Suddenly popular, Mica looks to control transportation

[JeffreyS]

I would also bet commuter rail spurs more private investment, TODs, proximity business and other ancillary ROI than corridor service.

[thelakelander]

TOD in Emeryville, CA along Amtrak's Capitol Corridor line.

Good corridor service spreads TOD development out.  So it depends on how you look at it.  Commuter rail would spur more TOD within large cities because all the stations are located there.  Corridor service would spur TOD development in far flung cities like Green Cove Springs, Palatka and Palm Coast because they would have stations to allow for it.  However, it would spur less in a city like Jax because Jax might not have more than a station or two within its boundaries.

[JeffreyS]

I want to look at it in terms of if this country embraced commuter service or corridor service which would have more benefit especially in the short term.

[thelakelander]

Neither would work on a countrywide level.  They'll have to be mixed based on the particular environment each mode is intended to serve and tied together with intercity service.

[Jumpinjack]

Commuter rail stations can compact development or incentivise sprawl. Depends.

[Captain Zissou]

This is where the Mega-Regions concept comes into play.  To achieve maximum efficiency and benefit, we have to start thinking about a Jax-Tampa-Orlando regional network.  Then that gets tied into the SoFla Mega-Region...etc.

We need to get all of our leaders and officials to lobby as a collective group, not for piecemeal projects as we have been.  It would be nice to think that our Governor and Senators could spearhead an effort for Federal money, but it's doubtful.

[tufsu1]

This is where the Mega-Regions concept comes into play.  To achieve maximum efficiency and benefit, we have to start thinking about a Jax-Tampa-Orlando regional network.  Then that gets tied into the SoFla Mega-Region...etc.

We need to get all of our leaders and officials to lobby as a collective group, not for piecemeal projects as we have been.  It would be nice to think that our Governor and Senators could spearhead an effort for Federal money, but it's doubtful.

exactly!

[BridgeTroll]

That would be fun!

[BridgeTroll]

  Hell... I would pay for it myself!...

[tufsu1]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-high-speed-mica-20101108,0,197707.story