All Aboard Florida broke ground on the first phase of the development this week, beginning construction on the Fort Lauderdale station and generating even more excitement around what is already a highly anticipated project. All Aboard Florida is an express passenger rail service unlike any other in the country. Offering services connecting major Florida metropolitan areas like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando, All Aboard Florida will reduce congestion on Florida roads, cut fuel emissions and increase tourism. It will be an excellent resource for vacationers, business travelers and local residents alike.

All Aboard Florida scheduled public workshops that are expected to offer more information on its environmental impact. The workshops are being conducted by the Federal Railroad Administration as part of the National Environmental Policy Act process. FRA has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project, which will be discussed at the workshops. It contains information on the purpose and need for the project, the considered alternatives, descriptions of those alternatives and an evaluation of the environmental consequences of the project.

The scheduled workshops are as follows:.

• Oct. 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kane Center at 900 S.E. Salerno Road, Stuart.

• Nov. 5 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Indian River State College in Richardson Hall, 6155 College Lane, Vero Beach.

• Nov. 6 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, 9221 S.E. Civic Center Place, Port St. Lucie.

• Nov. 12 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cocoa Civic Center, 430 Delannoy Ave., Cocoa.

• Nov. 13 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on I-Drive, 8001 International Drive, Orlando.

For more information about the workshops or about All Aboard Florida, please visit their website.