[mrphilowens]

I'm also thinking about moving to Florida. I'm still torn between Orlando and Palm Beach County. The main two things that I like about Palm Beach are the winter weather and because I hear that transportation is really nice there. I'm told that there is a train that runs from Palm Beach to Miami on a regular basis. I would like to know more about this mode of transit, like how often it runs, how expensive it is etc.

[bale002]

Do a search on this forum for the word "Trirail" and/or transportation.

There is relatively little on the subject because nobody really cares. The private car rules this country and this fact has hardly changed in the past six years or so, and US foreign policy reflects it. Most people don't see the connection, but then again most people don't understand the difference between 3% and 10%. Never mind.

The Trirail was built only begrudgingly, and its geographical layout, its car design, and the quality of the service all reflect it.

On the positive side, it is useful if you live close to a station (you still need a private car to get to one) and your destination is also relatively close (it takes two hours from southern PBC to downtown Miami, which includes a transfer to the Dade-County "Metrorail" system, another story in itself).

Oh, by the way, once you leave the train, you need a private car to get where you actually want to go, unless you make the trek to downtown Miami, but after a two-hour grind, what's the point?

There are countries with serious transportation policy, but the US is not one of them, and it won't until, perhaps, it seriously loses a major war for oil. Oh, sorry, that's right, no one sees the connection. Never mind.

If you want information on schedules and fares, look up Trirail on Google or whatever, and go to the site, and view and/or download the schedule and fare tables. Like many other things, it looks great on postcards, television, internet, whatever, then there is reality.

Look, it is also useful if you are retired and you are looking for some leisurely entertainment from time to time, if you would enjoy a two-hour trek to Miami, for example, and take the Metrorail to Coconut Grove or to Coral Gables, or perhaps the "people mover" (look up that one too) maybe to where they have cruise ships or whatever. But try taking it from downtown West Palm Beach to downtown Delray Beach, or to the Boca Town Center Mall, for example, without a private car, and see what happens. If, instead, you wish to travel from one barren point in the middle of I-95 to another barren point in the middle of I-95, it is perfect.

As an everyday, useful economic tool, then, they took a golden opportunity and botched it, as back-stabbers usually do.