03/06/2025
We sent this letter to the Governor and FL Transportation Leadership recently. Please do the same:
TIME FOR A DOGE DIVE AT THE FTC!
'Governor Ron Desantis' ; [email protected]; [email protected]; Steve. Braun@dot. state. fl. us
The Alliance for Safe Trains has followed rail safety and operations in Florida for over ten years. Over those years our contacts, calls and meetings with the Florida Transportation Commission have resulted in nothing being done to mitigate the deaths (now 125 in just over five years) on the Brightline speed rail system. We have shown them the findings of experts in Rail Safety and the OPPAGA Rail Safety Study funded by the state outlining the safety features which SHOULD be on the route but aren’t. We have asked them to communicate with the FL DOT to raise our concerns. We have asked them to help us save lives…and nothing has been done!
A member of the deep state cabal that set in motion this train project, Rusty Roberts, is even on the Commission! He should be an expert in it, he helped get it past funding issues and regulations. He was Chief of Staff for Congressman Mica (Orlando) who was Chairman of the Congressional Transportation Committee at the time. With his contacts throughout the US DOT, Roberts was well positioned to go to work for Fortress Investment Group and grease the skids for the Brightline (aka All Aboard Florida and All About Freight) Higher Speed Rail passenger train project. Isn’t that how the game is played in the corporate/DC government world? Even the lead engineer from the Federal Railroad Administration had well-founded concerns about locating the speed trains on the 110 yr old Florida East Coast Rail route. As he said, and it became prophetic, “Trespassing is epidemic on the route!”
A good example, three people are dead in Indian River County because the recommendations to reduce pedestrians crossing were ignored. And grade crossing recommendations (the route has the most grade crossings in the nation), three people are dead in Brevard County specifically because equipment recommendations from the FRA and the consultants were not required. Crossing equipment deficiencies have caused nearly half the 115 deaths from Miami to Palm Beach while trespassing remains epidemic from Miami to Melbourne …all while the Commission remains SILENT and the company blames the victims! Follow the money as DOGE is doing and you will find a “private” project funded on the cheap that isn’t close to breaking even, now demanding taxpayer money to make it safer!
How much of our taxpayer dollars are going to support this ineffective Commission? What exactly have they done for the people of Florida besides meet, talk, review, and meet again? In DOGE style, if you sent them an email asking for their top five accomplishments in the past few months, what would they be able to say? What experts in train safety and regulation work at the FL DOT or advise the FTC? Why hasn’t the Commission recognized this as an issue and worked on behalf of the people throughout southeast Florida and the Space Coast to improve the safety aspects of the system? What is the Commission doing?
It’s time you apply a little Department of Government Efficiency to the FL Transportation Commission and shut it down. As far as we can see, it’s not contributing to the welfare of Florida residents in any way and it’s costing us money! It appears to be an excuse to charge the taxpayers for travel and meeting costs in Tallahassee and a feather in someone’s cap . The party should be over.
