By Gwen ChamberlainIt seems like every other commercial these days is an invitation to visit Florida. Why not? It’s got lots of sunshine, beaches, and attractions. And lots of people. While New York State continues to lead the nation in population loss, Florida is the fastest growing state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. All that growth is not a pretty thing in my book. We recently visited family in central Florida, where we experienced the population boom that is turning Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa into an 84-mile-long traffic jam. And we saw the explosive growth in heavy equipment operator and construction professions as citrus groves are converted into Homeowner Association Housing Developments, and highway construction crews fight feverishly to meet the demands for more open lanes. Florida is a terrific place to visit, and when I put aside some of my misgivings about some political issues, I can see why it’s attracting so many of my northeast friends. In the previously small central Florida town we visit, warehouses where citrus products were once processed, packaged, and shipped north stand ghostly empty, as the nearby citrus acreage declines. Meanwhile, fast food joints, strip malls, and big box stores flourish and the traffic buzzes past the diners, mom and pop shops, and roadside stands that have been staples of their communities. While the climate is favorable for walkable communities and bicycle travel, most people rely on automobiles. We saw a scant few EVs but fewer charging stations. Many homes have solar panels, and some large parking lots are shaded by solar farms, a practice I wish New York would encourage for the massive parking lots around malls, airports, the state fairgrounds, and concert venues like CMAC. At a lunch date near Clearwater with a couple of former New York residents, we learned one of them refuses to leave Pinellas County, especially during certain months of the year, because of the huge migration of snowbirds and spring-breakers. She avoids trips to her favorite beach and waterside restaurants until after Easter, when visitors begin to head back north. Does this sound a little familiar, when you think about the upcoming summer and fall seasons in the Finger Lakes? Many folks there are not heading north, yet. The Census folks are still slicing and dicing the numbers and expect to reveal more precise details about the demographics of population changes soon, but I’ll hazard a guess that as New York continues to lose residents, Florida continues to gain them. Placer.ai, which provides mobile analytics for businesses and organizations, recently posted an article stating that an estimated 1.6 million migrants are from New York City alone. They brought with them, among other things, higher home prices. At the same time, I noticed more “unhoused” people than in previous visits (but much fewer than during last spring’s visit to Portland, Ore.). Will trends continue, or will climate change or other factors reverse the trend someday? We’ll have to wait to see if our Finger Lakes climate eases toward more favorable conditions, and the promised Upstate economic recovery materializes for the rural areas. Will we be ready with affordable housing, safe highways, adequate educational opportunities, clean water, well trained and prepared public services, alluring attractions, and stable, rewarding employment opportunities? Time will tell, but it’s not wise to think this kind of growth can’t happen here. alluring attractions, and stable, rewarding employment opportunities? Time will tell, but it’s not wise to think this kind of growth can’t happen here. In the meantime, we will still travel to Florida a couple times a year to visit family, and they will travel here to enjoy our four seasons. The trip may not always be as easy as our most recent one via Southwest Airlines, which seems to be recovering from recent snafus. Heaven and Waze know the I-95 and even I-81 corridors are terribly congested. In fact, it’s those highways, full of a steady stream of cars, trucks, SUVs RVs, and commercial trucks, most powered by fossil fuels, that causes me to rely on the “friendly” skies for now. We have not used the Amtrak auto train and would like to know what other’s experiences with it have been. I would hope some of the Federal infrastructure investment will be made to expand rail service, in particular this kind of long distance auto train, which could include on-board charging capabilities to serve more destinations around the country. Now, do you think I can write a portion this trip off as a business expense since I’ve written about it? Do you have feedback on this or a suggestion for a future column? Feel free to email me at gchamberlain27@ gmail.com.
