FEC Amtrak Public Workshop this Friday

[thelakelander]

[jbroadglide]

Why do they schedule these public hearings when the majority of the public can't attend?

[Jaxson]

If you cannot make the workshop, I recommend e-mailing your comments to kdelaney@tcrpc.org.  It helps for all of us to make our voices heard - in one way or another!

[jbroadglide]

Thanks Jaxson. I will do just that.

[jbroadglide]

Just sent an e-mail in support of the project to Kim Delaney and recieved a very quick response back saying "thank you for your email and it will be added to the workshop comments."

So thats one small step...

[tufsu1]

its called a form response

[Ocklawaha]

Kim is absolutely amazing, she runs on 10,000 HP and 4wd 24/7/365! Unreal. This project or (HINT! HINT! HINT!) the COJ couldn't ask for a better more entergetic team leader for any future project... like for example the ROYAL PALM ROUTE from (MIA-FTL-WPB-DAB)+(TPA-ORL) {2 way split at JAX for both Florida Coasts} J A C K S O N V I L L E -VALD-MACON-ATL-CHATT-CIN{Hence a 3 way split for}(IND-CHI)+(DAY-LIMA-TOL-DET)+(COL-CLE-ERIE-BUF)... wow.  Oh and that GAINESVILLE or TALLAHASSEE regional rail connection?

We need to get these FEC trains reestablished and then look at some of the details, none of which would hurt to mention.

The woeful lack of planning for sufficient yard and station tracks in Jacksonville Terminal.

PALMETTO THOUGHTS:
The need for additional trains and the FACT that currently Amtraks all daylight "Palmetto" leaves New York for SAVANNAH every day in the morning, and ties up in Georgia in the evening exactly 149 miles short of 1.3 MILLION PASSENGERS. Extend the Palmetto to terminate here and we'll need an additional station track right out of the gate. The next logical step is to scoot the Palmetto schedule so it arrives in JAX around the 11 pm hour and pulls out for MIAMI a tad after midnight, for a 8 am arrival in the Miami terminal. Thus we'd have the first overnight through Florida trains since the 1960's, and the first all "daylight" train to NYC since Hector was a pup. If the Palmetto was split here for Tampa or even Tampa/Ft. Myers/Sarasota it would equal 3 arrivals from the north, 6 departures to the south, 6 arrivals from the south and 3 departures to the north daily.

OTHER MISSING MARKETS:
There is still room for 3 more daily NY-FL trains, with 2 each way between:
NY-DC-Fayetteville-Charleston-Savannah-JAX (1) (Original Atlantic Coast Line - Champion/Palmetto route)
NY-DC-Raleigh-Columbia-Savannah-JAX (old Seaboard route original Silver Meteor/Star routing)
NY-DC-Lynchburg-Charlotte-Columbia-Savannah-JAX (This was never done before due to competing companies but under Amtrak it would be a straight shot and connect the south's rising star markets)

(1) Split section of through train NY-FL running
JAX-SAV-FAY-NORFOLK (Can you spell M I L I T A R Y ?)

JAX-TAL-PEN-MOB-NEW ORLEANS (likely to return)

JAX-ATL-CHAT-KNOX-CIN-(CHI)(DET)(CLE) (Best connected with most destinations between FL-Midwest)

JAX-ATL-CHAT-NASH-LOUISVILLE-CHI (mounting pressure from states to return this train)

JAX-BIRM-MEM-ST.L/CHI (most successful of the old Chicago FL train routes)



OCKLAWAHA

[SightseerLounge]

We need to get these FEC trains reestablished and then look at some of the details, none of which would hurt to mention.

The woeful lack of planning for sufficient yard and station tracks in Jacksonville Terminal.

I thought one of the things that had Amtrak move out of Jax Terminal was the backup move. (even though the Sunset did it @ Clifford Lane and 2 trains do it in Tampa every day) There needs to be some kind of loop, or connection, back to CSX south, north, and west! Yes, first, it is important to get downtown. I don't really care about a backup move as long as the station is downtown. I would like coming in there, but a connection would make things smoother.

PALMETTO THOUGHTS:
Extend the Palmetto to terminate here and we'll need an additional station track right out of the gate. The next logical step is to scoot the Palmetto schedule so it arrives in JAX around the 11 pm hour and pulls out for MIAMI a tad after midnight, for a 8 am arrival in the Miami terminal.

Isn't that what killed Amtrak's Silver Palm/Palmetto: taking it to Miami? (used to love that train)

OTHER MISSING MARKETS:
NY-DC-Lynchburg-Charlotte-Columbia-Savannah-JAX (This was never done before due to competing companies but under Amtrak it would be a straight shot and connect the south's rising star markets)

I know that this has been looked because of Charlotte's big draw and linking major Southern cities.

JAX-TAL-PEN-MOB-NEW ORLEANS (likely to return)

I wish! Rebuild Mobile! Is it possible that the new Stub Sunset can take it to San Antonio?

JAX-ATL-CHAT-KNOX-CIN-(CHI)(DET)(CLE) (Best connected with most destinations between FL-Midwest)

Think Amtrak will go for it?

JAX-ATL-CHAT-NASH-LOUISVILLE-CHI (mounting pressure from states to return this train)

Will there be a City of New Orleans to cover 2 of your last three routes or will they go with this routing?

[thelakelander]

Just a reminder, this is today.

[tufsu1]

I'm sure several regular posters will be there

[jbroadglide]

Hopefully one of them will give us a report on what was said.

[fsujax]

I attended the meeting today. I will leave the details for Lake, Stephen or Ock, but I will say there was a very good attendance. Kim Delaney was very impressed. There was also some lively discussion. I will wait comment from the others.

[thelakelander]

I had to leave before the lively discussion got started so I'm interested to hear what took place.

[Ocklawaha]

I had to leave before the lively discussion got started so I'm interested to hear what took place.

Our own James Boyle, JTA, and Glorious Johnson, City Council (future mayor) let the detailed information session and the passionate pep rally respectively. Two guys named "Stephen" and "Bob" kept rolling hand grenades under the FDOT table.  Mike Miller provided cheap entertainments with a incredibly ill timed, eye rolling question about Amtrak profitability and the terrible burden on the poor tax payer. I counted no less then 32 jaw's hitting the floor, and understand Stephen counted 41. Let's just say if this is the voice of JTA then they would have made GW proud!

More details in the coming article, "THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD AMTRAK DOWN, Staring Mike Miller," don't miss it, or send $136 dollars to OCK at MJ for the DVD. Okay, I'm easy, but I'm not cheap!



OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

I also attended...I would concur with Ock's assessment....athough to be fair, the person from FDOT answered Stephen's question pretty well...it is true that there are those of us that would like to see more transit, but there are still lots of people out there who feel differently....FDOT has to balance that...also, his point that FDOT doesn't set local policy is generally true.