Making Tracks

[jbroadglide]

I just answered my own question. Got this from her website today.

http://www.house.gov/list/press/fl03_brown/pr_090804_commuter_rails.html

[shanshan1218]

I received the same exact email as Ock in regards to the subject. I somewhat felt it was a standard response....funny....

[Charles Hunter]

Who says the convention center has to operate continuously?  If we have an opportunity to bring trains back to Union Terminal, why can't we just go without a CC until the current Court House site can be cleared?  It's not like it is full every week.  Or maybe, move it temporarily out the Equestrian Center.

[Ocklawaha]

I fully agree Charles, 118,000 sq ft +/- is the same size of the old Iveys Store at Regency Square! Wose still the typical Wal-Mart Discount Stores are varying from 51,000 square feet (4738.1 m2) to 224,000 square feet (20810.3 m2), Sort of puts the Prime Osbourne in prospective doesn't it. No wonder the occupancy rate is in the 30% range.

The revived Jacksonville Terminal (stand in front of it, soak it in and see if you can force yourself to say "Jacksonville Transportation Center" NOT!) will be much more of an economic engine then any Convention Center, but even more so if Bay Street Station, streetcars and Skyway connects it to the City and the NEW convention Center and hotels downtown.

Has JTA made any movement toward planning the Skyway as far as the old Court House?  Better get those little center cars and tune up that Monorail... They will soon have a SILVER METEOR to attach their future to!

OCKLAWAHA

[brapt]

THE WHOLE COUNCIL IS ASLEEP Y'ALL! Where is our Glorious? This is a copy of my correspondence with our leadership:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would appear that not every Council Member is asleep.  I got an encouraging response this evening to my request for a Resolution of Support from Councilman Bill Bishop:

Me:
"
Dear City Council and At-Large Members,

It has come to my attention that Amtrak is interested in participating in a project that would revitalize the Florida East Coast Railway, including near-future passenger service on that line.  To my eyes, this project would be a boon for Jacksonville, especially if terminal service were restored Downtown.

As a lifetime Jacksonville resident and Downtown advocate, I am interested in your opinion in this matter.  Would the Council consider joining the 66+ (as of 07-01-09) state businesses, groups and municipalities by adopting a Resolution of Support for this project?
"

Councilman Bishop's response:

"
<brapt>:  I have seen a great deal of traffic about this issue over the past couple of months.  I am a big proponent of rail service and it sounds like this would be a good idea.  It would be great for Jacksonville to be better connected to the rest of the country by train.  I would appreciate it if you could provide me with more details about this effort such as who is advocating it, what is proposed, who is funding it, what would the City's responsibility be (if any), who should a resolution be addressed to, what the impact of this and similar resolutions is expected to be, etc.

Thank you,

Bill

William Bishop, AIA
Council Member, District 2
"

I can speak in generalities to many of his questions, but would defer to some of the expert advice I've grown to appreciate here.  Would the contributors of metrojacksonville.com care to assist in drafting an educated and perhaps more detailed reply?

[thelakelander]

Mr. Bishop already has all the information he needs but give me a minute to answer the questions in your post.

[thelakelander]

Mr. Bishop already has all the information he needs.  Perhaps he did not fully read the original information sent by Metro Jacksonville.  Here you go.

who is advocating it

Amtrak, FDOT and a host of municipalities, planning agencies, transportation authorities and residents who believe in having rail as a viable mobility option in the State of Florida.


what is proposed?

FDOT proposes to partner with Amtrak to implement passenger rail service between Jacksonville and Miami along the Florida East Coast corridor.  This $70 million project will include the creation of eight new train stations between Jacksonville and Miami and increasing FEC's track capacity to allow passenger and freight operations to run along the existing rail corridor.  As a part of the plan, Jacksonville would become a potential hub for Amtrak service entering and leaving the state.


who is funding it

Funding would be provided by an FDOT and Amtrak partnership


what would the City's responsibility be (if any)

Financially, none.  In terms of future local economic development, the city (council, mayor's office, JTA, TPO, etc.) should be lobbying to have Amtrak move back downtown as a part of the plan. Financially, this would move the development of the Jacksonville Transportation Center forward with the use of Amtrak dollars.  In addition, regional and intercity rail operations in downtown will open up the possibility of passengers spending dollars in Jacksonville's downtown core, as well as high paying rail-based support jobs needed to service operations.


who should a resolution be addressed to?

FDOT, Amtrak and JTA.

what the impact of this and similar resolutions is expected to be

The actual funding of an intercity rail line between Jacksonville and Miami. Without support from the public and elected leadership, projects like this could easily be omitted in favor of additional road construction, due to a perceived lack of support.  This plan has been discussed for over a decade but has never made it off the drawing board.  With 66+ municipalities and development groups already on board, having the city council of Florida's largest municipality vocally express their support would be a great lift for finally making this plan reality, which will benefit our community just as much as any other place.

If Mr. Bishop is interested in learning more about this project, here is a link to the official FDOT preapplication.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-jacksonville-to-miami-passenger-rail-returning

[brapt]

^Thank you Lakelander.  I'll reply with this info.  Here is to hoping for a general growing of interest in Mr. Bishop and not just an automated email to me...

[brapt]

A quick update:

I've received responses from 2 other Council Members inquiring about a Resolution of Support. 

Councilman Crescimbeni mentioned that he has already spoken with JTA CEO Michael Blaylock about JTA's own Resolution and asked whether or not the Council should do the same.  He apparently did not get a "yes" or "no" answer, just copies of JTA's Resolutions.  I have offered to follow-up with Mr. Blaylock but have so far been unsuccessful in contacting him.  I'll continue to seek his opinion in this matter through the week.

Councilman Yarborough told me he was not altogether familiar with Amtrak's operations in Jacksonville, but offered to consider such a Resolution should another Council Member propose it.

More interestingly, with thanks to the Lakelander I was able to provide Councilman Bishop with answers to his previous questions regarding our City's Resolution of Support.  He has replied:

"
<brapt>:  Is there suggested resolution language available?  If so, could you send me a copy?  I will get with JTA and get their take on this.  What is the timeline, if any at this point, on this project?  When will funding decisions be made? What kind of time is available to get a resolution passed?  I may be interested in sponsoring such a resolution.
"

Again I feel I should confer with the experts here, and I think clawing our way through every proposal can only help us toward our goal.  My reaction would be to find a copy of JTA's resolution to use as a template, and it seems Mr. Bishop is thinking in a similar direction with respect to his contacting JTA.  I will also do my best to get a word or emailed sentence into Mr. Blaylock at JTA.  As for the remaining questions my response would be something like "time is of the essence" "yesterday," etc.  I'd be excited for Mr. Bishop to sponsor a Resolution that we might convince the remaining Council Members to take a hard look at.

Any thoughts on this?  Can you think of any further detail that might help sell Mr. Bishop in sponsorship of a Resolution?

[JeffreyS]

Good work so far Brapt. There is a resolution Lakelander put together I am sure he will foward to you.

[Lunican]

The resolution can be found here: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jun-st-augustine-backs-rail-project-will-jacksonville

[brapt]

Well, that's embarrassing I didn't find that on my own.  :/

Thank you, Lunican!  And thanks for the props JeffreyS, hopefully we can get something to happen.