St. Augustine Backs Rail Project. Will Jacksonville?
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/541951836_mQcqj-M.jpg)
On Monday, June 22, 2009, the St. Augustine City Commission became the latest Florida community to support returning passenger rail service between Jacksonville and Miami.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jun-st-augustine-backs-rail-project-will-jacksonville
There will be two resolutions presented to the JTA Board today at the 2pm meeting. One is for adding Jacksonville to the FL HSR map, the other is supporting Amtrak on the FEC.
Assuming the JTA board passes these resolutions, is JTA planning on asking the city council to approve a bill of support as well?
Wow, it looks like actual progress. Hopefully it's not just lip service on JTA's part. I would love to be able to take a train to Miami for the weekend or even travel to Orlando.
Kudos to the St. Augustine City Commission on their resolution. Kudos in advance to the JTA presenting it's resolutions to the board. Now hopefully I will have the opportunity to offer the same appreciation to the JTA board, Mayor and city council very soon.
Metro Jacksonville thank you for all you do also.
Rather than switch to the CSX tracks in West Palm, a better option (in my opinion) would be for passenger trains to stay on the FEC tracks to Miami. The FEC tracks follow U.S. 1 through the heart of every major city in south Florida. The CSX tracks are out by I-95 where nobody lives or works. Once in downtown Miami, the two lines cross at a 90 degree angle. A short connection would allow passenger trains to terminate at the new intermodal center by the airport.
I hope the JTA gets on board. My inlaws live in Jupiter, and it would be so nice to take the train to Stuart or West Palm in 5 hours or less.
Good point, Traveller. The FEC corridor would be a better line for commuter and intercity rail in South Florida.
Quote from: JeffreyS on June 25, 2009, 08:56:40 AM
Kudos to the St. Augustine City Commission on their resolution. Kudos in advance to the JTA presenting it's resolutions to the board. Now hopefully I will have the opportunity to offer the same appreciation to the JTA board, Mayor and city council very soon.
Metro Jacksonville thank you for all you do also.
For all you do, Metro Jacksonville's for you!
Heights Unknown
We all are praising the fact that Jax might be added to this rail line, but will Jax do the smart thing and shoulder it's share of the burden and load? We'll see how this plays out. It would be good to take a train from Miami to Orlando, or Orlando to Jax and/or Miami, or from Jax to Orlando/Miami. Hope eventually they also run that line from Orlando to Tampa and points south to Miami on the West Coast of Florida.
Heights Unknown
What burden and load, in regards to enhanced Amtrak service?
While the FEC corridor goes through most of the downtown areas of South Florida, the CSX tracks are more centrally located, have better highway access and fewer conflict points, and already have stations.
I think I'd rather see Amtrak and Commuter Rail stay on CSX and allow the FEC tracks to be used for local transit (like light rail)
Quoteallow the FEC tracks to be used for local transit (like light rail)
^Is that possible? The FEC line down there serves the ports, rock quarries and still carries a decent amount of freight.
This whole project (in today's version) is an outgrowth of moving some of the Tri-Rail trains to the FEC mainline in South Florida. The CSX isn't in the urban core and rightly stated the FEC IS the urban core. Tri-Rail would have been on the FEC in the first place had it not been for Ed Ball and company back in the FEC's "angry days".
Those who are waiting to go to Palatka, Deland, Winter park, Orlando, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Tampa, Winter Haven, Sebring, West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, can catch the train in Jacksonville TODAY. We already have this service, all we need is FEC short route down the Eastern Beach side.
If this proposal doesn't light our councils fire, their wood is wet!
OCKLAWAHA
ralpho37, that email has been configured to send notices to every council member.
my emails are being sent!
lakelander: thanks i was a little confused about that. im sending them an email now!
Will the City of Jacksonville be smart, or blow another great opportunity for growth and progress? Only time will tell.
So no live blogging the JTA meeting today? No blame if I wanted it I should have done it. Stephen will you be so kind as to once again get the transcript?
I hear both of the JTA resolutions passed. Thanks JTA!
Great! Now the Jacksonville City Council should step up and do the same.
Quotebut will Jax do the smart thing and shoulder it's share of the burden and load?
Jax do the right thing and shoulder it's share of the burden and the load.....you really mean, will the taxpayers of Jacksonville step up and shoulder the load, because after today's tax increase in millage rate, I am sure we will be looking forward to more expenses. What you really should do is go to SJTC, with or without an umbrella, and ask the people on the southside, if they know what Amtrak is, what it does and would they ride it. The average person probably has no idea what it is, what it does and would say they are happy to drive to St. Augustine by car, if needed.
Would I like to travel by FEC rail instead of CSX rail to Miami, absolutely. But this will have to be funded almost entirely by the Feds, as the State is cutting back its rail initiatives in this and the 2010 budget and the JTA is a state funded animal as well, so they will have a hard time finding new money for new a new station.
I'd love the new transportation hub downtown, but it probably will not happen, not this year or next, not with Amtrak spending money on improvements to the existing station. In the Amtrak report, I did not see a new Jax station, but with bureacracy, there are only so many pages I can read, so I might have missed it in the thousands of pages.
The Amtrak FEC Corridor Project would be included as an intercity rail component of Florida's economic stimulus plan. In other words it, could very well be funded almost entirely at the federal level.
As for them investing in the current facility, who says the current facility can't become a satellite stop? Outside of Tampa, we're the only major metropolitan area with only one remote isolated Amtrak station. Even metro Lakeland, which is half our size, has two. So if we're going to issue support letters, we might as well include suggestions in that letter that will benefit both us locally and Amtrak. If it fails, at least we tried. The worst thing we can do is to continue to stick our heads in the sand when opportunities like this come along.
I am for FEC rail to Miami.
and who pays for that Keith?
^^Read Lakes post, I assume you say that because of my other post since I am againts rasing taxes. If it can be funded by another entity then I am for it, but its our money anyway. Federal, Governement, City, isnt it the tax payer money anyway. I said what I said only to be sarcastic, because that would allow for an easier way to get to Miami other than driving a car or flying. When I really what have a good time, that usually means leaving Jax.
my point is Americans seem to want, want, want...government should do this, do that...but don't even think of taking any of our hard earned money....this viewpoint HAS to change.
personally, I would like to see us invest more in rail, at the local, regional, and national levels...but I bet I can find plenty of Floridians who would rather we spend money widening I-95, I-4, I-75, etc.
Isnt government money our money anyway or atleast it was. I am sure that money comming out of my check goes somewhere right. The government has spent millions and billions in other countries. I wonder how many americans approved that spentniture or had a say. They just spent it, just like our own city. The government is already taking our hard earned money, so I dont blame Americans for wanting.
30 Billion in construction stimulus and 757 billion in pork earmarks. The politicians are doing a great job with our money. Can't wait for new City, State, and Federal taxes.
Quote from: tufsu1 on June 25, 2009, 10:54:46 PM
personally, I would like to see us invest more in rail, at the local, regional, and national levels...but I bet I can find plenty of Floridians who would rather we spend money widening I-95, I-4, I-75, etc.
You'd like to see more investment in rail? So would I my friend. When you ask those Floridians that want to spend their money on those "Freeways", we should ask them how much money we made off of them last year? Also, I really want to know how wide is wide enough?
Perhaps we should put a slogan to our efforts...
RAIL, NOT AS WIDE BUT JUST AS LONG! OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on June 25, 2009, 11:34:16 PM
Quote from: tufsu1 on June 25, 2009, 10:54:46 PM
personally, I would like to see us invest more in rail, at the local, regional, and national levels...but I bet I can find plenty of Floridians who would rather we spend money widening I-95, I-4, I-75, etc.
You'd like to see more investment in rail? So would I my friend. When you ask those Floridians that want to spend their money on those "Freeways", we should ask them how much money we made off of them last year?
OCKLAWAHA
Be careful, or we might only have toll roads to drive on if we want roads to pay for themselves ;)
wrote to my district's council member AND clay yarborough bc his dad was (might still be) a guidance counselor at Landmark Middle, where i attended. very influential voice in my formative yrs in jax following my relocation from Philly. have heard Clay speak at my sister's 8th gr grad at Landmark. great guy
Quote from: FayeforCure on July 02, 2009, 08:48:17 AM
Quote from: Ocklawaha on June 25, 2009, 11:34:16 PM
Quote from: tufsu1 on June 25, 2009, 10:54:46 PM
personally, I would like to see us invest more in rail, at the local, regional, and national levels...but I bet I can find plenty of Floridians who would rather we spend money widening I-95, I-4, I-75, etc.
You'd like to see more investment in rail? So would I my friend. When you ask those Floridians that want to spend their money on those "Freeways", we should ask them how much money we made off of them last year?
OCKLAWAHA
Be careful, or we might only have toll roads to drive on if we want roads to pay for themselves ;)
Well Faye, it certainly would change the dynamic's of our national transportation priorities. BTW, most "autopistas" in Colombia (Freeways) are toll roads. They certainly are equal to ours and maintained much better, but it's a pay as you go plan. TOLL ROADS - ARE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? OCKLAWAHA
QuoteSupport increases for Jacksonville to Miami train route
Efforts to create passenger rail service between Jacksonville and Miami on the Florida East Coast Rail Line continue to pick up steam. But it’s not clear if anyone will pay to make it happen.
In the last month, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and St. Augustine have come out in support of the idea. The First Coast Transportation Planning Organization did so last year, as have about 60 government entities, chambers of commerce and transportation organizations on the east coast of Florida as far south as Fort Lauderdale.
Each resolution of support was sent to the Florida Department of Transportation.
“For a while I think all the mail I got was these resolutions,†said state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos. “It definitely shows we have a lot of support for getting this done.â€
Full Article:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-07-09/story/support_increases_for_jacksonville_to_miami_train_route
Just heard this morning that high speed rail was approved from Orlando to Tampa. I guess our leg to Miami and/or Orlando will never get approved, or when it is approved most of us will be burning in hell or basking in the comfort of Heaven.
Heights Unknown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_High_Speed_Rail
Click on the above link and check out the fact that North Florida (including Jacksonville) has been left out of the high speed rail loop; however if you read various internet articles, including wikepedia, the first phase is Orlando-Tampa, then Orlando-Miami, and maybe (this is the word they used) another phase including Jacksonville to Orlando and then Tallahassee to Jacksonville.
Heights Unknown
Orlando to Tampa has been the first leg for a decade...and then Orlando to Miami follows....it doesn't mean Jax. gets left out...it just means that the 3 largest metro areas in the state will be served first!
Its good to see that the state has decided to ask for federal stimulus dollars to return passenger rail back to the FEC. Hopefully, the request will be granted.
Quote“For a while I think all the mail I got was these resolutions,†said state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos. “It definitely shows we have a lot of support for getting this done.â€
Kopelousos said the state is asking for federal stimulus money that would allow it to make rail improvements to the FEC tracks, a condition set forth by the company before it allows trains on them.
Better get that station open downtown... like NOW! Making the deadline is great news, now if they'll just approve it at the Federal Level we can start waiting for the train... and the JOBS that will come to Jacksonville's station. The better the facility and the more room Amtrak has to work these trains and the new ones they plan for Florida the more jobs and economic impact Jacksonville will feel.
The hopeful news is that there has NEVER in history been a request for new train service with as many sponsors and volunteers as this. Truly a historic movement in transportation circles. QuoteCONGRATULATIONS TO AMTRAK/FEC CORRIDOR PROJECT SUPPORTERS!
APPLICATION SUBMITTED FOR FEDERAL FUNDING!
pl
On Friday, August 6, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) submitted the Federal funding application for the Amtrak/FEC Corridor project to the Federal Railroad Administration. The project is now in the running for a requested $250 Million to complete the project in three years. Grant awards are expected to be announced in late September 2010.
The State of Florida submitted the Amtrak/FEC Corridor Project application as well as an application for $1.1 Billion in additional funding for high speed rail express service in the Tampa-Orlando corridor. A press release from Governor Crist is included with this update. The press release and both project applications are also available on the FDOT website at the following address: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/policy/hsipr/
FDOT, along with the regional planning councils, local governments, MPOs, and others contributed a tremendous effort to enable the application to be submitted by Friday’s deadline. The project is broadly supported along the corridor. More than 160 letters and resolutions from local governments, agencies, and organizations are included in the application package, along with letters of support from the Governor, congressional and legislative leaders.
There will be much work to do as the project moves forward, but submittal of the application on Friday is a key step towards making this project a reality.
OCKLAWAHA
I have everything crossed Ock! One can only hope!