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Emblem of the old Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Amtrak COULD HAVE gone near the airport in it's first few years... The City of Jacksonville and the States of Florida, and Georgia, as well as the city's of Savannah, and Brunswick, really dropped the ball by not stopping the CSX abandonment of the old Seaboard Mainline along North Main Street or US 17. This option was available under the State Public Utilities Commission, as was a State or joint purchase agreement. Unfortunately, we got none of the above. This is part of our well reported, downtown "S" line route. Once it crossed the Trout River, on Jacksonville's North-side, it ran all the way to Savannah, on a slightly inland, coastal route. Today, all that remains is a dead end "mainline" to just beyond Kingsland, Georgia, and another dead end out of Savannah. at Riceboro. Once the route of the Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Palmland, and Orange Blossom Special, today the remaining Amtrak trains are running down the once rival Atlantic Coast Line, (also CSX) through Jessup, Hillard, and Callahan, entering Jacksonville, along Old Kings Road, and the Moncrief subdivision, in the Northwest side. CSX and the industry as a whole are booming, they are now experiencing traffic in excess of their remaining track capacity. They have applied for grants and loans to add tracks for all of the trains. Amtrak is running hours (3-10 late) every day, and freight is backed up. Amazing what a mess that a little profit through cannibalization of the plant has caused. It's also amazing how any company could "THINK" that going before the stockholders and saying, "Last year we tore up 250 miles of track and made XXX dollars, would just go on forever.
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This map from the 1930's demonstrates the "S" lines one-time importance
As for tomorrow? Some of the monies that CSX is shopping for would bring the Northeast Corridor to Florida. They COULD use the former Seaboard route if the government chooses it. frankly, it is shorter, but it serves less population in Georgia. Otherwise, it will follow the old Atlantic Coast Line route, Which will leave the old Seaboard wide open to us, we could use it for commuter rail. Via the airport connector it is only about 2 miles from the airports front doors to a dandy commuter rail station site. Add a little track, and the line could end at the Airport terminal itself...
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End of the old Seaboard Mainline, in Riceboro, GA.
In their fumble, CSX left us with a golden opportunity for Light Rail. Incredible as it seems, the railroad has leased out the Northern Half of the old "S" line in Florida, to a shortline operator. Given the typical pattern, within a short time, the shortline may be operating all of the Port and North-side traffic. Shortline's usually enjoy a lucrative division of revenue on the overall rate on traffic originated. Since Shortlines are locally operated, they tend to be more responsive and better at customer service. In a typical deal, CSX would still keep the long-haul traffic from any freight coming off the "S," and we get a new operator to deal with, which is far more open to innovation, and ways to make a buck. As I said, the whole story that swirls around this railroad is a gift to the Citizens of Jacksonville... Yet in their infinite wisdom, the State says Don't worry! JTA has plans to build a freeway for buses along I-95, that way the old railroad mainline can stay open for weeds, discarded garbage, and hopper cars full of wood chips. Florida seems to value those things over the Citizens of our fair City.
Image our State run "Transportation Authority," coming onto this scene, like a win - win football game, nothing between us and a certain score. JTA, Transportation Planning hes all of the inventiveness of Albert Einstein, and the practical application skills of Daffy Duck. Remember JTA is a STATE agency, like THEY really care to fix anything in Jacksonville?. Tallahassee only recognizes 5 metro's in Florida, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa. They actually TOLD US, out loud, in public, at the last BRT meeting, that we don't have traffic. Perhaps they should move the Capitol building to Blanding Blvd, or Beach, or JT Butler? I have seen better flow at 5:00pm, on the Hollywood Freeway, in downtown Los Angeles! Ah, but LA doesn't have JTA! One thing is certain, if we continue to allow JTA to control our Mass Transit, they alone seem to have the ability to make Jacksonville, what it once was - an Arctic region covered with ice. What more can we expect from an agency that is full of devilishly primitive Neanderthals, who have become a bottomless pit of disgusting, snake-eyed parasites on the state's recourse's.
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So is the answer a train or a trolley? The answer is YES! BOTH!
I was also accused of "having an agenda," by the aging JTA consultant that spent the last meeting making monkey faces and performing circus wonders to the amusement of his deluded cheering section. I do have both an agenda and a plan, quite simple really, I want us to become the Mass Transit leader in the America's. To do this we need two things:
1. Let's get JTA out of the Mass Transit business and send them and their paving machines into their very own highway agency.
2. Let's get Jacksonville off the BIG LIE and realize once and for all that LIGHT RAIL is not the expensive alternative, but the sensible answer for our own unique situation and opportunities. As Lakelander has said so well, Let's use what we already have!
But then perhaps I should tell you how I feel... Smile.
Ocklawaha
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For more detailed information on clean, fast electric rail transit, see: http://www.freewebs.com/lightrailjacksonville
That S-Line is ripe for the picking. Combining it with the city owned S-Line or Maxwell House abandoned rail corridors would provide a direct connection between downtown and Fernandina Beach's Centre Street. Things that lie between those two destinations, within walking distance of the tracks include Jax Int'l Airport (via short shuttle service, replacing AirJTA), River City Marketplace, Imeson Industrial Park, Jax Zoo, the pier & seafood markets at the Trout River bridge, Shands Jacksonville, Springfield Warehouse District, Edward Waters College, Old City Cemetary, Sports District and the Farmer's Market. One thing is certain. If you want people to ride mass transit, it has to direct serve quality destinations, which is something the skyway and BRT fails to do. It's clear that our existing rails serves a good number of destinations because the city grew up around the railroad lines. Why is it so difficult for our so-called professionals to see and accept this?
Park and Ride from all over Jacksonville to the Airport! What a great idea. I could take my vintage 1965 Silver Austin Martin DB5 from my home in or near the south side to the King Street Park and Ride. Take the Skyway to FCCJ Station and take a $3.00 ghost bus to JIA or a trolley to the rail station and take the train to JIA. Yea! Now all I need is a vintage 1965 Silver Austin Martin DB5 and rail service to JIA, or I guess I can take the ghost bus--but that's not very Bond now is it! But meets the price point. :)
you don't even have to take the Skyway at all.....the "Ghost Bus" actually stops at the Kings Ave garage!
With the "S" line under wire for LIGHT RAIL, and the cross town Trolley link completed, along Water - Independence and Duval, we could park that 2008 Avanti (not a big Bond Fan) anywhere in the downtown and ride to the Airport. Of course, IF I had the 2008 Avanti, I might not ride at all...
Ocklawaha
Get real! If I had the DB5 do you think it would start? Would I be able to drive it all the way cross town? ha. All british automobile owners need this rail system, so let's get those public drinking tax payers to work!
Ah si! Pero, mi Avanti esta Americano!
Now made in Mexico! HA HA
see new post for AVANTI...in the Break Room
Ocklawaha