Amtrak Hiawatha Corridor Service
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-7716-milwaukee-railtalk-flickr.jpg)
The Hiawatha runs fourteen trains daily between Chicago and Milwaukee. In a quick ninety-minute trip, you can be in the center of either city. This is the type of rail service Amtrak would like to implement between Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Why are we ignoring this potential inter-city rail service?
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/941
Does it make too much sense?
Perhaps it does make too much sense. Amtrak wants to be here, they claim they can break even on running an enhanced passenger rail system and the government just gave them an additional $15 billion to help start up intercity corridor services. Why use Amtrak's desire to expand here and their money? This is something we aren't used too. Lets continue to claim we don't have any resources and make sure that money is spent in Colorado, Arizona and Atlanta :'(
I want that!!!
What do we have to do to make it happen????!!!!
Maybe the people who voted Ander Crenshaw and Cliff Sterns back to Congress should see if they care.
NO! I wanted my segment to run today....
Confirmed for tomorrow?
Tallahassee is confirmed for tomorrow. :)
YES!!!! I hope you came over and got some new very updated photos, because we have several downtown developments in progress!
I cant wait!
I came for FAMU's Homecoming and spent time walking around Downtown, FSU and FAMU. There has been a lot of improvement since I graduated a few years ago.
Btw, Amtrak enhancements will also benefit Tallahassee. As you know, Tallahassee's Amtrak station sits dead smack in the middle of FSU and FAMU, near Gaines Street. Imagine being able to hop on a train for day trips to Jax or Florida's other cities.
Quote from: thelakelander on November 13, 2008, 01:21:51 PM
I came for FAMU's Homecoming and spent time walking around Downtown, FSU and FAMU. There has been a lot of improvement since I graduated a few years ago.
Btw, Amtrak enhancements will also benefit Tallahassee. As you know, Tallahassee's Amtrak station sits dead smack in the middle of FSU and FAMU, near Gaines Street. Imagine being able to hop on a train for day trips to Jax or Florida's other cities.
Lake, imagine also being able to ride a bike up to a station carrying it on the train placing it in rack on the car and then riding your bike away from your destination station. Just like they do on Amtrak in the Pacific Northwest, New England, and yes, even in Chicago. How much more would ridership go up if someone could plan a day or weekend multimode car free trips to Tally, Orlando, Miami or anyplace in between.
I yearn for the day I can travel by train with my bike in Florida like I have in every other part of the country.
Amtrak corridor service for the entire state of Florida is probably the most feasible way for Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa to get more frequent rail service.
All of the Florida routes converge in Jacksonville and we are in a unique position to capitalize on that, especially if we reopen Jacksonville Terminal. The convention center has got to be moved.
I rode this same train when i was in boot camp for the navy at great lakes, it ran every 15to 20 min too bad jax dont have something like still from the airport to near the base here it would be very useful getting around jax
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/images/transit/amtrak_hiawatha/zol87-flickr.jpg)
Wow, a rail terminal actually used for its designed purpose!!!
With CSX in town, there's such a strong rail influence in town - I can't begin to understand why this isn't absolutely taking off. There are loads of retired rail consultants in town to handle the work - seems like we're just missing the massive public outcry. Does the average Jacksonvillian know/care this is an option? I'd like to think they would care and they just don't know.
I think we may have to change the name of this site from MetroJacksonville to WAKEUPJACKSONVILLE!!
9A, if you talk to alot of citizens in Jacksonville, they are very cynical when it comes to rail.
ignorance is bliss.
QuoteWith CSX in town, there's such a strong rail influence in town - I can't begin to understand why this isn't absolutely taking off. There are loads of retired rail consultants in town to handle the work - seems like we're just missing the massive public outcry. Does the average Jacksonvillian know/care this is an option?
This idea is simply disconnected from the reality of the passenger railroad book of "rules". Please remember my friends that the railroad industry was so regulated in the 1960's that they couldn't add or subtract a SINGLE train without a year long hearing in Washington DC. Meanwhile the government was taxing the railroads at an incredible (robbery) rate for every inch of land + transportation tax + fuel tax + school district tax + special assesments (IE: new highways). The only way a railroad was able to lose a passenger train route was with MILLIONS OF DOLLARS of legal battles.
The result was, the railroad industry as whole doesn't EVER want to see a passenger train again. EVER! In fact for a Jr. Executive - it's probably the quickest way right out the 14Th floor window at CSX. The railroads think in terms of "time slots" or "windows", this means each train on the schedule = 1 time slot. One train in two directions daily? 2 time slots. Profit from running these trains for COJ - FDOT - USDOT - AMTRAK - JTA etc? ZERO $$.
"Great Bob, but I heard such and such railroad is wanting passengers over in ..................... " In rare cases this IS TRUE. But keep in mind it is VERY RARE. Usually it means it's a shortline railroad, something that was saved from abandonment by two industries. It also means it was/is probably VERY pretty. They have done their homework and found that the daily or tri-weekly freight could make money, if 30 passengers were aboard. Not only that, they can sell slides, prints, tee shirts, toys to the tourists. This might even become a regional attraction and make the operation worth while. M-I-G-H-T! As in it might make $30,000 per year. Now toss that number at FEC - CSX - or NS... BONK! SPLAT! Pennys, wouldn't buy 5 sticks of 140 pound rail.
I hope this gives everyone a REALITY check on what is doable and what awaits us. If this tea isn't REAL SWEET, we might just as well not invite any of them to our party. (http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/RAILROAD%20OCKLAWAHA%20VALLEY%20RY/OrangeSpringsStation_OVRR-1.jpg)
Quote from: copperfiend on November 14, 2008, 07:52:43 AM
9A, if you talk to alot of citizens in Jacksonville, they are very cynical when it comes to rail.
I know the Skyway leaves sour thoughts in the mind of Jacksonville, but if planned and executed well, commuter rail will be far more effective and should increase the use of the Skyway. And all for less per mile then the Outer Beltway!! I wish the local media would talk about commuter rail and the Outer Beltway in the same article and scrutinize them both equally. If people don't want commuter rail, then they probably should be up in arms about the beltway.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on November 14, 2008, 11:15:36 AM
I hope this gives everyone a REALITY check on what is doable and what awaits us. If this tea isn't REAL SWEET, we might just as well not invite any of them to our party.
I definitely understand this - a retired CSX guy came and lectured to my class yesterday and said the railroad expects to make 15-20+% profit on their investments. Obviously with passenger rail, this isn't going to happen. But I was thinking more along the lines of the designers/consultants in town - if business has slowed/is slowing down for them, I would think this might be the kind of project they would want to give them business during the slow period.