CSX - A THREAT To Our Way Of Life

The issue started with the State of Florida wanting to buy 60 miles of CSX track from Deland to Kissimmee to provide commuter rail service in the Orlando area.  The State is paying CSX $500,000,000 for this track.  That’s half-a-billion dollars.  For this commuter rail to work in Orlando – freight traffic must be moved to the railroad through downtown Lakeland happen.

Unless CSX relocates the rails, building the hub south of the Bartow/Mulberry area would not mitigate the train traffic through Lakeland.  Ocala, who is in this fight as well, is looking at relocating the rails out of their busy downtown area.

The rail yard, Taft Yard, already exists in Orlando.  Orlando is ready to get it out of their neighborhood and move it into ours by having CSX build an Integrated Logistics Center in Winter Haven and diverting the trains from Orlando to this hub. 

At a minimum, consultants predict there could be nine additional freight trains daily – or as many as 13.  That will make a total of 21 - 25 freight trains plus 4 passenger trains a day running through Downtown Lakeland!! In other words, this could mean 1-2 trains every hour.  The average train length is 7,500 feet long, but may increase to 10,000 feet each.

To start, CSX expects 700 semi tractor trailer rigs plus 700 other vehicles to use their facility daily.  These trucks will be competing with you for use the major roads throughout Polk County, including 60, 98, 27 and I-4. Phase II expansion of this project will bring substantially more – up to 6,500 daily trips on our roadways.

Downtown Lakeland Concerns:

• Increased freight train traffic will cut Downtown Lakeland in half making the pedestrian-oriented environment dangerous and difficult to navigate.
• Imagine the traffic jams with more frequent and longer trains running across South Florida, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Kentucky Avenues every day.
• When the trains are going by, it’s difficult to conduct business if you’re anywhere near the rail.  Imagine that noise doubled.
• The vibrations from the train have a negative impact on the integrity of all of our buildings, including our historic buildings.

Lakeland & Polk County Concerns:

• WHO WILL BE left paying for road improvements and maintenance to support CSX’s financial gain??
• To provide safer crossings for Lakeland residents The City of Lakeland must pay almost $2 million for improvements.  Some of that money will go to CSX.  HOW WILL WE PAY FOR IT???
• Lakeland and Polk County residents enjoy a wonderful quality of life.  Much of that is because the Lakeland City Commission and the Polk County government have been able to spend tax dollars on parks and recreational facilities, education and green space.  Because of the industrial nature of the proposed CSX project, our tax money may have to go to mitigating the negative impact of the CSX hub.
•     CSX and Winter Haven say that 8,500 jobs will be created.  They break down as follows:
• 200 jobs from Phase 1 – these jobs are currently held by unionized employees in the Orlando hub.  It is likely they will move with the hub and not be hired from within our County.
• 1,800 from Phase 2 –If Phase 2 is pursued, these will be blue-collar warehouse jobs.  While an important source of jobs, these are not high paying.
• 6,500 – These are jobs that CSX projects will be created as the area around the ILC is developed by more warehouse, office space, restaurants and convenience stores. 
• If the 1,250 acre project is approved, and CSX decides to forego the Phase 2 portion, CSX could parcel off the remaining 932 acres in parcels less than the 320 acre DRI “trigger.”  Winter Haven and Polk County would have no say in the type of development created.
• Lakeland’s opportunity for enhanced commuter rail between Tampa and Orlando could be seriously diminished

Learn the facts and draw your own conclusions.  Go to http://rail.lakelandlocal.com for more information on the subject from many different sources.  Then get involved.  Write your local, county and state officials.  Demand that the Department of Community Affairs – Development of Regional Impact study be completed before any construction begins.

DLP LETTER TO MAYOR FLETCHER
DLP LETTER TO GOVERNOR CRIST

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