Metro Jacksonville

Amtrak recently released a report endorsing the proposed passenger route through the Florida East Coast Railway, which runs near Daytona Beach City Hall. The state Department of Transportation has set aside $118 million for the route and Tallahassee lawmakers need only change a liability law to give a green light. The project also needs $132 million in federal money.

That's no small chunk of change at a time of record federal debt and very tight state budgets. Municipal leaders from Daytona Beach to Miami are all aboard, but before the train leaves the station, state and local leaders need to carefully review the need for the route and the feasibility of passenger service from Miami to Jacksonville.

There is indeed a certain sentimentality surrounding the East Coast Railway passenger route, which closed service in the 1960s. Amtrak and its customers have made do with a route from Miami to Tampa, which then runs through Orlando and DeLand and northward to Jacksonville and then New York City.

Amtrak officials and municipal leaders feel a Florida coastal route is needed again and believe it could be up and running by 2014. Amtrak believes that after state and federal grants are made, they can run the route for $8 million annually at a slight profit. As many as 100,000 new riders would use the route, Amtrak officials said.

But Amtrak has fallen short of its goals before. In the mid-1990s, Amtrak officials promised federal leaders the service would be profitable within 10 years. It missed that goal.

Despite well-used lines in the Northeast, Amtrak bleeds money. In 2010, Amtrak made $2.5 billion but had $3.74 billion in expenses.

Here in Florida, Amtrak would lease a commercial rail line and passenger stations would have to be built. It's possible that the cities will have to bear the burden of operating and maintaining the stations.

If Amtrak can attract a large number of riders and operate the East Coast line profitably, Mica and others would have a good reason to support it. But at a time of huge federal deficits and burdensome national debt, it would be very difficult to justify as a money-losing venture.

State and federal officials should scrutinize the proposed line and ask themselves if it represents the best possible use of taxpayers' transportation dollars. It would be nice to have passenger rail service all along Florida's east coast, but not at any price.

Complete Article can be viewed at: http://www.news-journalonline.com/opinion/editorials/n-j-editorials/2011/10/15/proposed-amtrak-route-needs-a-careful-look.html




The recent editorial concern over the "run away government spending" aimed at Amtrak is Neanderthal math.

Amtrak on the FEC RY will not decrease traffic on our local roads, but it will bring us 100,000 more tourists who will gladly spend their money locally. While it's true that only 2 rail passenger operations in the world "make money," the benefit far exceeds the cost.

Numbers show that where ever rail passenger routes go, so goes growth of dense, vibrant, urban environments. Transit Oriented Development typically follows the tracks.

How is it that Amtrak on the Florida East Coast is an expense, and I-95 an investment? By the way how much "profit" did we make last year off of I-95? Ridgewood? Main? or Nova Road? How about the road in front of your house?

In Jacksonville we currently have I-795 under construction. $200 million for a 7.5 mile road that shortens the northbound commute for some people by about 1 mile. Meanwhile FDOT and Governor Scott are pushing Jacksonville to build a $2 billion dollar, 15 mile, "Outer Beltway," which will only impact raccoons and Opossums and destroy miles of antediluvian forest lands.

Why is it when we talk about any rail project the howling starts? Where are the stories about profit and waste on these highway projects? Where is the Tea Party and the loud protests?

A single conventional railroad track has the same passenger capacity per mile as 2.5 highway lanes and it is cheaper to build.For that same $2.2 billion, we could blanket the state with a comprehensive, fast, frequent, interconnected, conventional train network.

Bottom line? A railroad is a highway that never needs widening. Amtrak adding 350 Florida miles is a bargain and the development it spurs will far exceed any costs. Hopefully someone in Tallahassee has evolved to at least the cro-magnon state of mind.

You should submit your response to the News Journal, as an editorial.

^ I second that.

Please do an editorial.  It would be nice to get that into the FTU somehow, too.

Thirds, +1, and Like!

All the above. Although I'm not sure these people actually want to listen to reason though. Seems like they've already made up their minds here. Roads = Good. Transit = RAISE HELL!

Hmm, I wonder why that is? Maybe follow the lobbying money & campaign "donations" to see where it comes from. And I use "" because it's really bribes, but I guess using the other word helps them sleep better at night.

They got an advance copy of my response which they aparently chose to ignore, I will send one on to the Times-Union, but don't expect them to be any more "understanding."

OCKLAWAHA