Sunrail bill passes: What it means for Jacksonville

Metro Jacksonville · December 17, 2009, 06:03:22 AM

Sunrail bill passes: What it means for Jacksonville

A look at how the passing of the Sunrail bill (House Bill 1B) impacts the future of Jacksonville.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-dec-sunrail-bill-passes-what-it-means-for-jacksonville

CS Foltz · December 17, 2009, 06:15:09 AM

Gentlemen......it sounds real good! Rail out of the port should have been in place long before now and should have been integrated from the get go.......but better later than not at all! I see possibilities for all kinds of things to start taking place............I guess my question should be "Does the current Administration see them"? Johnny has not displayed much in the way of vision.....or a plan and I would have to see it to believe it!

archiphreak · December 17, 2009, 08:04:31 AM

I feel all tingly inside. Finally, rail in Florida and the potential for REAL mass transit in Jacksonville. Lets hope the City doesn't screw this up like they have everything else.

SunKing · December 17, 2009, 10:14:22 AM

Regarding the Amtrack/FEC passenger rail, the article from Sept. says this will be running in 2012. Is this a done deal?

fsujax · December 17, 2009, 10:27:31 AM

If the application gets selected for funding, it will be a done deal.

tufsu1 · December 17, 2009, 11:01:35 AM

USDOT is expected to announce the HSR "winners" next month, so we'll know shortly!

mtraininjax · December 17, 2009, 11:20:48 AM

FSU - There are like 50 billion in projects competing for 8 billion available, that is one heckuva BIG IF.

Why does Orlando get a "NEW" Amtrak station? The current one is Church Street, so why does the map show Church Street and then the Orlando/Amtrak Station?

CS - Its hard to spend money for "NEW" projects, like port expansion without growth. I think CSX did the right thing in waiting, its not like the PORT is growing beyond leaps and bounds. This way, they get to do it right and hopefully they put people to work locally with these projects.

JaxNative68 · December 17, 2009, 11:22:30 AM

How far in the future is the "planned no date" portion of the rail that connects Jacksonville. Seeing how CSX has it's headquarters in Jax and the new port being built for Hanjin, how could Jax be left out of the initial planning? Are there any future plans to connect the rest of Florida south of Orlando? Being labeled as "planned no date" I have no confidence that it will ever happen.

thelakelander · December 17, 2009, 11:25:22 AM

Quote from: mtraininjax on December 17, 2009, 11:20:48 AM

Why does Orlando get a "NEW" Amtrak station? The current one is Church Street, so why does the map show Church Street and then the Orlando/Amtrak Station?

Orlando is not getting a new Amtrak station. The current Amtrak station is about a mile or so south of downtown and Church Street.

thelakelander · December 17, 2009, 11:28:19 AM

Quote from: JaxNative68 on December 17, 2009, 11:22:30 AM
How far in the future is the "planned no date" portion of the rail that connects Jacksonville. Seeing how CSX has it's headquarters in Jax and the new port being built for Hanjin, how could Jax be left out of the initial planning? Are there any future plans to connect the rest of Florida south of Orlando? Being labeled as "planned no date" I have no confidence that it will ever happen.

I believe we focus too much on the term "HSR." We'll have Amtrak on the FEC, running up to 90mph.

mtraininjax · December 17, 2009, 11:32:58 AM

QuoteOrlando is not getting a new Amtrak station. The current Amtrak station is about a mile or so south of downtown and Church Street.

That is not true, there is a Winter Park station, which you may be referencing, but the Amtrak stops I have been on, enduring my 9 hour trek to Miami, have all stopped at Church Street and this IS referenced as the Orlando downton stop.

mtraininjax · December 17, 2009, 11:34:07 AM

QuoteWe'll have Amtrak on the FEC, running up to 90mph.

How? They are limited to 79 on CSX, what changed? Concrete ties?

Lunican · December 17, 2009, 11:38:34 AM

Quote from: mtraininjax on December 17, 2009, 11:32:58 AM
That is not true, there is a Winter Park station, which you may be referencing, but the Amtrak stops I have been on, enduring my 9 hour trek to Miami, have all stopped at Church Street and this IS referenced as the Orlando downton stop.

What year? Church St. is not an Amtrak stop.

thelakelander · December 17, 2009, 11:44:43 AM

Quote from: mtraininjax on December 17, 2009, 11:34:07 AM
QuoteWe'll have Amtrak on the FEC, running up to 90mph.

How? They are limited to 79 on CSX, what changed? Concrete ties?

The track will be upgraded as a part of the Amtrak plan.

mtraininjax · December 17, 2009, 11:50:24 AM

QuoteChurch St. is not an Amtrak stop.

Someone should tell Amtrak, check their website. Wow, never realized the Meteor is gone, been rolled into Silver Service, whatever the heck that is.

The Miami service passes Church Street station, but the Tampa service goes to the Church Street station. Amtrak still references the station at 1400 Sligh Blvd, 32806. Of course they still reference the Sunset Limited coming to Jax, so that shows that their website is fraught with inconsistencies, but then again, who's isnt.