TU Editorial: The Rail Option

[thelakelander]

The Florida Times-Union

November 1, 2007

The rail option

By
The Times-Union


Urban rapid transit seems too good to be true.

It's quick, convenient and - with gasoline pushing $3 a gallon - not a bad economic deal, at least for commuters where it's already in operation.

That's why there is some appeal in the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's plan to develop a bus rapid transit system that would eventually whisk commuters from the international airport to the Avenues Mall and from Orange Park to Jacksonville Beach.

But are buses really less expensive than trains? Probably not, insists local land planner Ennis Davis.

Davis points out that CSX plans to sell some track to the state in the Orlando area. The ensuing shift of freight to another line, he says, will "free up" rail lines in Jacksonville.

Davis wants the JTA to purchase a portion of those tracks - so it can provide rail on the north-south transit route.

That would create a hybrid system of rail and bus rapid transit.

He has a number of supporters, including the urban-oriented think tank, MetroJacksonville.com.

The price? lt depends on what could be negotiated.

But the JTA's bus plan will cost at least $26 million a mile, Davis says.

Orlando is paying $10.1 million a mile for its rail.

He lists five other recent "no-frills rail start-up" projects, ranging from $1.28 million a mile in Nashville to $8.2 million in Salt Lake City.

Can the JTA really get track that cheaply here?

JTA project manager James Boyle is skeptical. He says CSX told him it might be able to spare one of its two parallel tracks that run from downtown to Orange Park.

But, at this point, it doesn't have enough extra capacity to give up the line that runs from the airport to downtown. Likewise, Florida East Coast Railway says it cannot give up the line running south of downtown, which it owns.

Both indicated they could work out a deal for the right of way if JTA wants to build its own parallel tracks.

Boyle doesn't know how much this would cost, but he's in ongoing communications about it. Good.

The JTA plan is expensive. And drivers will be stuck in a lot of traffic before it's finished in 2025.

If JTA can get access to the tracks, even if it's just the downtown-to-Orange Park route, traffic relief might come much sooner.

If gasoline prices keep going up, and a truly fast and convenient transit system is devised, perhaps drivers will leave their cars.

The American Public Transportation Association says more people are using mass transit today than in the past 50 years.

Rapid transit seems worth pursuing; the city can't build roads fast enough to keep pace with its population growth.

And if rail costs less and is more popular, then it should be given preference. FAST FACTS: Charlotte has it - Charlotte has less population density than Jacksonville. - Charlotte has a hybrid system of rail and bus transit. Source: Charlotte Area Transit System Web site, Ennis Davis

This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/110107/opi_213836605.shtml.

[downtownparks]

Nice work guys!!!

[copperfiend]

Damn. Nice work guy.

[vicupstate]

It's great to finally see the hard work you guys have been doing, finally result in something tangible.  For so long this seemed like a lone voice in the woods.  Congrats everyone. 

[Webini]

Hopefully we will see more and more entries like this in the TU.

[thelakelander]

My comments:

He lists five other recent "no-frills rail start-up" projects, ranging from $1.28 million a mile in Nashville to $8.2 million in Salt Lake City.

Nashville: 32 miles/ $40 million = $1.25 million/mile (traditional commuter rail)

Austin: 32 miles/ $112 million =  $3.50 million/mile (urban commuter rail)

Albuquerque: 117 miles / $393 million = $3.50 million/mile (traditional commuter rail)

Memphis: 2.2 miles/ $9 million = $4.1 million/mile (Riverfront Streetcar line)

Little Rock: 3.4 miles/ $23.5 million = $7 million/mile (downtown streetcar line)

Orlando: 61.5 miles/ $615 million = $10 million/mile (commuter rail)

Salt Lake City: $300 million = $22.8 million/mile (light rail)

JTA BRT: 29 miles/ $754 million (estimated) = $26 million/mile (bus rapid transit on dedicated busways)

JTA project manager James Boyle is skeptical. He says CSX told him it might be able to spare one of its two parallel tracks that run from downtown to Orange Park.

If they told JTA this, they need to jump on this immediately.  There's no law saying you need to have duel trackage from the start.  All of the No-Frills rail projects are No-Frills partially because they built one track as opposed to two.  This leg alone would eliminate over one hundred million towards BRT and save dozens of properties from being taken over and demolished.

But, at this point, it doesn't have enough extra capacity to give up the line that runs from the airport to downtown.

Remember, with BRT we're planning for something that won't be operational till 2025 and will not reach anywhere near the airport.  Also, we already have 5 miles of city owned right-of-way in the S-Line that gets us from downtown to Gateway Mall.  When dealing with the railroad we have to bring something to the table instead of only asking will they let us on.  How can a building a passenger rail system help CSX with it's capacity issues?  Would laying some additional track or building an overpass here or there help?  That's still cheaper than building a bus expressway.

Likewise, Florida East Coast Railway says it cannot give up the line running south of downtown, which it owns.

Same as above.  We've already talked with FEC. They are open to the idea, but they want some help with increasing their capacity.  For instance, they'd like an overpass at Sunbeam Road.  

Both indicated they could work out a deal for the right of way if JTA wants to build its own parallel tracks.

Interesting.  We've already known this, but at the BRT public hearings, JTA representatives have repeatedly stated that this is not true.  So what's cheaper, building a bus highway or laying a single line of track with occassional sidings for passing trains?  Ask Nashville, Austin, San Diego, Memphis, Orlando and Albuquerque what the real answer is.

[Jason]

Great work Ennis.  Its nice to see this topic hitting more people.  I'm curious to see if more people will start chiming in with their own opinions.

[thelakelander]

Sure, they have a ton of them on the TU's forum, although they are against mass transit in general.

http://cgi.jacksonville.com/cgi-bin/msgboard/boards/news/view.cgi?section=29278

[Skot David Wilson]

Being from the Jersey Shore, where a line ran right into the city and rail is alive and well, I can attest to Jacksonville being disadvantaged by not having rail and light rail. Great Story! If the public only knew.... more!
I still say run the skyway groung level along I-10 and I-95 and have park & rides from Baymeadows and JTB and Lane and Cassat straight downtown, and a connector circle running around SouthPoint, maybe even a fast rail right down JTB to a park & ride at the beach. I'm dumbfounded that there isn't an Orange Park line already!
Great Read!