Stuart FL cruising ground impacted by All Aboard FL, aka Brightline high speed train

[RKsailsolo]

Construction already started, this billion dollar project effectively bisects this cruiser waypoint, not to mention the local marine industry and general economy. Long story short, the two bottleneck bridges are Dixie Highway and the RR bascule draw bridges. Dixie, considered a minor arterial but well used road, is closed less than the RR bridge now but in the near future the RR planned usage will drive a significant increase in train crossings. RR bridge today is in open position, closing only when freight and low speed passenger trains rumble through.

Brightline train when fully operational is projected to add 35 daily closings on top of that. USCG regulates the body of navigable water between the two bridges requiring that both be opened when marine traffic is present.

Apparently there are still active lawsuits being brought to stop this project.

[RKsailsolo]

Read more about this great cruiser waypoint here https://books.google.com/books?id=tX...stuart&f=false

[RKsailsolo]

Just the facts please. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Aboard_Florida

[RKsailsolo]

And here are the opposing views.
http://malled.blog.palmbeachpost.com...ew-objections/
http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/...nderest/nmnyC/

For waterfront property owners and boaters located west of the north-south bridges, there is new meaning to living on the wrong side of the tracks.

[redsky49]

Originally Posted by RKsailsolo

And here are the opposing views. All Aboard Florida opponents file new objections | Malled!

Unfortunately, the blog quoted above gives no reasons for opposing this transit project. Exactly what is their beef? They don't like trains?

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by redsky49

Unfortunately, the blog quoted above gives no reasons for opposing this transit project. Exactly what is their beef? They don't like trains?

Yes, you are right, too much clicking for it on that site. Here is the opposing view. http://www.saveourfl.com

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by redsky49

Unfortunately, the blog quoted above gives no reasons for opposing this transit project. Exactly what is their beef? They don't like trains?

Not in my backyard

[redsky49]

So for locals, the complaint is that they may have to wait at railroad crossings at roadways. Hmmm....

[Boatguy30]

The types of people that don't like progress and efficiency are opposed to this project. I personally would like to be able by train around florida faster than the current 40mph average speed.

Takes me 6 hours to get to West Palm from Palatka. It's about a 3 hour drive tops.

[furisgrampa]

It's going to kill Sunset Bay Marina

[RKsailsolo]

"Future projections put the St. Lucie River railroad bridge impassable for 9.5 hours daily. Local property values and way of life will suffer."

I think there is much more to the story than people opposed to anything new and progressive or even not in my backyard. If above projection is true, it impacts recreational/commercial marine vessel AND automotive traffic since the road and RR bridges must be raised together (per USCG) in order to ensure marine traffic does not get trapped between the spans in a confined waterway subject to weather and tide action.

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by furisgrampa

It's going to kill Sunset Bay Marina

Not to mention property values surrounding the St Lucie River basin west of the tracks. I was considering buying a home on the west side and suddenly realized it would be a dumb decision to make given what is planned. Why would anyone make that choice if there were alternatives available?

[BobH260]

We keep our boat in the Stuart area. The increased train traffic will impact on the marine industries and all of the businesses in Stuart and the other communities like Port Salerno.
One concern from locals is that the road crossings are all level. The track bisects the towns. This can greatly delay response time for first-responders. It is a problem now with the long freight trains going through. I understand the trains will not be stopping here so the residents will not have any benefits from the increased train traffic.
Bob

[Riverside]

I live on my 43' boat at Sunset Bay. The freight train 10 times a day is bad enough, with the sirens and the train horns and the noise. Those high speed trains will be murder. I will be gone to the Bahamas and on to the caribbean by then.

It will also affect Jupiter because they have a 100 year old railroad bridge over the Loxahatchee that has been broken down quite frequently lately.

They have begun construction on the Miami to west Palm Beach section, but the rest of the way is still uncertain. My expectation is the economy crashes and the project goes the way of the cross Florida Barge Canal.

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Not in my backyard

That's an over simplification. What would it be like if you had to navigate an obstacle like this every time you wanted to sail into the Gulf of Mexico from Destin Pass or Pensacola Bay inlets?