Jacksonville - Miami Rail Project Still Moving Forward

[Bike Jax]

What would really increase ridership for both transportational and recreational use would be the inclusion of walk on bike racks along with multi-stop passes. Amtrak already provides such service in many areas it services. But knowing total lack of vision our state, county and city leaders have. I'm certain none will broach this topic. I wish I was able to to make the trip down for the meeting.

JTA has service both to and from the current Amtrak station. The station is also is only 2 miles from the S-line Greenway and 3 miles from the FSCJ JTA hub making both within easy reach by bike. The multi-stop pass will allow people to set their own agenda as to where and when they use the train and what city's they visit cities along the route. Thereby increasing not only ridership but also increasing tourism in cities with stops.

[stjr]

Are there rental car agencies at these stations?  Do we have one in Jax?  Miami?  I would think tourists would prefer a rental car a la an airport for many of these stops.  One doesn't really expect, at this point at least, to successfully navigate this state exclusively by mass transit.

[thelakelander]

There will be a rental car facility at the Miami location, which is currently under construction.  JTA's plans don't currently show rental car facilities.

Miami Intermodal Center

The Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) is a massive transportation hub being developed across from Miami International Airport (MIA) by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). It will provide connectivity between all forms of ground transportation available in the county, while decongesting the streets in and around the busy airport.

The MIC Program includes the Rental Car Center (RCC), Miami Central Station (MCS), MIA Mover and major roadway improvements, all to be completed by 2012. FDOT is also pursuing private and/or public sector joint development projects to enhance the MIC's economic viability. Miami-Dade County is developing the MIC-Earlington Heights Metrorail Extension bringing Metrorail service to MIA via the Miami Central Station by 2012.

The MIC will become the county's main transportation hub and will provide safe, efficient and seamless intermodal connectivity between MIA, Miami-Dade County's number one economic generator, and South Florida's businesses and area-wide activities centers, as well as serve as a transfer point for resident commuters.

http://www.micdot.com/mic_program.html

Miami Central Station is a rapid transit, commuter rail, and intercity rail union station currently under construction in unincorporated Miami, Florida, USA.

The station is part of the Miami Intermodal Center complex, also under construction adjacent to Miami International Airport. Phase I of the station, which includes the opening of MIA Mover and the Metrorail portion of the rail station, is scheduled to open in June 2012. Phase II, which entails the completion and opening of the Tri-Rail commuter rail and Amtrak rail services, is scheduled for completion and opening in 2011.

Future Florida High Speed Rail plans would bring high-speed rail service to Miami at the Miami Central Station. Trains would depart from the Miami Central Station with direct service to Tampa and Orlando.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Central_Station

[JeffreyS]

That looks good.

[Ocklawaha]

Ever wonder how OCK came into this world?


Long before Amtrak or UPS there was a way that kept the rails polished.


Between the REA box cars and reefers, and the express passenger cars, rode the money, one package at a time


Don't worry boys and girls, Amtrak president Gunn, and GW had a better idea!

There is no reason at all that all of the proposed cities can't have stations.  Its still a 50 mile ride from Jax to St Aug and even further between St. Aug and Daytona.  Both cities are tourism driven and both will benefit greatly from the connection.

There can still be express trains with limited stops between Jax and Miami as demand increases.

This is the way it has worked on American Railroad's since the 1870's. On the Florida East Coast, the flagship trains such as the Champion's, Flagler, City of Miami, etc... all used a limited schedule and some would serve one group of intermediate towns and another would serve some different towns, with both serving larger burgs such as Daytona and Melbourne.

Funny we use the term express today as the fast train. IT WASN'T! The Florida East Coast operated the HAVANA SPECIAL from Jax to Miami, via St. Augustine - East Palatka - Bunnell - and southward, stopping at every station where they were flagged. So if you traveled from New York to see cousin Betty in Yelvington, FL. you bought your round trip in four coupons:

Coupon #1 - NYC - JAX via the ACL East Coast Champion (for example)
Coupon #2 - JAX - YLV via the FEC Havana Special
Coupon #3 - YLV - JAX via the FEC Havana Special
Coupon #4 - JAX - NYC via the ACL East Coast Champion

You would change trains and railroads in Jacksonville Terminal, in rare cases throughout the country your flagship train might even switch a through car out to hand off to the express, thus requiring no changes.

Since the tickets are reserved seat, and dated, Cousin Betty knows to be at the platform down in Yelvington as soon as church is out in San Mateo next Sunday. You pull in right on the advertised and everyone is happy. During the whole 2 weeks you enjoy the great shady oak lanes of this lost Florida village, that darn express train doesn't even slow down as it blows past the Yelvington station on it's way to Bunnell, having managed to stop in South Jacksonville, Bowden, Sunbeam, Greenland, Bayard, Durbin, Fairbanks, St. Augustine, Moultrie Junction, Elkon, Vermont Heights, Hastings, Spuds, and East Palatka, all on the trip down from JAX. As you watched it vanish into the trees southbound, you might have wondered it was really going to stop in Roy, Neoga, Diner Island, and Espanola, before it reached Bunnell... all together a 12 hour trip from JAX to MIA.

When the evening of your departure arrives, you stand on the platform as the headlight appears to the Southeast. Two Big FEC diesels, followed by 13 assorted baggage, mail, and express cars, finally stopping the lone coach. It was planned, dated, scheduled, and they have your business, after all do any of you even know how to get to Yelvington? In Jacksonville Terminal in time for a nice dinner at the station restaurant, buy a couple of plastic lawn flamingos, and head out to track 7, your bedroom suite awaits you.

Amtrak recently scrapped it's express business as one of the last GW moves... Express and Mail kept these trains in business until just a couple of years ago. It was the most profitable sector of Amtrak, and actually had a whole list of trains about to start off on completely new routes when the axe fell on this damn political animal. The kids at the top have never realized the wisdom of offering a choice of departure times, arrival times, intermediate stops or God forbid, more then 1 daily train each way per route! Amazing when competing with 32 bus schedules daily between New York and Florida, and many hundred flights, that Amtrak is even considered a "service" with two GI trains daily. They are not a service in the classic manner, at best a quickie copy in plastic wrap, with stir sticks and bare table tops!

It's not been a failure of the railroad or the technology as much as it has the complete ignorance of all things train, and such simple subjects as, Simon - Boardman's, "The Railroad, What it is - What it does". Far too many people trying to fly non-stop trains, and land them out in the edge of the county so they won't wake the roosters when they take off. Way too much bus think too, a seat, a blanket, tinted glass and AC... it's all you need after all. Imagine a cruise line operated by the US Navy... Got that picture? THAT IS AMTRAK, and yet it is all that we have left. The far right and the Republican platform as well as the talk a great game and do nothing Democrats are to thank for that favor.

So far, Amtrak and FDOT have been a surface transportation success story about as useful as a single floor elevator.

So the "express" system works and has worked for years and years, but should we expect people that plan trains without stops in places like New Smyrna, Ormond, or Palm Coast/Bunnell, to catch on to the concept?
There is nothing in the timetable that demands a train stop just because a town is listed, it's all about tickets and selling convenience.

So does the "Ancient One" hate Amtrak?? Shock of shocks NO! But not unlike BRT, SKYWAYS or POGO STICKS, there is certainly lots of room for improvement and I'll keep fighting to make that happen.

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

There will be a rental car facility at the Miami location, which is currently under construction.  JTA's plans don't currently show rental car facilities.

usually the rental car facilities at train stations are small desks and/or kiosks...with cars parked in an adjacent garage....so I think the JTA plan would easily accomodate rentals.

[fsujax]

Looks like JTA was represented at the Amtrak/FEC meeting in Cocoa today.

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2010-03-26/story/east-coast-cities-push-amtrak-jacksonville-miami

[CS Foltz]

Represented by someone who knows what the heck should be going on or just represented! Hopefully by someone who knows what is needed not just a political hack!

[JeffreyS]

Looks like JTA was represented at the Amtrak/FEC meeting in Cocoa today.

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2010-03-26/story/east-coast-cities-push-amtrak-jacksonville-miami

Good article.

[Ocklawaha]

Take a bow JTA, this sort of thinking is WAY overdue. KUDOS translates "magical glory", so KUDOS JTA!

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

When your right ......your right Ock! Maybe the City is finally starting to see the light? Prime Osburn should have been the hub or the blippin train station from the get go......but thats just me, a plain simple taxpayer!

[tufsu1]

Represented by someone who knows what the heck should be going on or just represented! Hopefully by someone who knows what is needed not just a political hack!

from what I hear, yes!

[mtraininjax]

Prime Osborne in Jax is easy to see as the end of line station, but in Miami? Why in the heck would I want to go to the Miami airport as the end of the line? At least with the Prime, I am downtown, and the old FEC station used to be in downtown Miami, so why would anyone want to be at the airport? The old FEC lines are still there downtown, so why not build a small station, akin to Winter Park's, with easy access to downtown and closer to the beaches than the airport?

[Traveller]

Personally, I thought the site of the Miami Arena would have been a good spot for the Miami terminal.  The FEC tracks go right by it, there's a Metrorail station across the street, and it's within walking distance of many downtown destinations, including AA Arena and Bicentennial Park (which, incidentally, is where I thought the Marlins' stadium should have been built).

[tufsu1]

Prime Osborne in Jax is easy to see as the end of line station, but in Miami? Why in the heck would I want to go to the Miami airport as the end of the line? At least with the Prime, I am downtown, and the old FEC station used to be in downtown Miami, so why would anyone want to be at the airport? The old FEC lines are still there downtown, so why not build a small station, akin to Winter Park's, with easy access to downtown and closer to the beaches than the airport?

primarily because the Amtrak route uses the CSX tracks (along I-95) in south Florida not the FEC tracks...there is a study underway to use the FEC tracks for local urban transit (think light rail or trolley)...but intercity and regional service are better served on the CSX tracks (far fewer street crossings).