Meeting on Possible Alternative Rail Set

Click title for story link. By Tom PalmerTHE LEDGER Published: Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 10:10 p.m. Last Modified: Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. LAKELAND Updated information on the state study examining alternative rail routes in the area will be the topic of a public meeting on Dec. 10. The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lake Hollingsworth Room at The Lakeland Center, 701 W. Lime St. It will be the second public meeting on the project. The first occurred last summer. The $723,398 study, which was proposed by Department of Transportation officials last December, is an outgrowth of concerns expressed by Lakeland business and civic leaders. The concern is that projected increases in freight traffic caused by the construction of a proposed rail freight terminal in Winter Haven by CSX, and the rerouting of freight traffic related to plans for commuter rail in the Orlando area, could set back downtown redevelopment efforts by making the area unattractive to developers. The rail freight terminal was approved in October. Plans for commuter rail in Orlando have still not received final approval. The study conducted by Jacobs Engineering is examining how increases in freight traffic would affect local roads, how rerouting train traffic would affect local traffic as well as CSX and its customers, what alternate routes are available and whether the alternatives are financially feasible. In addition, the study is looking at potential for increasing passenger rail in relation to projected demand, the availability of infrastructure and cost. That study would focus on various routes between and through Polk County and the Orlando and Tampa areas. More information is available at the study's Web site: http://www.fdotrailtrafficevaluation.com/ [Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535. ]