Ask the Governor: Let's support mass transit

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

8:26 PM EDT, May 22, 2008

Q. Why doesn't one city take the initiative and set up a reliable transportation system to be a model for other cities in Florida? This state has no level of excellence to aspire to. By reliable, I mean on-time performance and easy transfer connections. I have heard that in Canada, passengers set their watch by the bus system. A city without a mass transit system is not much of a city.

Richard Simpson,

Pembroke Pines

A. It's a great suggestion. Probably the best example in the world is at Disney World, with the Metrorail they've had on site since the early 1970s. It's very effective. It's very clean. It's very efficient.

I think we've seen in South Florida, between Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, the Tri-Rail become more effective recently and green as well. I'm very encouraged ... and I think the state can learn from these local examples (that there are) more transportation options that will give citizens the opportunity not to have to spend so much at the pump but rather utilize mass transit, which is more fuel-efficient and will do better for our environment.

Floridians love their cars and love their freedom, and I do too. They like to go from exactly where they are to exactly where they want to be. We need to continue to provide good roads for our people and we're doing that, spending billions of dollars on our road infrastructure and maintenance. I also think it's good to be diversified, to have mass transit, to have good roads, to have good seaports and airports.

Compiled by Tallahassee Bureau Chief Linda Kleindienst