AMTRAK FUNDED at last! - What Florida Needs?

[Ocklawaha]

It's a great plan Jason, I just wish it were even more - double or several times the amount, to at least approach something of what we spend on AIRLINES.

Let's all be as pro active as possible and MAKE SURE FLORIDA DOESN'T SIT ON IT'S HANDS and leave us out in the cold. We already have a ton of damage control to do, and most of it has come during the era of Amtrak "Making trains worth riding again".

Abandonment of Jacksonville Terminal *Amtrak-COJ
Abandonment of Sanford Station *Amtrak
Abandonment of the Wildwood (Coleman-Auburndale) passenger cut-off  *CSX-FDOT
Abandonment of the Sunset Limited route to New Orleans *Amtrak-using Katrina as an excuse
Abandonment of the Floridian route to Chicago *Bad Amtrak planning, bad CSX track, but Carter Cut it.

This is just the tip of the iceburg, keep posted for more on this I believe on Tuesday.

OCKLAWAHA

[Coolyfett]

This out-of-towner would like to know if anyone from Jacksonville is still interested in moving the Amtrak station back to downtown, reinstating the Sunset Limited from JAX to New Orleans, and establishing a route along the entire Florida eastern coast?

That is the ride I am wondering about. The Jax - NO train would be 3 trains, the Jax - Atl heading to the midwest (StL, Chi, Det) would be a 4th train.

Ock what is the problem with the NO to Jax train?

[Ocklawaha]

Ock what is the problem with the NO to Jax train

Brain dead planners in the US House, DOT, and to a lesser extent Amtrak. FDOT is not even in the game as a Republican State, we are in lock step with McCain on RAILROAD and SURFACE TRANSPORTATION. These guys have never met a freeway they didn't love. Jax might be onto something though, don't know, but might be a position at JTA with some "AMTRAK" planning input - something new and created for someone.

You are right, the current routes we could have are many, the track is ready to go, just add depots. The short list includes:

Jacksonville-Waycross-Montgomery-Birmingham-Nashville
Jacksonville-Waycross-Manchester-Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville-Louisville-Chicago
Jacksonville-Valdosta-Macon-Atlanta-Chattanooga-Knoxville (West)-Cincinnati-
Cincinnati - Indy-Chicago
Cincinnati -Toledo-Detroit
Cincinnati -Columbus-Cleveland-Buffalo
Jacksonville-Waycross-Manchester-Birmingham-Memphis-Cario-Carbondale-St. Louis
Carbondale - Chicago
Jacksonville - Waycross - Manchester - Birmingham - Meridian - Shreveport - Dallas
Jacksonville - Waycross - Manchester - Birmingham - Memphis - Springfield - Kansas City
Jacksonville - Baldwin - Tallahassee - Pensacola - Mobile - Biloxi - New Orleans
New Orleans - Baton Rouge
New Orleans - Houston - San Antonio - El Paso - Tuscon - Los Angeles
New Orleans - Alexandria - Shreveport - Dallas
Jacksonville - Savannah - Columbia - Raleigh - Washington - New York
Jacksonville - Savannah - Charleston - Fayetteville - Washington - New York
Jacksonville - Waycross - Savannah - Charleston - Fayetteville - Norfolk
Jacksonville - Savannah - Columbia - Charlotte - Washington - New York

Then of course there are a few more lesser routes not to mention about 5 ways south from here.

Jacksonville - Ocala - Lakeland - Orlando
Jacksonville - Ocala - Lakeland - Tampa
Jacksonville - Palatka - Orlando - Tampa
Jacksonville - Palatka - Orlando - Winter Haven - West Palm Beach - Ft. Lauderdale - Miami
Jacksonville - Ocala - Lakeland - Winter Haven - West Palm Beach - Ft. Lauderdale - Miami
Jacksonville - St. Augustine - Daytona Beach - Melbourne - West Palm Beach - Ft. Lauderdale - Miami
Jacksonville - St. Augustine - East Palatka (half the railroad and 100% of the Right of Way is still there).

Now, what was someone saying about us not being a hub? care to connect these dots anyone? Tell me what Union Station would be like WHEN WE DO?

The real pisser here is while we've been busy with Bus Rapid Transit schemes, new freeways all over the State and we (YES US IN JACKSONVILLE) have poured our Millions into Orlando MCO, Tampa TPA, Miami MIA and another half dozen super airports for an ailing industry. Meanwhile here at home, we've sat on our hands and allowed our own unique spot on the transportation map be piddled away. Rail has already returned to California and the Pacific Coast, and the North East and upper Mid-West, it's just a matter of time for us, we need to decide if we are going to be the new HARTSFIELD ATLANTA (of the railroad industy) or just an Amshack on the way to Mickey Mouse.


OCKLAWAHA