Jacksonville-Miami rail project rejected

[CS Foltz]

Well gentlemen............I hope they love the hell out of their Rat Rail! Does nothing what so ever for improving transit possibilities in Jacksonville or anywhere else in the State unless you believe in a standalone isolated rail system from nowhere to nowhere....but hay! Turista's will get the latest and greatest and I am just looking forward to subsidizing their ability to do so!

[tufsu1]

I'm glad you don't see the long-term value of investing in rail (of any type) in Florida and the potential change of perception regarding transit in Tallahassee and at FDOT.  

Ande here's the proof that it is changing what the folks in Tampa say about growth

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/29/local-officials-look-how-high-speed-rail-can-pay/news-politics/

[Ocklawaha]

Clearly HSR funding in Florida is tourism based as they attempt to connect the 3 tourism centers. (Tampa-Orlando-Miami)

they also happen to be the 3 largest metro areas in the state....the smallest, Orlando, is 75% larger than Jacksonville.

Try 60% TUFSU, no point giving Rat Town more then they already have.

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Well on that note, why dont we invest in the long term of Bridges and shipping, by building a billion dollar draw bridge over Fishwier Creek!   We could start it in avondale, and let it touch down in Murray Hill.

Hey Stephen, how about this:

"PORT FISHWEIR"

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Jax shouldn't even be in position to be upset about this line being rejected.  Its not like the mayor's office or city council rallied around the project or even submitted resolutions of support for the project.  Also, can't fault Tampa and Orlando for landing HSR money.  This whole thing goes to show what can happen when you plan well in advance and rally being seeing your project's implemented. 

On the flip side, we are getting money to build 9B.  If we viewed these rail projects in the same light, perhaps we'll eventually get money for them as well.

[tufsu1]

Clearly HSR funding in Florida is tourism based as they attempt to connect the 3 tourism centers. (Tampa-Orlando-Miami)

they also happen to be the 3 largest metro areas in the state....the smallest, Orlando, is 75% larger than Jacksonville.

Try 60% TUFSU, no point giving Rat Town more then they already have.

OCKLAWAHA

yeah...I'm bad at math...In 2007, metro Orlando had 2 million people...metro Jax. had 1.3 million.

[NthDegree]

It may be that rejection put it higher on the radar.         

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-02-04/feds-no-money-jax-miami-rail

[thelakelander]

There's no doubt in my mind that this project won't get funding if it stays on the radar.

[JeffreyS]

the staugustine.com lady is correct about the squeaky wheel getting the grease on this one.  The problem being the Jax local government and Miami locals are not squeaking.

[fsujax]

FDOT is still going after funding for this very important project.

http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/02/08/story5.html?ana=e_ph

[ProjectMaximus]

Clearly HSR funding in Florida is tourism based as they attempt to connect the 3 tourism centers. (Tampa-Orlando-Miami)

they also happen to be the 3 largest metro areas in the state....the smallest, Orlando, is 75% larger than Jacksonville.

Try 60% TUFSU, no point giving Rat Town more then they already have.

OCKLAWAHA

yeah...I'm bad at math...In 2007, metro Orlando had 2 million people...metro Jax. had 1.3 million.

That makes it 54% larger, then. 

[fsujax]

AMTRAK needs billions in new equipment. Any state requesting new or added services from AMTRAK better be ready to also purchase new equipment.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aYgGlNq9n32I

[CS Foltz]

Gee if all it takes is buying new equipment...............if JEDC can fix Vesco/Rood up with a $5 Million Dollar Grant and two loans (low interest no less......one @1.4% & 2nd @ 1.5%) totaling $30 Million Dollars plus, we don't we hit them up for the same thing? With that kind of financial leverage we could possibly get enough to run on the FEC side of things and poop on Amtrak and CSX. There has to be a way to at this! We can't count on City Hall for much of anything other than sucking our tax money up and passing it on to someone in the GOB Network!

[mtraininjax]

There is not enough money to fix everything on the Santa list. So I say, make a choice, fix downtown or fix your Jax-Miami rail system. To me, its silly to fix the prime right now, when downtown needs more help. Once downtown is thriving, it will attract more tax dollars and fed dollars to help pay for the prime.

If you don't fix downtown, you are not worthy of improving the prime and growing rail.

[JeffreyS]

I like the Miami to Jax rail project but locally all we need to is have our local government say they support it. Allow Amtrak back downtown and this is a Fed and state project.