Palm Beach Gardens wants ideas for Tri-Rail expansion

By BILL DIPAOLO
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Palm Beach Post
Posted Thursday, March 19, 2009
 
PALM BEACH GARDENS- — - The PGA Boulevard corridor is expected to double to about 25,000 retail/hospital/hotel jobs by 2025, and regional transportation officials want the public's ideas on how to get motorists out of their cars and into trains, trolleys and buses.

Tri-Rail is expected to expand from West Palm Beach north to Jupiter in about 2016, and train stations are planned for Riviera Beach, Lake Park, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter. Starting Friday, the city will hold two meetings seeking ideas from the public about where to buy land and build the city's train station on the west side of the Florida East Coast railroad tracks.

The new station could have park-and-ride lots, where commuters can connect with Palm Tran buses or local trolleys. They could meet to carpool. Known as transit-orientated developments, the stations could include stores, such as coffee shops and dry cleaners, to serve commuters. Some developments may have offices and possibly townhouses.

"Now is the time to do this. (President Barack) Obama wants to be the green president, and Tri-Rail runs on biodegradable fuel. The stimulus money is flowing. We need to show the public that mass transportation is convenient and reliable," said Kim DeLaney, growth management coordinator for Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.

Tri-Rail's 23 percent boost in ridership last year over 2007 reflects a nationwide trend in more people taking mass transportation as gas hit $4 per gallon. Despite lower gas prices, Tri-Rail's ridership is up about 8 percent in January from the same month last year, said Tri-Rail Spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold.

More interest in public transportation should bring out local residents to the meetings to discuss where to build the Gardens train station. Public ideas also will be collected on how riders can make connections with local workplaces, such as the 3,500-employee Gardens Mall, said Nilsa Zacarias, the city's planning manager.

Building the 16-mile extension to Jupiter is expected to cost about $100 million. The county's share would be about $25 million, the rest coming from the state and federal governments. County transportation officials have been setting aside $1.5 million annually to pay the county share.

Tri-Rail now runs between Mangonia Park and Miami on the state-owned CSX Transportation tracks. Under the proposed expansion, trains would cross over to the private FEC tracks in the West Palm Beach-Riviera Beach area, continuing north to Jupiter.

The TCRPC also wants to revive passenger Amtrak train service between Jacksonville and Miami, which stopped in the mid-1960s. The TCRPC council Friday plans to discuss a motion to request federal stimulus dollars to open 13 train stations in, among other cities, Stuart, Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach.

Reporter: bill_dipaolo@pbpost.com The public invited to discuss new train station in Palm Beach Gardens:

WHEN: Fri., March 20, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Sat., Mar. 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

WHERE: PBG Marriott, 4000 RCA Blvd.

WHAT: Options for passenger train station along Florida East Coast railroad tracks

MORE INFORMATION: Call 561-799-4236, or go to pbgfl.com.