As most of you are aware, I live in the Sarasota-Bradenton Metroplex, but, my heart is in Jacksonville where I was born and raised for a few years "way back when."
There's a lot of talk about the high speed rail line which will shriek up and down the I-4 Corridor between Tampa and Orlando. Disney World has thrown its hat in the ring as an ardent fan, supporter, and promoter of this future rail line between Tampa and Orlando. The local news in the Tampa Bay area and Orlando are covering the subject like their very life depends upon it.
Of particular note is the supposed second phase of this line which will go from Orlando to Miami; Jacksonville or a third leg to Northern Florida is not mentioned; I hope this is not on purpose.
Here are some links to read and study regarding the high speed rail line from Tampa to Orlando and an overall study of high speed rail and its essentiality within Florida and the U.S. I hope that a future third leg from Orlando to Jacksonville is added in the future, and a fourth leg from Jacksonville to Tallahassee and/or Pensacola.
http://www.floridahighspeedrail.org/
http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/iorio-touts-high-speed-rail-line-between-tampa-and-orlando
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/02/state-applies-25-billion-link-tampa-orlando-high-s/news-breaking/
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/dec/10/na-rail-bill-puts-florida-on-right-track/
Enjoy.
"HU"
once again...
The original Florida HSR plan as required by the voters in 2000 was to connect Florida's 5 largest metro areas....that would be Tampa Bay, orlando, West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami....wen looking at south Florida cities separately, Jax. is #6 in the state.
That said, the plan has changed...and includes the potential of expanding beyond the first two legs over time.
HU, HSR will not be coming to Jax in this decade. Perhaps (IF) the proposed plan between Tampa and Miami is completely built, something could be extended to Jax in the distant future.
Gentlemen...........I am to the point where .....when it starts to happen, I will believe! Not before,too much yada yada and not enough movement! Don't forget that is contingent upon $2 Billion plus being put up by the Fed's who have yet announced where that money is going to! None comes to Florida, nothing will take place! However if Ratville wants to pay for it out of their pockets, I say..... onward Mickey!
Quote from: CS Foltz on January 06, 2010, 09:04:50 PM
Gentlemen...........I am to the point where .....when it starts to happen, I will believe! Not before,too much yada yada and not enough movement! Don't forget that is contingent upon $2 Billion plus being put up by the Fed's who have yet announced where that money is going to! None comes to Florida, nothing will take place! However if Ratville wants to pay for it out of their pockets, I say..... onward Mickey!
Mostly Stimulus money I thought; could be grants and other money out there that's not really there but they'll try and get it.
"HU"
HU.........It's my understanding Florida has applied, along with a heap load of other states, for $2.8 Billion Dollars dedicated to HSR. The tentative plan calls for Orlando to Tampa, 61 miles of HSR with three stops,one start/stop at each end and something kinda in the middle! Supposed to be using part of the center median along I-4,since that is allready designed for the useage. This ultimately is to be extended to Miami at some unknown point in the far future..........other than that I don't know squat about it other than wrong area, wrong reasons and not what we need!
to be fair, FL applied for $2.5B for HSR...and $275 million for the Amtrak/FEC line
That said, I am convinced the FL can build HSR if the Feds provide as little as $1.0B
tufsu1 I stand corrected on the amount for HSR.......$2.5 Billion! If we can do it for $1 Billion, just groovy with me even though I still say that is not the area to get it! That's neither here nor there but the Funding for the Amtrak/FEC line is more to the point since the tracks are allready in place! That to me will get us more bang for the buck and would be on line awhole lot quicker!
Quote from: thelakelander on January 06, 2010, 07:37:02 PM
HU, HSR will not be coming to Jax in this decade. Perhaps (IF) the proposed plan between Tampa and Miami is completely built, something could be extended to Jax in the distant future.
From what I am reading in this thread, and off the internet, before they get to extending it to Jax, we'll all be dead, Florida from Ocala down will have sunk under the waves, and the U.S. will begin to cease as a unified nation; in other words, we'll never know when they get around to extending it to Jax.
"HU"