St. Augustine Backs Rail Project. Will Jacksonville?

[Metro Jacksonville]

St. Augustine Backs Rail Project. Will Jacksonville?



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

[fsujax]

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.

[Lunican]

Assuming the JTA board passes these resolutions, is JTA planning on asking the city council to approve a bill of support as well?

[Deuce]

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.

[JeffreyS]

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.

[Traveller]

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.

[thelakelander]

Good point, Traveller.  The FEC corridor would be a better line for commuter and intercity rail in South Florida.

[heights unknown]

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

[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

[thelakelander]

What burden and load, in regards to enhanced Amtrak service?

[tufsu1]

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)

[thelakelander]

allow 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.

[Ocklawaha]

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

[thelakelander]

ralpho37, that email has been configured to send notices to every council member.

[shanshan1218]

my emails are being sent!