Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to request stimulus money for passenger

[thelakelander]

Thanks to the Jacksonville Transit Blog for finding this article.  Although we still overlook what Amtrak brings to the table, at least another region of Florida is pushing for something that we will benefit from as well.

Treasure Coast leaders hope to get passenger train service back on the Florida East Coast rails with federal economic stimulus money.

The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council intends to ask Gov. Charlie Crist and Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Kopelousos, along with the area’s Legislative and Congressional delegations, to support efforts to use about $100 million in federal relief money for Amtrak to bring passenger service back to the FEC tracks between Jacksonville and Miami.

“It’s not a new idea, but it’s still a good one,” said Mike Busha, executive director of the planning council. “We’re trying to expand people’s options for getting around without having to spend so much money or energy.”

Amtrak and the FEC were close to a deal to put the rail service through the Treasure Coast in 2002, with stations to sprout up in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. But the proposal was quashed at the time because of questions over Amtrak spending and ridership.

But as gas prices rose the past two years, the service’s budget was doubled. Earlier this year, $8 billion in stimulus money was announced for developing new high-speed rail service nationwide, and Vice President Joe Biden on Friday announced that $1.3 billion in additional stimulus money would go to the government-owned service.

Included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act announced by Biden is $10.5 million to construct a new station for the Auto Train in Sanford.

State DOT Planning and Policy Analysis Administrator David Lee said Florida officials are awaiting the federal government to provide criteria for the high-speed corridor projects.

Busha said returning passenger service to the tracks along the eastern side of the Treasure Coast would improve transportation in the region, which translates into better business opportunities and improved quality of living.

“It’s building a mobile network, very attractive, low-stress, low-energy transportation system,” he said. “It’s very attractive to investors when they see a region that has all its basis covered, not just by the private automobile.”

Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart were all once stops on the line put down by Henry Flagler in the 1890s and local leaders believe the downtown in each area could be used for new stations.

But the Treasure Coast isn’t the only area seeking money for passenger rail service.

Led by state Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, supporters of the $1.2 billion, 61-mile commuter rail project to run from DeLand in Volusia County through downtown Orlando to Poinciana in Osceola, will have a midday rally Wednesday in Tallahassee.

Amtrak’s current route north goes from Miami to West Palm Beach before branching west to Okeechobee, over to the Orlando area and then moving back east to Jacksonville, where the route mostly hugs the East Coast through New York City, stopping in Portland, Maine.


Treasure Coast passenger rail history

• 1892-94: Rail service was extended south from Daytona, running along the Indian River, by Henry Flagler.

• 1968: Passenger service was discontinued on the Florida East Coast tracks because of labor unrest.

• The plan to expand passenger rail service using the FEC rail lines was first proposed in 1994 and revived in 2000. There was talk about expanding to the Treasure Coast by 2003.

• Negotiations between Amtrak and the Florida Department of Transportation stalled in 2002 after the government said the rail company no longer could add new routes.

• 2008: Local officials asked Gov. Charlie Crist and Congressional representatives to ask Amtrak to include the Treasure Coast in a study of reintroducing passenger service on the FEC lines between West Palm Beach and Miami.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/mar/17/treasure-coast-regional-planning-council-request-s/