09/15/2015 (3) - Laserfiche WebLink

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kind of cooperative spirit that encourages positive outcomes? All Aboard Florida remains committed to working with each community along the rail corridor to advance public safety, decrease noise and interruption and find ways to improve the realities associated with the integration of the railroad and the adjacent communities that have grown up together over the past century. Many positive things can come from cooperation; but time is of the essence and money is never unlimited, so the strategic application of these precious resources should be the order of the day. Before us are opportunities to realize meaningful improvements that have not been possible in the past — like quiet zones, which eliminate the need for trains to sound their horns at crossings, throughout the Treasure Coast. These results already have materialized in communities neighboring the Treasure Coast. The improvements we are delivering to operate our trains safely eliminate costs that would normally be a public expense as a prerequisite to achieving quiet zone designations from federal regulators. And since the safety standards we are implementing in the Treasure Coast exceed those in the counties to the south, the expense to secure quiet zones should be even smaller than experienced elsewhere. Successfully achieving the same results is an issue of cooperation, not cost. The same passion that evoked spirited dialogue from all sides should now be channeled to work smartly to leverage our collective energies and resources against results we can all agree are best for our tomorrow. Wasteful spending of public resources on ill-advised attempts to create nuisance should give way to discussions that address and advance the interests of all residents and visitors of Florida. As we move forward to build an alternative to increasingly taxed roadways, this goal should be the next threshold we cross.