[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING WINTER HAVEN AREA TRANSIT'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. ADAM H. PUTNAM

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 12, 2009

  Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, the Winter Haven Area Transit (WHAT) began 
as a three-year pilot program funded jointly by the City of Winter 
Haven and the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. It is now 
celebrating its 10th anniversary, marked by a special time capsule 
ceremony on Tuesday, March 17, 2009.
  WHAT served 47,553 riders in its first year and served 589,747 last 
year. WHAT now provides transportation to Bartow, Eagle Lake, 
Auburndale, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, Haines City, Lakeland and Winter 
Haven. It has a fully functional state-of-the-art transit terminal 
serving thousands of riders each day.
  The WHAT is operated under the Citrus Connection, which serves 
Lakeland--another city in my district. The Citrus Connection estimated 
that riders save $1,300 they would otherwise spend on car expenses such 
as gas, title payments, maintenance, insurance, or parking fees. Given 
the pervasive ridership, the WHAT system puts money back in the pocket 
of taxpayers who would otherwise use it to unnecessarily sit in 
traffic.
  The WHAT system moves people more efficiently to places of 
employment, shopping districts, medical appointments, and generally 
improves the quality of life of local residents.
  Finally, I would like to draw attention to Winter Haven resident 
Larry Murphy, because this system would not have been put in place 
without his efforts. Mr. Murphy gathered 175 signatures on a petition 
and continually pushed his case before the city commission for the bus 
service. His efforts paid off and have been enjoyed by 2,687,618 riders 
over the past 10 years.
  Mr. Murphy's vision was to help people get where they needed to go. 
His advocacy is what got the Winter Haven Area Transit buses. His 
legacy is what keeps them moving forward.
  Happy 10th Anniversary to the Winter Haven Area Transit and a great 
thanks to Mr. Murphy.

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