As a resident of Stuart, Florida, I am writing to state that the proposed “high speed” passenger train service between Miami and Orlando will seriously affect our quality of life on the Treasure Coast without any discernible benefit to us. The tracks bisect our community (as they do many others), and with 32 trains a day, will create a significant challenge for us when going from one side of town to the other.

At the same time, the railroad bridge which crosses the Saint Lucie River in Stuart will need to remain in the up position for most of the day. This will seriously hamper boating which is a key industry to our community and region. Because of this, property values for me and others who are on the “wrong” side of the bridge will lessen causing further erosion to our real estate tax base.

I am a proponent of rail service.  The disruptions I have outlined could be mitigated with a stop in Stuart. This would allow our citizens to take advantage of fast rail service to either Miami or Orlando without the inconvenience of driving to those destinations. With a stop in Stuart, visitors from other parts of Florida and tourists from all over the world could come to Stuart to shop in our stores, dine in our restaurants and take advantage of our beautiful waterfront.

I understand that FECI’s goal is to go from Miami to Orlando in three hours. However, FECI has already acknowledged that the trains must slow down considerably as they pass through Stuart because of the bridge and track configuration. A stop would take an additional 2 to 3 minutes, and they would only need to stop if there were passengers embarking or disembarking from the train.

As a corporate citizen, FECI, should help all our communities not just a few big cities. If they do not voluntarily elect to exercise good citizenship, then it is the government’s responsibility to insure that the vast majority of the citizens are not harmed by the action of any one citizen.