The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 32

9 4-B THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, Friday, August 24, 1984 77 Mixson: More passengers needed or wave good-bye to Silver Palm 1 If there is a dramatic increase in ridership through November, funds will be released to keep the train going for another year. s- 4 jr. ,1 tf: w. li Vi-, TV Ytk nearly double what we've got now, to make it work," he said. Mixson said the Silver Palm is needed to provide a base of riders for when a high-speed rail system is constructed between Tampa and Miami.

The governor is about to appoint a High Speed Rail Commission to begin work on such a system. "If people don't learn to ride trains now, we won't get the passengers for the bullet train." Mixson said. The DOT now is promoting the train through increased advertising not only in Tampa and Miami, but also at the train's intermediate stops: Lakeland, Winter Haven, Sebring, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Coalition of Railroad Passengers, a group of people promoting passenger trains, had said that most of the Silver Palm's riders were Floridians traveling between these intermediate cities. The group complained that Amtrak and the state had not done enough to promote the train in the smaller towns.

Mixson said he agreed that had been a problem that was now being addressed. The Silver Palm was created in 1982 as a Joint effort of Amtrak and the state of Florida. Amtrak agreed to run the train from Tampa to Miami if the state would agree to pay the difference between its cost and the amount of money it gets in fares. That amounted to about $1 million during the past year. Mixson said the train averaged 90 people on each of two trips every day, but it needs 15 or 20 more people if the secretary is going to decide to keep it.

An official within the DOT'S rail division in Tallahassee, contacted later by the Tribune, gave a less optimistic report. The Silver Palm, said Jim Rankin, averages 60 riders a day in each direction, hitting a peak of up to a hundred on the weekends and a low of about 35 on weekdays. The number of passengers a month was about 5,500. "We need to average between 112 and 120 passengers a day, or By GIL KLEIN Tribune Staff Writer Lt. Gov.

Wayne Mixson arrived at Tampa Union Station aboard Amtrak's Silver Palm Thursday to try to boost riders on the Tampa-to-Miami train before the state Legislature decides its fate. "Thousands use this train every month, but it needs a few hundred more to make it successful," Mixson said. "If the Department of Transportation sees a dramatic increase in ridership through November, then the secretary will release the funds to keep it going for another year." Mixson said Secretary of Transportation Paul Pappas will make a decision about the Silver Palm's future on Nov. 20 when the Legislature meets in its reorganization session. "I don't think the secretary will go out on a limb unless he has some solid figures that indicate the train will attract enough passengers during the coming year," Mixson said.

Tribune photo by Cliff McBride Gov. Wayne Mixson arrived in Tampa Thursday aboard Amtrak's Silver Palm to promote ridership on the Tampa-to-Miami train, which is in danger of being scrubbed in November. ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT! TILE OUTLET invites you to our ma sow It's our eleventh, and we're celebratins, We thank all of you for making us the biggest and the best, and for this special event we've cut prices across the board, wall to wall, and ceiling to floor. Come in and save on beautiful ceramic and vinyl tile 1 i Mf MB. Better selection at better prices! OUR EVERYDAY LOW PRICES ARE EVEN LOWER DURING THIS SPECIAL BIRTHDAY EVENT! Res.

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