FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2014
OPPOSITION TO ‘ALL ABOARD FLORIDA’ PICKS UP SPEED
New TV & Social Media Campaign Aims to Increase Petition Signatures
SOUTH FLORIDA — “Citizens Against The Train Fund” (CATT) will launch TV & Social Media campaigns July 14, 2014 in an effort to drive people to a petition against All Aboard Florida (AAF). The campaign is designed to raise awareness about the damaging effects AAF poses to the community. The goal is to reach 100,000 signatures on the petition, which will be sent to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Florida Governor Rick Scott.
AAF is a proposed high-speed passenger train service that will travel up and down the east coast of Florida 32 times a day at speeds of up to 110 mph. The train will run through populated cities and towns between Miami and Orlando, with stops in Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Residents are concerned about safety, traffic congestion and a decline in property values. Boaters are concerned about limits to the waterways when bridges are down to allow the trains to pass. AAF is asking the FRA for $1.5 billion in federal financing. CATT Fund organizers do not believe taxpayers should foot the bill for a private passenger rail service.
The TV & Social Media campaigns are being released ahead of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) expected in the fall of 2014. The study opens a 75-day public comment period. CATT Fund organizers believe the window is a critical time for residents and business owners to share their concerns about AAF with the FRA.
The media campaign will be released across broadcast television and social media outlets and is expected to reach more than one million people. A menacing caricature called Big Choo Choo is used in the ad campaign to portray the AAF train.
Those who want to stop Big Choo Choo in his tracks can join the thousands who have signed the petition online at floridanotallaboard.com. Residents are encouraged to share the petition with friends and neighbors. A printed version of the petition can be downloaded from the website or requested by email: floridanotallaboard@gmail.com.
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Download the Press Release here:
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