ALL ABOARD FLORIDA FAILS TO MEET EIS CLAIMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE - send us your story if All Aboard Florida is harming you and PLEASE WRITE LETTERS HERE: bit.ly/1t5nn6K OR attend the upcoming meetings in Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie and Cocoa. (See schedule below) The All Aboard Florida EIS analysis of the negative effects on various minority and low-income communities on the Treasure Coast is neither complete nor accurate.The All Aboard Florida Project disproportionately impacts the safety of Martin County’s low income and minority populations, for example at grade crossings in East Stuart, Golden Gate and Port Salerno. All three of these communities are in Community Redevelopment Areas and have significant minority, low income and include limited English proficiency populations. The draft states on pages S-17 and S-17 that Neither the E-W Corridor nor the N-S Corridor would result in residential displacement, job loss, or neighborhood fragmentation. In the Hobe Sound and Stuart area there are several businesses adjacent to the tracks that will suffer lost business and may even have to close entirely as a result of the dramatically increased rail traffic and its effects on the environment. Further, the draft says there will be no residential displacement because of eminent domain. However, unlike some communities, residents of low income and minority neighborhood homes may not leave because they cant afford to move. In effect, they are not displaced, they are held hostage in an undesirable location and cannot escape the negative impacts of All Aboards train service even if they want to. The EIS also states on page S-17 that mitigation would limit any changes in vibration along the N-S Corridor. For minority and low-income people living close to the tracks All Aboard Floridas fantastical promise to alleviate this problem , the noise and vibration from additional High Speed Trains plus increased 2 mile freight trains, is not enough to justify AAF going forward. FEC Crossings Twenty-eight grade crossings within Martin County alone. Less than half (ten) of the crossings have pedestrian facilities. A sealed corridor (necessary due to the 110 mph train speed) would direct pedestrians to grade crossings that are unsafe for walking. Many CRA residents do not own cars, forcing them to walk or bike as their primary mode of transportation. Title I Schools Title I was established by the Federal Government to provide funding to local school districts to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students. “Disadvantaged” students are defined by this legislation as students who come from low-income families. Located within the vicinity of the AAF project, there are four Title I Schools. The Florida All Aboard project should be denied along the Treasure Coast. Attend at protest at the following meetings: VERO BEACH November 5, 2014 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM Indian River State College | Richardson Hall | 6155 College Lane| Vero Beach, FL 32966 PORT ST. LUCIE November 6, 2014 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM Port St. Lucie Civic Center | 9221 SE Civic Center Place, Port St Lucie, FL 34952 COCOA November 12, 2014 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM Cocoa Civic Center | 430 Delannoy Avenue | Cocoa, FL 32922 PLEASE WRITE LETTERS HERE: bit.ly/1t5nn6K
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 19:56:54 +0000
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