Restarting passenger train service down Florida’s East Coast

[JeffreyS]

Our views: Riding the rails
Grant request shows payoff of passenger trains through Brevard

October 8, 2009

   
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20091008/OPINION/91007020/1004/capitolnews
Restarting passenger train service down Florida’s East Coast â€" including stops in Brevard County â€" has always made good economic sense.

It made sense in 2001, when the first effort to revive the 350-mile Jacksonville-to-Miami route was proposed but failed.

It makes even more sense now to create badly needed jobs, boost economic development and promote greener transportation.

The potential payoff is now more evident with an application from the Florida Department of Transportation for $268 million in federal stimulus money for the project that would pay for upgrading tracks, building stations, improving railroad crossings and purchasing land.

The plan includes stations in Titusville, Cocoa and Melbourne, which would boost their economies with passengers arriving and departing in or near those cities’ historic and revitalized downtown areas.

More than 100 cities, counties and public and private organizations wisely endorse the new plan, with Space Coast municipalities and the county among the proponents.

That kind of united front is rare and shows the recognition of the benefits the trains could bring.

And why Washington should approve the funds from the $8 billion in stimulus money that’s set aside for rail projects.

The FDOT grant request provides these economic impact estimates:

# The project would directly create about 1,050 full-time jobs, with more than 880 jobs coming from construction to build the stations and improve the rail lines.

# It would produce an even larger economic benefit as the money ripples through the nine-county region, indirectly creating more than 6,300 permanent jobs and $259 million in annual earnings by 2021.

# The state would gain money for its depleted coffers, with the service generating more than $300 million in sales tax during its first 10 years of operation.

# About 176,000 passengers would ride the rails the first year, with passengers boarding in Brevard between noon and 1 p.m. and arriving in Miami three hours later.

# Ticket prices haven’t been determined, but would be similar to fares for other Florida Amtrak routes. It costs $60 to travel round trip from Orlando to Jacksonville and $72 round trip from Orlando to Miami.

Passenger service along the Florida East Coast Railway was ended 40 years ago as the nation’s car-obsessed culture grew.

The renewed service would allow local cities to prepare for inevitably higher gas prices that would again limit driving and cause people to seek other ways to travel.

For instance, Amtrak saw an 11 percent increase in riders last year when gas hit $4 a gallon.

Furthermore, the service would fit into the trend toward greener means of public transportation.

That includes commuter rail service in metro areas, such as the proposed Sun Rail in Orlando and proposed high-speed rail links between Orlando and Tampa.

If approved, the East Coast passenger rail project would get rolling in October 2012.

We say it’s time this train leaves the station.

[thelakelander]

The plan includes stations in Titusville, Cocoa and Melbourne, which would boost their economies with passengers arriving and departing in or near those cities’ historic and revitalized downtown areas.

Interesting.  With less than 550,000 residents, Brevard County will be getting three stations.  Yet with over 850,000, Duval County will continue to have one located in the boondocks.

[fsujax]

Well, Miami-Dade is only getting one station as well. They are moving the station from Hialeah to the MIC. Jacksonville's move from Clifford Ln to JRTC comes in the second phase.

[thelakelander]

Miami-Dade does not need another.  Tri-Rail is already on the same corridor and connects to Metrorail, which gets you to DT and the South Dade busway.  If we had some form of commuter rail in place to connect DT with the Southside and Northern St. Johns County getting a satellite station would not really matter.

[thelakelander]

Jacksonville's move from Clifford Ln to JRTC comes in the second phase.

Do you have a link to this information that you can post online?  I'd like to learn more about the second phase.

[tufsu1]

the appliocation is online

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/economicstimulus/

[JeffreyS]

On page 131 and 132 of the Application it lists the Historical Stations on this line. You guessed it no Jacksonville Terminal (Prime Osborn) even though all the rest shown do not amount to a joke compared to our Granddaddy of a station.

[Overstreet]

Given the location of the Jacksonville terminal and the proposed St Augustine terminal, I'd go to St Augustine. It is the same distance for me either way.

[CS Foltz]

Overstreet............same for me since I live on the southside off Bay Meadows. It is about the same for me, but slightly further out to St Augustine. I would rather go south to board a train than go north into the middle of nowhere.....but thats just me!

[Ocklawaha]

Given the location of the Jacksonville terminal and the proposed St Augustine terminal, I'd go to St Augustine. It is the same distance for me either way.

NOTE: Restoration of Jacksonville Terminal, would involve dropping the current plan to add a modern station to the Southeast Corner of the original headhouse, and condensing the JTA plan, WITHOUT the Prime Osbourne. This should be a CITIZEN DEMAND!

I'd wager that IF we restore the original 1919 station, with pedestrian subway, new Park/Lee viaduct and a 9 -10 track yard with 5+ platforms on the South side, you'll wander into that grand old entry on Bay and Lee. Maybe still stuck on going to St. Augustine to catch the train, once Jacksonville Terminals spirit possesses your soul, you'll be in its grips forever.

For those who have never walked through Jacksonville Terminal as a working train station, perhaps it's the ghosts of the past. Maybe the stations 3Rd highest unsupported ceiling in the world grabs you, maybe like me, you hear the echos of millions of voices, perhaps walking under a grand corridor of stained glass, but something beyond understanding will pull you here. Jacksonville has trashed it's heritage, South Jacksonville, Yukon, Marietta, Bayard, Durbin, Greenland, White House, Springfield, Oceanway, railroad stations all, gone to the wrecking ball. Only Callahan, and Yulee survive at trackside. St. Nicholas and Yukon have been moved away from their tracks but survive. But in the constellation of railroad stations in the American South, this is our crown jewel. No mere chapel to the gods of the rails, but somewhere just short of the Vatican, and 4 paces ahead of a Cathedral or Basilica.

Also missing from the DOT FEC plan is:

South Jacksonville: At Atlantic (we need to push this hard, an unmanned flagstop station no local tickets honored)

Bunnell/Palm Coast: In downtown Bunnell

Ormond Beach: Right off Granada

New Smyrna Beach: FEC's shops, and one time home to their famous restaurant, under the overpass.

Also the cross over to the CSX at West Palm Beach is more bad planning from FDOT, but the new Miami BILLION DOLLAR multimodal station at MIA, is on the CSX. FEC was in Miami in 1896, the Seaboard didn't reach it until 20+ years later. The FEC is DOWNTOWN from West Palm South, and the CSX is on the fringe. If we stabilize Tri-Rail, they plan to shift trains to the FEC from Miami North, retaining service on the CSX as well.

OCKLAWAHA

[JeffreyS]

Jacksonville's move from Clifford Ln to JRTC comes in the second phase.

Do you have a link to this information that you can post online?  I'd like to learn more about the second phase.

Lake at the bottom of page six of the states Amtrak-FEC application it says phase two will move the staion into the proposed JRTC.
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/economicstimulus/rail/Amtrak-FEC-application.pdf

[JeffreyS]

Page 7 gives more of a description of all the conections at JRTC.

[Charles Hunter]

Ock, if you add all those stations, won't that extend the travel time?  I think they are trying to sell a competitive travel time between Jax and Miami.

And, JefferyS - congratulations on wading through that application!

[thelakelander]

I went through the application this afternoon.  It does not say that phase II will fund the JRTC.  So it appears we'll be in the same boat that we are in today.  That is, looking for funds to build it from other pots.

Ock, if you add all those stations, won't that extend the travel time?  I think they are trying to sell a competitive travel time between Jax and Miami.

A future phase calls for corridor trains to run from Jax-Cocoa and Cocoa-Miami.  The majority of people using a corridor service won't be those taking the whole trip from Jax to Miami.  It will most likely be shorter trips.  Spots like Palm Coast, the Avenues, etc. should definitely be added as corridor trains come online to make the system more accessible to the region's population.  For the few going directly to Miami, there will still be intercity trains.

[Ocklawaha]

Page 7 gives more of a description of all the connections at JRTC.

Do you see anything on there besides, Skyway, Bus, and BRT?

Ock, if you add all those stations, won't that extend the travel time?  I think they are trying to sell a competitive travel time between Jax and Miami.

And, JefferyS - congratulations on wading through that application!

Not at all Charles, having waded through myself, (yes Kudos Jeffery), they are looking at the "5-Train Plan",  for Florida. Let's just hope this isn't the only line they plan to implement it on. So this boils down to:

Silver Meteor
Silver Star

Both splits at Jacksonville, and both long-distance flagship trains would stop only at the major stations along the line. But that leaves a void for local services.

3 daily Jacksonville - Miami locals...

So the economy stays alive, the stations are restricted. For example Ormond Beach, tickets valid only from Jacksonville or points north, and Ft. Pierce and points south. That is why I said NO LOCAL ticketing such as JAX-South JAX.. This is the traditional way to handle this type of traffic, and it becomes a great convenience to passengers who may have just stepped off the Sunset Limited/Gulf Wind route, or some future Atlanta train, and would really like to get off near the snowbird cottage in Bunnell. All ticketing is in advance, and folks with computers could book their own from New Smyrna Beach to West Palm, for example. It must be enough of a distance to make it a paying stop. Palatka started this way with Amtrak, after myself and an army of loud mouths bombarded the HQ with WTF letters. They agreed to the limited flag stop, and POOF, it became one of the stronger small stations in the state, boarding 12,082 passengers last year alone. Today it's a scheduled stop for all trains, and full ticketing including local is available.


OCKLAWAHA