Florida High Speed Rail Officially Announced

[simms3]

Haven't commented in a looonggg time, but have read these boards since they were on a whole different site.  With all of the news we can all be happy about coming to light just in the last two weeks, I see no reason not to be upset about this arrangement.  I predict that this will be an immense failure.  If Accera is a failure, this will be a worse failure.  I would be embarassed to be a part of this.  Let's separate ourselves just a tad from Orlando and Tampa, and keep it East Coast.  We have a better economy right now than they do, and actually our home and condo median sales prices are higher.  We are the biggest port in the state, and we have a diverse economy, not to mention the military presence.  Let's focus on connecting to the rest of the nation.  If we absolutely have to go to rail in the next decade, which will be a huge monetary loser, let's connect with Miami, and up the Eastern Seaboard.

One thing that set Atlanta apart from the rest of the south was their push for the airport.  We can only see what history brought them afterward.  Rail is not the future, at least in its current form and our current density/culture/extra cash (we are richer than Europe and the rest of the world).  Let's simply keep rail local (commuter) and focus on our airport.  Let's get back to being FL's financial center and get more airline routes.

Bottom line, this proposal does nothing for me.  I know JTA is "dumb," but maybe they knew this would be a big flop, too.

BTW Sportmotor^^^I live in Atlanta, and I am going to DC in a couple of weeks, so to cut expenses (I am a student) I looked at Amtrak.  It was $99 for a one way ticket.  I bought round trip Airtran tickets (and because I live across from a MARTA station that takes me to the Airport and fly to Reagan and take Metro frm there, I don't need a car...I would if I was to take Ammtrak as the Atl station is out of the way) for $189.  Air was cheaper!  And it's not subsidized by us either!  And it is logically more expensive to operate that air route for Airtran than Amtrak to operate the fixed track/train.  Government can't do anything right and believe me when I say that this new HSR will be a complete flop!

[Lunican]

Simms, air travel is subsidized a lot more than rail travel. So that argument isn't a good one.

[urbanlibertarian]

Not per passenger mile.

[mtraininjax]

Simms - You will be very popular when you say air travel is not subsidized, so duck when the arrows start flying.

Let's separate ourselves just a tad from Orlando and Tampa, and keep it East Coast.  We have a better economy right now than they do, and actually our home and condo median sales prices are higher.  We are the biggest port in the state, and we have a diverse economy, not to mention the military presence.  Let's focus on connecting to the rest of the nation.  

Miami (port everglades) and Tampa have larger and more gross weight ports, Miami should give up and take all cruise ships, and make it easier for us to service containers. Will happen IMO, but will take a few years.

Jax is 23rd in nation in foreclosures, not a pretty sight, no idea what Tampa or Miami or Orlando are at , but we are nowhere near clear of the real estate mess, just take a drive down beach blvd and notice all the for sale/foreclosures on commercial properties, its a joke.

Forget HSR in Jax, no need, no leadership and really no fight in the game. Like you said, let's focus on the port, our expansion of the US Armed forces (carrier) and grow Jax.

[tufsu1]

Here is the loooooooong range plan:



http://fastlane.dot.gov/

something weird happened to this map...almost everything in the southeast shifted west slightly...so Charlotte looks like its in Greenville and Atlanta looks like its in Birmingham.

[BridgeTroll]

Good eye!  Either the Feds moved Atlanta or by passed it completely!

[heights unknown]

I would certainly ride these trains if they saved me time and money, and, if there was an orderly planned "hook up" so to speak to local transportation within the adjoining major cities; that also has to be considered, I feel, in the building and planning of these high speed rail systems.  I also feel they should immediately build and snake them around the state hugging the interstate systems which already adjoin and link to the major cities.  And again, ensure that the local city transportation systems, whether bus, rail, etc., also link "in time" to these high speed rail systems.

"HU"

[blizz01]

And JAX is the new Brunswick!

[finehoe]

What has JTA and Jacksonville been planning for over the past 25 years?

This is a serious question. In 1985, what was being discussed and planned for?

A ridiculous pedestrian sky walk for downtown.

[thelakelander]

and the fight for station locations begins....

Officials Differ Over Best Location of Polk County Stop for High-Speed Rail

LAKELAND | Lakeland's new mayor, Gow Fields, says Polk County's only stop for the proposed bullet train should be at Interstate 4 at Kathleen Road or U.S. 98 North - not USF Poly.

The certain plan is for the bullet train to travel down the median of Interstate 4. But where will it stop? There's nothing certain about that.

There could be a spat brewing between two friends, the University of South Florida Polytechnic and the city of Lakeland, over where the depot will be.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20100128/NEWS/1285067?tc=ar

[heights unknown]

This is all a crock; if Jacksonville is not in the equation; I am not interested.

"HU"

[tufsu1]

This is all a crock; if Jacksonville is not in the equation; I am not interested.

"HU"

why not think regionally....mega regions are the new economic reality when competing globally...and our mega region is Florida

[tufsu1]

Here's an update on the Lakeland station location issue

http://www.theledger.com/article/20100211/NEWS/2115070/1410?Title=Too-Soon-to-Pick-Rail-Stop-Location-to-Back

[Captain Zissou]

I agree about mega regions, but this train is still stupid. Can somebody explain the extremely sharp turn the train is supposed to make just west of orlando??  Will the tracks in that area be at a 45 degree angle.

[tufsu1]

the curve isn't that bad...take a look at the main page for the thread...it shows the route in more detail...far better than some newspaper graphic.