All Aboard! Vero Beach chooses 3 possible sites for Amtrak passenger station

[JeffreyS]

All Aboard! Vero Beach chooses 3 possible sites for Amtrak passenger station
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/aug/31/all-aboard-vero-beach-chooses-3-possible-sites/
By Ed Bierschenk (Contact)
Originally published 05:21 p.m., August 31, 2009
Updated 05:21 p.m., August 31, 2009

VERO BEACH â€" The historic railroad station north of 23rd Street could be back in service for customers under proposed passenger rail service in the region.

Other possible station locations being considered for Vero Beach include the area of downtown near Pocahontas Park and at the old Diesel Power Plant south of eastbound State Road 60.

Possible start date for the service is October 2012.

The Florida Department of Transportation in July filed a pre-application for a $70 million grant for new rail service between Jacksonville and Miami along the state’s East Coast. A formal application is expected to be made by October and the final grant number may be closer to $100 million.

The money would come from the federal government’s $8 billion economic stimulus package for intercity passenger and high-speed rail projects.

Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart would be among the eight stops planned along the route, which would hook up with other routes in Jacksonville and take passengers all the way to New York.

Initial plans are to have northbound and southbound trains daily, with up to 11 cars that would pick up passengers waiting along 1,000-foot-long platforms. The trip from Jacksonville to Miami is estimated to take 6.5 to 7 hours.

Michael S. Latiff, with in-station program management with Amtrak, estimated ridership numbers could be ready in a couple of weeks.

The commuter rail service sees the route as a lucrative market, he said.

“If we didn’t see it as such, we wouldn’t be here,” Latiff said.

Amtrak passenger service had been proposed in 2002, but the idea was abandoned after the federal government ordered the rail service to restructure its debt.

Rail service, even in larger markets, has to be subsidized through tax dollars. Kim DeLaney, growth management coordinator for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, said this is true for other transportation systems as well, with the highway system being the most subsidized.

One of the potential benefits of the service, DeLaney said, is a reduction of traffic on Interstate 95, which could lessen the need for further expansion of the roadway. Other benefits include economic development and a reduction in carbon emissions.

Note

The money would come from the federal government’s $8 billion economic stimulus package for intercity passenger and high-speed rail projects.

[Ocklawaha]

Initial plans are to have northbound and southbound trains daily, with up to 11 cars that would pick up passengers waiting along 1,000-foot-long platforms. The trip from Jacksonville to Miami is estimated to take 6.5 to 7 hours.

Michael S. Latiff, with in-station program management with Amtrak, estimated ridership numbers could be ready in a couple of weeks.

The commuter rail service sees the route as a lucrative market, he said.

“If we didn’t see it as such, we wouldn’t be here,” Latiff said.

Typical media screw-up, I carried a similar release in the Jacksonville Transit Blog, last week. I suspect this writer, while enthused, wouldn't know a commuter train from a long distance train if it ran over him.

ATTENTION: All MetroJacksonville and JacksonvilleTransit Blog readers, THIS IS NOT A COMMUTER TRAIN! Won't be a commuter train, shouldn't be a commuter train, can't be a commuter train. NYC to Miami via Jax and Vero is hardly what anyone would call commuting.

The best snario for this service is to have the schedules of the two trains (2 each way daily) on something close to a 12 hour flip. In other words, have the Silver Meteor, depart Jax southbound about 10:00 am, and have the Silver Star depart Jax at 11:45 PM southbound. This would automaticaly spread the service times out and make for an early AM arrival in Miami, as well as an afternoon arrival.

Hope this helps:


Train #97, The Silver Metor seen here is a Long Distance Train.


Tri-Rail commuter train, with bi-level cars, MIA-WPB, if funding can be secured the commuter service will expand north to Stuart.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Michael S. Latiff, with in-station program management with Amtrak, estimated ridership numbers could be ready in a couple of weeks.

Somebody from Jacksonville should be contacting Mr. Latiff.  On the surface it would seem like a station in DT over the existing one, would result in more visibility and an increase in ridership for Amtrak in the Jacksonville region.

Locally, it would be nice for a city with no money to get a major transit priority funded by an outside source.  After all, this same station would also serve as downtown's commuter rail station.

The money would come from the federal government’s $8 billion economic stimulus package for intercity passenger and high-speed rail projects.

[Ocklawaha]

"Amtrak doesn't make money, so we can't speak to them..." Recent COJ Council BS.

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

One of the ones we met with at the Omni, he rejected doing the resolution for Amtrak service (implied) that is was against the "Regan" "Republican" platform. Come back when it's profitable...

We really need a bucket of water, some good old Lye soap, and a wire scrub brush, and all meet at City Hall for a little BRAIN WASHING! These guys are REALLY neanderthals, don't they know the Amtrak billion dollar budget was co-sponsored by TRENT LOTT?

OCKLAWAHA

[Sportmotor]

They need a run that goes Jacksonville to Atlanta damnit 

[CS Foltz]

I agree with Sportmotor...........Jax to Atlanta run just might make money or at least break even with Amtrak