida Hospital rail stop. That bus ride would be 1.6 miles longer than the bus ride from the proposed Central Park stop. Winter Park residents will barely use commuter rail. But, they will use wider I-4 lanes.
Residents paid to make a 237,000-square-foot Central Park development disappear. They might be willing to pay something to make an unnecessary Central Park commuter-rail stop disappear to save the soul of their village from dozens of big-city buses, congestion and crime. Graffiti, anyone?
WILL GRAVES
Winter Park
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Mica has had his own agenda on the commuter rail project from the beginning. I wouldn't be surprised if the word "kickback" is appropriate! The deal is more about CSX getting their government handout and less about the people's need for commuter rail service. If Mica really wanted to help anyone, he would look at ways to make Amtrak stronger and work for us. He definitely falls into the pork catagory!!!
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