Florida high-speed rail

[Lakelander]

Here are direct links to the applications for Florida's three intercity rail projects.

Central Florida Rail Passenger Corridor (Orlando Commuter Rail)
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/...pplication.pdf

Amtrak/Florida East Coast Passenger Service (Jacksonville to Miami)
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/...Amtrak-FEC.pdf

Florida High Speed Rail (Tampa to Orlando, Orlando to Miami)
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/...pplication.pdf

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/economicstimulus/

[jzquince69]

the Tampa-Orlando segment has stations at OIA-OCCC-WDW in the Orlando area, along the 528 easement. That's good.

[Lakelander]

Yeah, its good to see OCCC included. The stretch between OIA and WDW should do very well.

[DWNTWN]

From the Transport Politic:

...The western terminus of the route is acceptable — a station would be constructed in downtown Tampa. The route would then, less suitably, follow I-4 across the state, until it reaches the southern suburbs of Orland0, where the corridor will diverge from I-4 onto the Beachline Expressway to reach the Orlando Airport. Along the way, the line will serve the northern suburbs of Lakeland, the Disney World Complex, and the Orlando/Orange County Convention Center, near Sea World.Not getting stations: downtown Orlando and Lakeland. That’s a huge loss, because it eliminates the possibility of using high-speed rail as an effective development mechanism that can spur dense, mixed-use building. Stations near Disney World and the Convention Center are located in areas that are already mostly built up, but in a sprawled-out fashion....

http://thetransportpolitic.com/2009/...gh-speed-rail/

[jzquince69]

geography prevents HSR from going into downtown Orlando, unless the route to Jax ends up following the I-4 corridor from the OCCC at the 528. Then, downtown could then be the station where the spur goes to OIA and then Miami to the SE.

Either way, that's fine, b/c Sunrail goes through downtown and you could take a connector to HSR near OIA. Orlando isn't like Chicago, where the main tourist attraction and the big convention center are both downtown. There, it's easy: Union Station. In Orlando, you gotta be a little creative to make it work.

Either way, OIA's presence has had a big impact on business development in Orlando- maybe not downtown per se, but Orlando metro nevertheless. Three HSR stations in that corridor will still benefit downtown, Maitland, Heathrow, etc... But they will benefit those areas even more if there is a rail linkup with Sunrail, b/c Sunrail itself was seen as one of those dense development catalysts.

[ALEX V]

That well!!!! A new line of high-speed train for usa i like

[ALEX V]

Here in venezuela there is an ambitious project in this matter if they want to know mas deste project visit the Venezuelan forum railway national system of venezuela..........

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by ALEX V

That well!!!! A new line of high-speed train for usa i like

I think a lot of people are excited and cautious at the same time. I won't believe it until I see the construction begin.

[HARTride 2012]

Same here. In fact, I have to first see who gets the bid. I think it'll be a few more months at least before we see that....

[FloridaFuture]

Originally Posted by DWNTWN

From the Transport Politic:

...The western terminus of the route is acceptable — a station would be constructed in downtown Tampa. The route would then, less suitably, follow I-4 across the state, until it reaches the southern suburbs of Orland0, where the corridor will diverge from I-4 onto the Beachline Expressway to reach the Orlando Airport. Along the way, the line will serve the northern suburbs of Lakeland, the Disney World Complex, and the Orlando/Orange County Convention Center, near Sea World.Not getting stations: downtown Orlando and Lakeland. That’s a huge loss, because it eliminates the possibility of using high-speed rail as an effective development mechanism that can spur dense, mixed-use building. Stations near Disney World and the Convention Center are located in areas that are already mostly built up, but in a sprawled-out fashion....

http://thetransportpolitic.com/2009/...gh-speed-rail/

Wow that plan is ass. I don't want that at all.

Tampa gets slighted because the line connects to Disney, OIA and OCCC and not TIA and TCC (or atleast the Hard Rock Casino), giving the Orlando counterparts the advantage because they can draw from the Tampa market easier then Tampa can draw form the Orlando market.

AND, urban Orlando gets slighted because downtown doesn't even get a stop.

Overall, that is one disaster of plan.

[Jahi98]

If both Tampa and Orlando use this as momentum to get local commuter and/or light rail going, then both would benefit from a labor force and tourist perspective.

[FloridaFuture]

High speed rail should be the backbone and be a good and sustainable plan to begin with. It shouldn't need two totally seperate commuter rail plans in two differnet metros that we'll get who knows when to mop up the problems. That's just a bad system.

Also, it would require less transfers which is just more efficient.

[HARTride 2012]

That's the problem though, we don't have a sustainable plan. Our politicians are too dim-witted to see that. Especially after the whole SunRail snafu.

This is why I believe that Cali will get the HSR line in the very end. I think there's a good 80 to 85% chance this will happen now.

Not just because of this lack of efficient planning, but also I doubt there will be the sufficient support base that we need to really push the plan hard to the Obama Administration. There are simply too many people in Florida (including the old farts) that will find one ridiculous reason or another to oppose HSR.....

[jzquince69]

valid points.

the problem the way I see it is that the backbone needs to be intercity rail in both metros, while HSR simply connects the two.

CA's advantage is that LA's pop is roughly that of Florida's, and SF has at least 6-8M in metro pop. Orlando-Tampa has a substantially lower population base to be served-- unless they are factoring in the tourism aspect as a major portion, which would be huge for the system.

Still, I think that if HSR's first leg was Orlando-Miami, that would surely win the bid, b/c of Disney and b/c of Miami and b/c of the two busiest airports in the state connecting as well.

Orlando-Tampa should've had the initial leg connect to TIA with a stop in downtown Tampa. Then you guarantee a certain percentage of air travelers as HSR patrons.

But, it is what it is...

But remember, this is the first leg, not the ultimate system. If they focus on the ultimate system, which includes the Miami leg, which is a shorter distance to Orlando than SF to LA, then we've got something...

[Jahi98]

Originally Posted by FloridaFuture

High speed rail should be the backbone and be a good and sustainable plan to begin with. It shouldn't need two totally seperate commuter rail plans in two differnet metros that we'll get who knows when to mop up the problems. That's just a bad system.

Also, it would require less transfers which is just more efficient.

The issue is when folks get to Tampa or Orlando, how will they get to where they want to go? Regardless of whether high-spead rail goes to DT Orlando or TIA, it won't attract riders if both metros have poor local transit.

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by Jahi98

The issue is when folks get to Tampa or Orlando, how will they get to where they want to go? Regardless of whether high-spead rail goes to DT Orlando or TIA, it won't attract riders if both metros have poor local transit.

It sounds like both metros need to make provisions to handle that.

[HARTride 2012]

This is what I've been saying all along. Both metros won't have efficient mass transit for another 10 to 15 years, including whatever comes out of commuter or light rail. So in essence, people have nowhere to go once they get off the train. Cali has a plan in place for that, FL does not, so there....

[jesus2000]

SNCF bids on Tampa-Orlando high-speed rail, three other regions; Midwest is bigges

http://www.examiner.com/x-10977-Jack...est-is-biggest

[jesus2000]

Bullet Train might get special session
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/brea...y/1338633.html

[HARTride 2012]

Hurdle cleared in SunRail negotiations

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2...+negotiations+

The liability issue has been at a compromise at last. Now its the funding from the feds that is the next step.