SunRail

[IAmFloridaBorn]

15 minutes ago, Naqiy90 said:

https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/ntd-data

The FTA released their monthly update of transit ridership for August, the first month the southern expansion was open. Sunrail ridership increased 70% from ~80k to 135k, which is 5850 riders daily. I believe this exceeds official projections for the new stations which was ~1700 new riders, while this shows an increase of approximately 2300 new riders daily. A good start, but we need weekend and late night service and to get the northern and airport extension finished! Get 'er done Orlando! 

We need another complimenting rail like connecting the east west destinations. Once his happens watch ridership increase even more. 

 

Until this happens sunrail is cool as it is if they could tinue to add places to live and work within two miles of sunrail stations. 

[jrs2]

15 hours ago, Naqiy90 said:

https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/ntd-data

The FTA released their monthly update of transit ridership for August, the first month the southern expansion was open. Sunrail ridership increased 70% from ~80k to 135k, which is 5850 riders daily. I believe this exceeds official projections for the new stations which was ~1700 new riders, while this shows an increase of approximately 2300 new riders daily. A good start, but we need weekend and late night service and to get the northern and airport extension finished! Get 'er done Orlando! 

That's fantastic!  

[Urban Mail Carrier]

https://bungalower.com/2018/10/10/packing-district-updates-more-more-more/

I realize that the packing district is old news. Exciting! But I wonder from all of this new construction in the near future, if there is any plans or considerations to accommodate the proposed OBX train station at college park.

[HankStrong]

Another rocket scientist takes on a train.

https://www.wesh.com/article/sunrail-train-hits-pickup-in-orange-county/25004225

Worst game of chicken ever!

[codypet]

My coworker was on the train.  She said the driver was able to jump out but that she said she had nowhere to go.   I'm completely astonished how hard it is for people to understand that they shouldn't stop on the tracks.

[spenser1058]

A look back at 2018’s SunRail expansion by Ennis Davis, AICP:

https://www.moderncities.com/article/2018-jul-central-floridas-sunrail-commuter-rail-system-expands

From Modern Cities

[jgardnerucf]

Today would be a fun day to take a train ride either direction. Oh, wait; nope, lame!

[spenser1058]

12 minutes ago, jgardnerucf said:

Today would be a fun day to take a train ride either direction. Oh, wait; nope, lame!

From YouTube 

[Jernigan]

On 1/1/2019 at 10:22 AM, jgardnerucf said:

Today would be a fun day to take a train ride either direction. Oh, wait; nope, lame!

 I-4 was a breeze yesterday.   I took it to Maitland to watch the UCF game at a viewing party and even with the bowl game in Orlando I had no problem getting there and back.   

[orange87]

Here's the construction progress of the Integra luxury apartments in The Junction (formerly called DeBary Town Center) near the DeBary Sunrail Station. What you see in the picture used to be dense forest all the way up to the sidewalk. This all started several weeks ago.

[jrs2]

^^

"...used to be "dense forest"...

 

[spenser1058]

20 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

^^

"...used to be "dense forest"...

 

Where the dense people used to live?

[jrs2]

9 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Where the dense people used to live?

I sense an impending Lord of the Rings 2 type of tree revolt befalling us soon...

[HankStrong]

14 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Where the dense people used to live?

 

[AmIReal]

SunRail at 5: Ridership for commuter train is growing, but will it ever run to DeLand? A very god article posted in the Daytona N-J.

"SunRail in the current fiscal year has already topped a record 1 million riders and projects to a 78-percent increase over 2018..." 

"DeBary was part of the first phase and has proven to be SunRail’s third-busiest station in the first five years. Only two downtown Orlando stations, Lynx Central and Church Street, have had more passengers."

"The DeBary SunRail station hasn’t generated new transit-oriented development as rapidly as some of the other stations, but a major piece is now coming out of the ground. The Integra Land Company is developing Integra 289 Exchange, a complex featuring 289 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, a clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool and walking trail on a 17-acre site between the train station and Gemini Springs Park. The apartments are projected to be completed by late summer 2020. The Junction, another planned development near the station, will bring homes, commercial development and a grocery store to the corner of U.S. 17-92 and Dirksen Drive, while Rivington, a 700-home development within a half-mile west of the SunRail station, is moving closer to turning dirt, said DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez. Without a SunRail station, DeLand remains without new development, in contrast to the three new stations in Osceola County." where "In all, within a half-mile of the SunRail stop, there is already $412 million in new investment creating 775 permanent jobs."

Regardless, "Volusia County... isn’t pushing for a solution to the missing DeLand funding."

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190525/sunrail-at-5-ridership-for-commuter-train-is-growing-but-will-it-ever-run-to-deland

I am cross posting this in the "Orlando Extended Metro developments Volusia/Brevard/east Polk" thread.

[aent]

3 hours ago, AmIReal said:

SunRail at 5: Ridership for commuter train is growing, but will it ever run to DeLand? A very god article posted in the Daytona N-J.

"SunRail in the current fiscal year has already topped a record 1 million riders and projects to a 78-percent increase over 2018..." 

"DeBary was part of the first phase and has proven to be SunRail’s third-busiest station in the first five years. Only two downtown Orlando stations, Lynx Central and Church Street, have had more passengers."

"The DeBary SunRail station hasn’t generated new transit-oriented development as rapidly as some of the other stations, but a major piece is now coming out of the ground. The Integra Land Company is developing Integra 289 Exchange, a complex featuring 289 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, a clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool and walking trail on a 17-acre site between the train station and Gemini Springs Park. The apartments are projected to be completed by late summer 2020. The Junction, another planned development near the station, will bring homes, commercial development and a grocery store to the corner of U.S. 17-92 and Dirksen Drive, while Rivington, a 700-home development within a half-mile west of the SunRail station, is moving closer to turning dirt, said DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez. Without a SunRail station, DeLand remains without new development, in contrast to the three new stations in Osceola County." where "In all, within a half-mile of the SunRail stop, there is already $412 million in new investment creating 775 permanent jobs."

Regardless, "Volusia County... isn’t pushing for a solution to the missing DeLand funding."

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190525/sunrail-at-5-ridership-for-commuter-train-is-growing-but-will-it-ever-run-to-deland

I am cross posting this in the "Orlando Extended Metro developments Volusia/Brevard/east Polk" thread.

I thought Volousia, at some point, wanted to extend it to the  beach, to try to push itself to become Orlando's beach? Is that completely dead now?

[Jernigan]

I don’t think any significant studies have been done on anything further than Deland.   As far as Deland, it was one-upped by the claims of urgency to get it to the airport and now it looks like political will is looking towards Polk.   I agree that’s better but Volusia has a right to be upset and want nothing to do with the train.

 

[Urban Mail Carrier]

Spoke with Congressman Mica some years back and he said the reason Deland was not able to get their train station was because they dragged their feet. Something about getting signatures in by a certain drop dead day and they submitted these signatures the following day. This article just confirmed his story.  The story reads that their was always ambiguity from Volusia County. 

[prahaboheme]

8 hours ago, aent said:

I thought Volousia, at some point, wanted to extend it to the  beach, to try to push itself to become Orlando's beach? Is that completely dead now?

I’ve never heard that theory.

That being said, I do often wonder why the Volusia and Brevard beaches seemingly dwindle in their status quo (while in close proximity to Orlando) whereas other beaches in the state continue to invest in themselves.

[Urban Mail Carrier]

About 3 years back I  was delivering  mail to him when I decided to pick his brain. I thanked and congratulated him for Sunrail. We started talking about Volusia County since at the time I lived in Orange City. He sighed and shook his head about them. Then he told me the story of how certain politicians, without naming ppl, waffled and dragged their feet. They were indecisive. I found it curious how they feel like the red headed stepchild but in reality it’s their own doing. It seems like the Deland city officials are very much on board while the Volusia County officials were the ones that put them in todays predicament. At the time Ron DeSantis was their representative and I’m sure he had something to with this. It was not a secret that he didn’t want Sunrail. 

Edited May 27, 2019 by Urban Mail Carrier

[Jernigan]

I understand there’s plenty of blame to go around.  Volusia/FDOT was set to go after a TIGER grant for Deland and everyone decided to rally around the US192 BRT project and told Volusia to be a team player and not submit a competing grant application.

[Urban Mail Carrier]

54 minutes ago, Jernigan said:

I understand there’s plenty of blame to go around.  Volusia/FDOT was set to go after a TIGER grant for Deland and everyone decided to rally around the US192 BRT project and told Volusia to be a team player and not submit a competing grant application.

Hey I don’t know. But that county seems behind on everything. I lived there for some 6 yrs and I could see the contrasts. It seems like they relunctly go along with the other 4 counties because they see that they are falling behind, but not because they want to. Sunrail being a prime example.

[Jernigan]

If I ruled the world, West Volusia would be Seminole County and east Polk would be Osceola.  And Lake would be a part of LYNX.   Would solve a lot of interlocal issues.

[Naqiy90]

7 hours ago, Jernigan said:

If I ruled the world, West Volusia would be Seminole County and east Polk would be Osceola.  And Lake would be a part of LYNX.   Would solve a lot of interlocal issues.

Lake  definitely needs to be part of LYNX, the money they spend on running their own system is more than Osceloa and Seminole's contribution to LYNX, so likely they would save money by joining and have a much better system as well. I made this comment at a county commissioner meeting one time and one commissioner said he was more interested in disbanding LakeXpress and subsidizing Uber instead -_-. I think Commuter Rail would be great to Lake too, Mount Dora would be a big tourist attraction. Also in regards to the comment you made about US192 BRT, was a grant ever submitted for that project, because I haven't seen anything about it in a while, It would be a great project for that corridor.

[Naqiy90]

On 5/26/2019 at 10:15 PM, Jernigan said:

I don’t think any significant studies have been done on anything further than Deland.   As far as Deland, it was one-upped by the claims of urgency to get it to the airport and now it looks like political will is looking towards Polk.   I agree that’s better but Volusia has a right to be upset and want nothing to do with the train.

 

One advantage Lakeland has over Deland is it's much bigger and the station is in the heart of downtown, while the Deland station would have been been several miles outside of downtown. I still think Volusia should do it along with a station in Orange City, but there doesn't seem to the political will on Volusia's behalf. The Debary station still has the 4th highest ridership after Church Street, LynxCentral and Winter Park and has lots of development planned around the station, so Volusia is definitely benefiting from it.