The Sun Sentinel – Letters to the editor: Train proposal, safety nightmare in the making

I do not believe that I (and other citizens that are troubled by the All Aboard Florida project) are in the minority. It is a disaster in the making on many levels.

The tracks that are to be used pass through many peaceful, high-population residential and high-end commercial neighborhoods (eg. popular Atlantic Avenue in Delray), which will be degraded by extra train horn noise. There are literally hundreds of congested streets that cross these tracks in dozens of cities from Miami all the way to West Palm Beach.

To make matters worse, the tracks run parallel and right next to Dixie Highway. But instead of the occasional freight trains that currently cause traffic jams, we will be subjected to many additional and longer freight trains when the planned expansions of Port of Miami and Port Everglades take place.

Now they are planning to add 32 high-speed passenger train trips daily to the aforementioned mess. But the worst problem this will cause has been vividly exposed by recent train crossing accidents such as those in Oxnard, Calif., New York and Rocky Mount, N.C.

A few years back we had our own crossing disaster when a passenger train struck a loaded gasoline tanker. The fatal crash erupted into a horrific explosion that trapped both motorists and train passengers.

Let’s stop this ill-advised project.

Thomas Jacobs, Fort Lauderdale