Bridges 4 Brightline; Vero Beach Twin Pairs facts; bike safety; COVID baloney | Letters

Stop rhetoric; studies show narrowing Vero Beach Twin Pairs makes sense

I wholeheartedly support the narrowing of the Twin Pairs in downtown Vero Beach.

Opponents of this project lack credible data, while proponents use professional analysis to back the plan. Unsupported opposition is, therefore, just opinion. My points will contain evidence.

Unsupported claims and opinions are rampant in local media and on social media regarding the project's effectiveness. For instance, another newspaper's columnist speculates about increased accidents due to jaywalking, citing zero evidence to support this. In contrast, the Kimley-Horn research predicts a 54% reduction in crashes after lane narrowing and speed reduction (State Road 60 Lane Repurposing Study, page 29).

Former Mayor Val Zudans stated that the growing population west of the city would need all seven lanes of the Twin Pairs, also providing no evidence. The Kimley-Horn study directly refutes this claim for both the present day and projected 2045. Even reduced to two lanes downtown and projected for population and traffic growth, no Twin Pairs corridor is projected to exceed 73% capacity (pages 24-25).

Critics argue the project's cost, estimated at $1.9 million to $3.9 million. Yet, a 2023 retail market analysis by the city of Vero Beach indicates downtown underperforms its retail potential due to streetscape design, parking and walkability issues. It can support $36 million in annual store sales and 88,000 square feet of additional business space (page 1). Smart Growth America (2015) found that companies prefer vibrant, walkable neighborhoods for their offices (page 27). The initial project cost pales in comparison to the potential $36 million annual revenue boost and business attraction.

Inconvenience is another criticism. A seven-lane mega-highway disrupts the neighborhood's character and walkability, and results in an underperforming revenue engine. Similar planning on Ocean Drive would meet strong opposition. Narrowing the Twin Pairs is a sensible step to enhance the downtown's appeal and financial value.

Richard Gould, Vero Beach

Limit Brightline deaths: Apply to feds for money for railroad bridges, tunnels

Peter Buttigieg, U.S. secretary of transportation, explained there are $570 million in the in the infrastructure bill for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program to be used for train crossings, either by tunneling under the tracks or bridging over the tracks.

With the rising number of speed trains passing through the Treasure Coast, it is important to consider requesting money to facilitate crossings. The track in Stuart that runs along State Road A1A and where Monterey crosses the track to U.S. 1 would be an important through way for traffic and a perfect place to build an underpass or bridge.

With mounting train traffic, there are bound to be people who desperately need to cross the tracks in a hurry for a sick child, an elderly parent, an emergency trip to a specialist or other reasons. It would be much safer for the public if a bridge or overpass were built. Brightline has a very poor record of deaths along the rail line.

The commissioners would need to get an engineer’s blueprint for a rail crossing and apply to the Department for Transportation for the money from the infrastructure bill before the money is used up by other counties in Florida and other states. There are already 400 projects in 30 states in progress.

Lizbeth Piel, Stuart

Clearing bicycle lanes critical to increasing safety: Sebastian

As an avid cyclist, I spend a lot of time on Sebastian Boulevard (County Road 512) between Sebastian and Fellsmere.

I’d like to thank Indian River County staff for clearing the overgrown bicycle lanes (up to one-half in some areas) that greatly increases the width of my safety buffer zone from motor vehicles.

I hope the work continues in other areas of the county.

Jeff Howe, Vero Beach

Regulations force Vero Beach affordable housing provider to bail out

Per Laurence Reisman's recent column on Habitat for Humanity's efforts in Indian River County:

Habitat has an edge over other nonprofits. If it has problems, we have greater problems.

I wonder if Habitat knows it might have to reserve about one-third of the acreage, including on the county-acquired property, for on-site water retention. I've had to turn down many pieces of property due to environmental wetlands problems. Most of the properties had a loss of about 50% due to these two problems.

Due to high interest rates, high construction cost, high land prices, government regulations and bureaucracy and lack of sufficient subsidies for buyers, we decided to stop building at this time and are selling all of our properties, including vacant land.

Jerry Flick is CEO of The Housing League Inc., an affordable housing provider, Vero Beach.

Florida still best place to live, but let's be careful

I recently stumbled upon some ads from the 1950s and 1960s about living and retiring in Florida.

“We’ve found the recipe for happier living,” read one. Another was selling a 1,226-square-foot, three-bedroom home for $70 a month. Another promoted Space Age Homes for only $2.18 a day.

At those prices, it’s easy to see why Florida was sold as the "Best Place Under the Sun."

A lot has changed over the years, but I think that description still holds true. Last year, Florida was named the fastest growing state in the nation for the first time since 1957.

According to Zillow, Florida has surpassed New York as the second-most-valuable real estate market in the country. The median sales price for single-family existing homes is about $415,000, a 2% increase from last year.

But our beautiful state is not just for the rich. There are still parts of the state where median home prices are in the $150,000 range. Small towns like Clewiston, Palatka, Port St. Lucie and Lakeland are garnering a lot of national attention for their charm and affordability.

To keep our state great, we can’t lose sight of the importance of thoughtful development with an eye toward preserving critical agricultural land and protecting our coastal regions.

Long-term, successful growth in Florida requires that we protect and preserve land ownership both for those who have lived here for decades and those who are new to the Sunshine State. That’s how we maintain the fundamentals of what this state represents and how it entices others to move here.

Things change, but I look forward to seeing more ads about Florida being the Best Place Under the Sun for the next generation — recognizing they might be in digital format this time.

Brandon Tucker, Martin County, is executive director of the Florida Landowners Association.

Disregard politically charged advice from Florida surgeon general Ladapo

The Florida Department of Health has just issued “New Guidance for Recently Approved COVID-19 Boosters.”

The guidelines were formulated by the surgeon general for the state of Florida, Dr. Joseph Ladapo. The “outstanding safety and efficacy concerns” listed by Dr. Ladapo reflect his lack of any expertise or training in public health, infectious disease, epidemiology or clinical medicine. His PhD is related to health policy, which addresses political and logistical business/governmental aspects of implementation of health concerns and adds no expertise to the practice of medicine.

Please note that Dr. Ladapo has never actually treated a COVID patient. The guidelines must be rejected as nonsensical political cronyism that could only be espoused by a charlatan.

It is disgraceful that the Florida Department of Health has so utterly compromised its previously stellar reputation for embracing scientific evidence and verified knowledge. I urge all physicians and the thoughtful people of the state of Florida, for the preservation of their own health, to ignore these new “guidelines.” They are nonsense.

Jere Fitts, MD, Sebastian

Fox wrong to inaccurately portray college students seeking peace

Fox News on Oct. 21 promoted a very disturbing theme that "spoiled college kids are protesting in favor of Hamas and showing hatred of Israel."

A banner along the bottom of the screen for hours read "Anti-Israel protests erupt on college campuses." One guest commentator said: "Colleges taught my generation to hate America; are we surprised that they hate Israel too?" Another commentator suggested that any federal funding of colleges, such as Harvard, the University of Chicago and New York University that allow protests should be halted.

What actually occurred were pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests on the campuses. There were no pro-Hamas meetings or protests. Many video clips played on CNN, MSNBC and even Fox show the students asking for humane treatment of the Palestinian people and asking for a cease-fire.

This is Fox being Fox at its worst in dividing Americans and building conservative Republican resentment against the college-educated that are now a firmly Democratic voting bloc. Pew Research shows that only 31% of registered Republicans hold a college degree. About 58% of graduates voted for Joe BIden.

It is disgusting that Fox works its propaganda to rile up its believers in disingenuously portraying the idealistic efforts of the students who have been a target of conservative resentment for many years now. 

The protesting students were saying what they have said from Vietnam to Iraq to now: "Give peace a chance." Israel has suffered a terrible terrorist attack and deserves the support of the world. The students are saying we must not kill Gazan children in order to protect Israeli children; they should not be slandered by Fox News.

Bill Wink, South Hutchinson Island

House speaker pick shows election denialism undermining nation, its standing

Our country has many urgent matters facing us, but nothing can be done until we can decide on what is truth and what is a lie.

The most fundamental problem facing our country and the one that is tearing us apart is if the 2020 election was stolen. Our country elected a new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Oct. 25 and it seems the No. 1 criteria for electing that person was he voted to overturn the election. I fear for the 2024 election.

There are a number of facts that are indisputable regarding the election.

In 2018, Donald Trump hired Christopher Krebs to oversee the integrity of the election. Krebs, a lifelong Republican, was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to head up a new agency. He previously worked in the Bush administration and as director of cybersecurity policy at Microsoft.

In checking for voting irregularities, his agency was assisted by the NSA, FBI and Secret Service. After the election and after repeated statements and tweets from Trump, Krebs and his security team issued a statement that "the Nov. 3 election was the most secure in American history." President Trump promptly fired him by tweet.

Trump was issuing statements and tweets that Dominion Voting Systems' machines deleted millions of votes and changed millions. Fox News, in repeating those lies, settled with Dominion for $800 million to avert a defamation trial.

As I write this, 62 lawsuits have been filed and lost contesting the election results, many before Trump-appointed judges.

There are many people I could quote and facts I could cite, but the bottom line is our country draws much of its strength and admiration of other countries from the peaceful transfer of power. Jan. 6 and the ongoing election denialism is undermining our democracy and our country's standing in the world.

Jo Fuller, Port St. Lucie

Scared of gremlins? What about food industry? Plant-based food better

I had no fear of zombies, witches or evil clowns lurking on Halloween. What really scares me is the meat industry.

This is the industry that deprives, mutilates, cages, then butchers billions of cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens — animals who feel joy, affection, sadness and pain, as we do — that exposes undocumented workers to chronic workplace injuries at below living wage and exploits farmers and ranchers by dictating market prices.

It's the industry that contributes more to our epidemic of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer than any other, then bullies health authorities to remove health warnings from dietary guidelines.

It's an industry that sanctions world hunger by feeding nutritious corn and soybeans to animals, instead of people.

It's the industry that generates more water pollution than all other human activities, that spews more greenhouse gasses than all transportation, that destroys more wildlife habitats than all other industries.

Fortunately, my local supermarket offers a wide variety of plant-based meats, milks, cheeses and ice creams, as well as a colorful array of fresh fruits and veggies. And sales of plant-based foods are growing each year. Nothing here to fear.

Pete Midland, Port St. Lucie

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach Twin Pairs: Avoid emotion; Brightline solution | Letters