Dr. Kevin Petrich understands the hassles of traffic in South Florida. Because of endless bumper to bumpers, Petrich has taken his transportation difficulties into his own hands.
Petrich, a Journalism Professor, commutes three days a week from Northern Palm Beach to the FAU’s Ft. Lauderdale campus, which usually takes up to an hour each way. However, instead of adding to the congestion, he rides the Tri-Rail from the Mangonia Park Station to Ft. Lauderdale. No bumper to bumper, no traffic accidents, no horns.
“It’s a smooth ride and a luxury,” Petrich says. “I adore Tri-Rail. The service is great!”
Petrich is one of thousands of South Floridians who are jumping on the train to get away from the busy roads of Interstate 95 and Florida’s Turnpike. According to Tri-Rail, they service about 12,000 passengers a day, which is up 12 percent since July 2006.
According to a recent survey by the Texas Transportation Institute, South Floridians are spending up to 50 hours a year stuck in traffic. In addition, they are paying $3 a gallon to gas up their cars. However, some students and teachers at FAU have already found alternatives to escape the busy roadways and keep their wallets filled with cash.
Some of the FAU body is now relying on the Tri-Rail train service to get to class. Tri-Rail runs along a 72-mile stretch that connects northern Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade County. The train service has seen a major boost in ridership the past few years due to higher gas prices and expanded train service. According to the Tri-Rail Website, their service provides rides to about 12,000 passengers a day. This is up 12% from July 2006. South Floridians are realizing that mass transportation is not just for the Northeasterners.
Currently, direct shuttle service from a train station to a campus is only provided for FAU students who take classes at the Davie and downtown Fort Lauderdale campus. At the Fort Lauderdale and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport station, students can get off the train and take a non-stop shuttle to the different campuses.
Petrich appreciates the train ride to listen to music, read the paper, sit back, and relax. For the past year, Petrich has worked on a broadcast documentary detailing the hassles of South Florida driving. His documentary, Driving Our Lives Away, can be heard on the Wavelengths Web site at proteus.fau.edu.
Some students are also using Tri-Rail to get to class. Freshman Sarah Pinheiro is a biology major who uses the train service to get from Lake Worth to Boca Raton. For Pinheiro, the train ride takes about twenty minutes. However, when she arrives at the Boca Raton train station, she has to take the Palm Tran bus service to the Boca campus. With multiple stops on the way to campus, her bus ride takes 22 minutes. When I proposed the idea that FAU provide its own direct shuttle service from the train station to campus, Pinheiro was excited. “That would be amazing, FAU should do it!”
Unfortunately, the steps to get there haven’t been so easy for FAU. In a May 2003 FAU Board of Trustees Meeting, this idea was presented as Tri-Rail began to expand service and renovate the Boca Raton station. However, the idea did not come into fruition and it looks like FAU plans to keep the concept just as an idea, according to FAU Traffic and Parking Office Manager Tracey Hardy.
“Palm Tran already does this [service],” Hardy says. “Why should FAU spend the funds?”
What Hardy apparently doesn’t realize is the time saver students and teachers could get from the direct shuttle service. I guess she likes the traffic.
But Hardy isn’t the only one. Students have also expressed opposition to the Tri-Rail program. “It’s not convenient for me and it would be a hassle,” says freshman Amanda Freedman. Freedman drives twenty-five minutes from Coral Springs to Boca Raton.
Freedman also spends about $50 a week on gas. Students who ride Tri-Rail can pay using a discounted student fare. The one-way student fare ranges from $1 to $2.75. That is a big savings from filling up the gas tank! In addition, you don’t have to worry about the never-ending traffic jams.
As South Florida and FAU continue to expand, the parking situation at the Boca campus will continue to annoy students and teachers. If FAU could initiate this type of program, more students might be influenced to start taking Tri-Rail. This could help alleviate some of the parking troubles on the Boca campus. It is up to us to take the initiative to solve this problem. This is just one solution.
