QuoteOn Tuesday morning Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, expressed support for the project to the Florida Statewide Passenger Rail Commission, which was holding a meeting at the Florida Department of Transportation offices in downtown Jacksonville.
But Mica tempered his support by saying no state money should go towards the $2.7 billion project. Federal stimulus money is expected to pay for about $2.4 billion.
The rest of the money should come from the private sector, Mica said.
"This project includes a link from Orlando International Airport to Disney," Mica said. "That should be a money maker for a private company."
Mica also reiterated support for Amtrak service from Jacksonville to Miami on the Florida East Coast rail line, but stressed it had to make economic sense.
QuoteMica said he supports efforts to get people out of cars and into trains but expressed frustration at how different transportation elements haven't come together.
"The people mover here in Jacksonville was built 30 years too soon," he said, referring to the Skyway. "It's a distributor system that doesn't have anything connecting to it."
A commuter rail system in Jacksonville would help the Skyway, and Mica urged officials to look at the new multimodal facility now being built at Miami International Airport that is designed to encompass rail, air travel, buses and future high-speed rail.
That would be a good long-term model for cities like Jacksonville, and hopefully high-speed rail would eventually connect to these facilities, Mica said.
full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-01-19/story/mica-supports-billion-dollar-high-speed-rail-florida-caveat
I though all evil republicans hated rail and mass transit in favor for their beloved concrete spiderwebs? Now I just don't know what to think!
Great timing of this article. If we do this right, next time John Mica will be using Jacksonville as the example of how it is done.
This sounds like really good news. Faye must be in Europe again...
Quote from: BridgeTroll on January 19, 2011, 08:01:58 AM
This sounds like really good news. Faye must be in Europe again...
I didn't read this article for over an hour because I thought Faye had posted it and I was out of Advil. This is great news. According to Faye, Mica was the supreme evil overlord that was preventing anything good from happening in the state. now that he's on board, what is there to stop us???
Sounds good... but I have tempered expectations. It'll be a cold day in hell when this city realizes a shitload of buss' doesn't equal multimodal.
Quote from: Shwaz on January 19, 2011, 10:18:17 AM
Sounds good... but I have tempered expectations. It'll be a cold day in hell when this city realizes a shitload of buss' doesn't equal multimodal.
MODAL TRANSIT = BUS
MULTIMODAL = MORE BUSES
CLASSIC JTA THINK...
Y'all do realize we reported to JTA that Mica talked at length to us about transit improvements and our Skyway, saying he would support expansion. So their next big idea? They already have funding lined up to blow busways directly UNDER the Skyway! BRILLIANT! OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Shwaz on January 19, 2011, 10:18:17 AM
Sounds good... but I have tempered expectations. It'll be a cold day in hell when this city realizes a shitload of buss' doesn't equal multimodal.
I second that emotion.
Especially since there's a shitload of buses and a shitload of stops, but such abysmal ridership numbers.
Our last conversation with John Mica was very eye opening... I can paraphrase several of the points he made:
"JAXPORT - Is destined to be a SUPER PORT, one of only two in Florida, the other being in Miami and our location beats the pants off of Miami for anything transferring to truck or rail for distribution."
"We're going to see to it that JAXPORT gets that channel deepened, and those terminals built out."
"What is wrong with JTA? I would support Skyway expansion and with the new administration it would be easy to fund but those people (JTA) HAVEN'T SENT ME A THING."
"We need the expansion of AMTRAK to the east coast of Florida, and Jacksonville is the natural hub for all of the rail in the state."
"I want to get Jacksonville COMMUTER RAIL up and running, but your going to have to push JTA."
"STREETCAR? REALLY? WHY WE HAVEN'T HEARD A THING! TELL JTA TO SEND ME SOMETHING! STREETCAR! IMAGINE!"
What do you think Stephendare, did I leave anything out?
OCKLAWAHA
You don't suppose a request on Mica's letterhead, point by point, would get a timely, favorable response from JTA?
Maybe he has a staffer who can go back through MJ threads and present a responsible synopsis. Knowledge to create egg on face for JTA.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on January 19, 2011, 03:00:56 PM
"We need the expansion of AMTRAK to the east coast of Florida, and Jacksonville is the natural hub for all of the rail in the state."
apparently he pretty much said the exact opposite at the meeting yesterday...as I understand it, Mica expressed his distaste of Amtrak...and then the Commission skeptically questioned the project.
He is no fan of Amtrak, but really? Who is? But Yesterday he pushed the FEC-AMTRAK idea and then explained how when the funding bill came about he would try and hang legislation to allow private operators to compete. ANYONE who remembers the trains of the past can tell you, once private operators take to the rails, Amtrak is history.
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on January 19, 2011, 09:15:52 PM
ANYONE who remembers the trains of the past can tell you, once private operators take to the rails, Amtrak is history.
I'm too young to remember. Is the implication that the private operators will be more efficient and put Amtrak out of business? Or that the government will no longer subsidize Amtrak because we now have private operators to do the job?
What kinds of services would lend themselves better to private operators? (long, medium or short distances)
Hmmm Time will tell, much talk lil action. At least he knows the Skyway is not finished.
^Anyone who really knows transportation understands why the skyway doesn't work and it has little to do with the actual system itself. Nevertheless, Mica can only do so much. Even though he is in a position of influence at the federal level, unless we build support and commitment locally, nothing will change.
Quote from: dougskiles on January 20, 2011, 05:48:55 AM
Quote from: Ocklawaha on January 19, 2011, 09:15:52 PM
ANYONE who remembers the trains of the past can tell you, once private operators take to the rails, Amtrak is history.
I'm too young to remember. Is the implication that the private operators will be more efficient and put Amtrak out of business? Or that the government will no longer subsidize Amtrak because we now have private operators to do the job?
What kinds of services would lend themselves better to private operators? (long, medium or short distances)
Have you ever seen a federal government issued or military issued desk? The difference will be GI vs LUXURY.
Luxury that will snuff out Amtrak anywhere they attempt to compete (Which I don't expect BTW). As soon as private enterprise launches a route, Amtrak will withdraw from the same.
Well that's what my crystal ball said anyway.OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: BridgeTroll on January 19, 2011, 08:01:58 AM
This sounds like really good news. Faye must be in Europe again...
No will be there in March.
Got a trip to Alaska before then.
Quote from: FayeforCure on January 20, 2011, 01:27:18 PM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on January 19, 2011, 08:01:58 AM
This sounds like really good news. Faye must be in Europe again...
No will be there in March.
Got a trip to Alaska before then.
AMTRAK all the way I assume?
Quote from: Ralph W on January 19, 2011, 03:32:48 PM
You don't suppose a request on Mica's letterhead, point by point, would get a timely, favorable response from JTA?
Exactly, but guess what.........Mica is two-faced and would never directly suggest JTA get on board..........simply doesn't fit the prevailing Jax Republican talking points.
It's such a cop out to say he's waiting for a JTA request.........Mica can be far more proactive for Jacksonville.
But then again Mica's own come to momma moment to support transit as a Republican came about kicking and screaming too:
Quote
December 14th, 2010
BLUEPRINT AMERICA
America in Gridlock
[INTERVIEW] What to expect from a Republican-led Transportation Committee
Tom McNamara, Blueprint America
BLUEPRINT AMERICA: You are a Republican â€" and you support transportation and infrastructure spending?
REP. MICA: Well, I tell you though, if you’re on the Transportation Committee long enough, even if you’re a fiscal conservative, which I consider myself to be, you quickly see the benefits of transportation investment. Simply, I became a mass transit fan because it’s so much more cost effective than building a highway. Also, it’s good for energy, it’s good for the environment â€" and that’s why I like it.
BLUEPRINT AMERICA: If anything, you’d say that your time in Congress and on the Transportation Committee has brought you around to these ideas?
REP. MICA: Yes. And, seeing the cost of one person in one car. The cost for construction. The cost for the environment. The cost for energy. You can pretty quickly be convinced that there’s got to be a more cost effective way. It’s going to take a little time, but we have to have good projects, they have to make sense â€" whether it’s high-speed rail or commuter rail or light rail. We got to have some alternatives helping people â€" even in the rural areas â€" to get around.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/america-in-gridlock/interview-what-to-expect-from-a-republican-led-transportation-committee/725/
QuoteBut then again Mica's own come to momma moment to support transit as a Republican came about kicking and screaming
Jeez Faye... no one wins with you eh? How about skipping and chanting? Crawling and begging? Sleeping and dreaming? Do you categorize transit supporters by
how they came to support rail transit? Why on earth should that matter? ::)
Quote from: BridgeTroll on January 20, 2011, 02:59:32 PM
QuoteBut then again Mica's own come to momma moment to support transit as a Republican came about kicking and screaming
Jeez Faye... no one wins with you eh? How about skipping and chanting? Crawling and begging? Sleeping and dreaming? Do you categorize transit supporters by how they came to support rail transit? Why on earth should that matter? ::)
Good point Bridge......it comes from a long time observation that Republicans don't usually see the light until it affects them personally.......until it's forced on them and they are faced with it up front.
Let me give you another example where this is clearly the case: Republicans generally fully support embryonic stem cell research only if they have someone in the family with a devastating illness or injury.
Quote from: FayeforCure on January 20, 2011, 03:43:00 PM
Good point Bridge......it comes from a long time observation that Republicans don't usually see the light until it affects them personally.......until it's forced on them and they are faced with it up front.
I don't think that's a Republican thing Faye....its pretty much a human thing...many of us advocate for positions because of personal experiences.
Quote from: tufsu1 on January 20, 2011, 09:27:59 PM
Quote from: FayeforCure on January 20, 2011, 03:43:00 PM
Good point Bridge......it comes from a long time observation that Republicans don't usually see the light until it affects them personally.......until it's forced on them and they are faced with it up front.
I don't think that's a Republican thing Faye....its pretty much a human thing...many of us advocate for positions because of personal experiences.
Partly you are right, but in the "I've got mine, you get yours" world of Republicans, they really CANNOT put themselves in the shoes of others to actually imagine any different than their very own experience.
Oh sure, they'll do a little charity volunteerism to symbolically go through the motions of "caring," but the reality of all of their policies is based on a YOYO society, a You're On Your Own society.
Your house burns down..........too bad for you, we just cut firefighter services and on and on the list goes.
Rep. Mica's office responds on why he has not expressed support to date for the return to passenger rail service along the FEC:
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/02/02/daytona-amtrak-still-faces-hitches.html
Seems prudent... :)
QuoteBut Mica isn't ready to say if he'll support the project.
"I need to carefully review the final proposal with accurate information regarding passenger count, stops, frequency of service, and long-term costs before making a decision," the congressman said Tuesday in a statement released through Justin Harclerode, communications director for the transportation and infrastructure committee.
Mica and the committee will soon be writing a transportation bill that could authorize funding for highway, transit and highway safety programs for the next five or six years, Harclerode said.