Train service will help South Florida’s growth

As an owner of multiple businesses and a long-time resident of Fort Lauderdale, I couldn’t be more excited for the arrival of All Aboard Florida.

When I opened my first restaurant in 1997, the revitalization of the downtown was just getting started. Fast forward to today, and the city has truly taken on its own identity. Every night you’ll find residents and tourists eating and shopping on Las Olas or Himmarshee, or seeing a play at the Broward Performing Arts Center.

Fort Lauderdale is vibrant and dynamic, and it offers unique experiences to all of its residents and visitors. As Fort Lauderdale continues to grow, we need to grow with it. Many new apartments and condominiums are in the pipeline, and additional transportation choices, like All Aboard Florida, will help propel our city and region to the next level by providing a much-needed alternative.

This new passenger rail system will bring people to our downtown doorstep, and they will then be transported by the Wave Streetcar to destinations throughout our city. I applaud All Aboard Florida for investing in Fort Lauderdale and implementing a vision that will be felt for decades to come.

Tim Petrillo, The Restaurant People