SunRail

[prahaboheme]

Looks like Obama is going to award Florida stimulus morning for HSR on Thursday!

[JFW657]

Looks like Obama is going to award Florida stimulus morning for HSR on Thursday!

He just confirmed it during the State of the Union speech.

[shardoon]

He just confirmed it during the State of the Union speech.

its only going to be for 1.3 billion. that leaves us with only a little over 35 % funding in place.

[Jill1]

Any ideas on how to come up with the other half of the funding? We barely have enough to cover the $615 million cost of Sunrail. I don't know how they can expect Tampa and Orlando to come up with another $1.35 billion for high speed rail. I doubt the State is going to pitch in. They don't have any money left in the budget. Plus, this will only benefit Tampa and Orlando so I doubt other counties in Florida will want to pay anything for this.

[shardoon]

Any ideas on how to come up with the other half of the funding? We barely have enough to cover the $615 million cost of Sunrail. I don't know how they can expect Tampa and Orlando to come up with another $1.35 billion for high speed rail. I doubt the State is going to pitch in. They don't have any money left in the budget. Plus, this will only benefit Tampa and Orlando so I doubt other counties in Florida will want to pay anything for this.

i think this is kind of a down payment. obama is going to slip another $5 billion to congress in the next fiscal year to continue to fund these projects. i really hope down the road the money doesnt fizzle away and they spend all the down payment money on engineering and design. this would leave us with nothing. however, im afraid that if they decide to work on this in phases and claim that they will work on the rest when they get the extra funding.... we all know how that always turns out. i dont want to be a pessimist here, but im scared that the only thing we might end up with is a tourist train from the airport to I drive and disney.

Edited January 28, 2010 by shardoon

[bic]

I find it funny that there's more talk about restaurants on this forum now than there is about the two new rail lines that were just approved for Orlando. Oh well, here's a graphic by the Sentinel showing the future of Central Florida rail:

[uncreativeusername]

I find it funny that there's more talk about restaurants on this forum now than there is about the two new rail lines that were just approved for Orlando. Oh well, here's a graphic by the Sentinel showing the future of Central Florida rail:

Well, I don't make a habit of counting on the Sentinel for accuracy, but I am somewhat reassured to see that the infographic is showing the HSR following a 528 to I-4 route, instead of the 417 to I-4 route. If HSR and SunRail connect (which they really have to for me not to write Florida off completely) it really needs to be at Sand Lake and Orange, and not down south of the Airport.

[cwetteland]

Well, I don't make a habit of counting on the Sentinel for accuracy, but I am somewhat reassured to see that the infographic is showing the HSR following a 528 to I-4 route, instead of the 417 to I-4 route. If HSR and SunRail connect (which they really have to for me not to write Florida off completely) it really needs to be at Sand Lake and Orange, and not down south of the Airport.

The Convention Center has been a HSR stop for a long time, ruling out 417. Nothing new here. But no, HSR and SunRail do not connect. They cross, but don't share a common station. If you're coming from downtown on SunRail and want to go to Tampa. You get off at Sand Lake Road Station and take a bus to the Convention Center (or the Airport) to get on HSR.

[prahaboheme]

SunRail purchasing trains: Orlando Sentinel

[prahaboheme]

More information on plans for the commuter rail stations: Orlando Sentinel Article

[Jernigan]

The pics/descriptions online don't even come close to doing it justice. The transit-orientated developments that will go up around most of the SunRail stations will be amazing! I searched all over the internet and can't find the plans I saw for Longwood - but it was really great. Florida Hospital's is also very impressive....this link is a few years old but give you an "idea" - the actual thing is going to be even better. They really get it over there.

Florida Hospital's Health Village

[prahaboheme]

I'd love to see some of these plans -- especially Longwood! Florida Hospital's long range plan is quite extensive.

[Jernigan]

It might be worth renaming this thread (or creating a new one) for Central Florida Public Transportation. There will be light rail systems, probable expansion on the LYMMO service and carsharing all coming in and around downtown Orlando in the coming years with developments happening in the immediate future.

[bic]

It might be worth renaming this thread (or creating a new one) for Central Florida Public Transportation.

I'm for it but I feel like even the local mods have abandoned this forum.

[prahaboheme]

It's a shame, really, considering how active this forum was in the past. I still prefer this forum to the others out there, and it would be nice to have moderator representation again.

[uncreativeusername]

It's a shame, really, considering how active this forum was in the past. I still prefer this forum to the others out there, and it would be nice to have moderator representation again.

Agreed, this is still the best forum out there. I think the relative activity on here even during this economic slump shows what a remaining interest there is in Orlando's development - look at any other city forum in the state, and it's completely dead by comparison. What gives you folks the idea that there is no moderator representation on here anymore?

[bic]

Agreed, this is still the best forum out there. I think the relative activity on here even during this economic slump shows what a remaining interest there is in Orlando's development - look at any other city forum in the state, and it's completely dead by comparison.

True, but Miami has a strong following on the SkyScraper City forum. Orlando is fairly dead over there too aside from some of the cross-posting between SSC and UP.

What gives you folks the idea that there is no moderator representation on here anymore?

For one thing, the last time our local moderator "sunshine" logged in to the forum was 3 weeks ago.

[prahaboheme]

Can one of us take over moderation? Perhaps that'll help us to reorganize a bit and strengthen or numbers.

[spenser1058]

True, but Miami has a strong following on the SkyScraper City forum. Orlando is fairly dead over there too aside from some of the cross-posting between SSC and UP.

For one thing, the last time our local moderator "sunshine" logged in to the forum was 3 weeks ago.

Sunshine does not seem to have been very active lately - I wonder if co-moderators are allowed if he has other pressing things keeping him away from the forum? I have been a little surprised over time in that I thought UP would be a little different from SSC in going deeper into political, cultural and other parts of the urban environment, and there have been some awesome discussions along those lines. It seems, however, that once the building boom ended, we lost those whose primary interest was in the latest buildings going up. Of course, there's plenty of room for both, and I hope that as things start picking up again, those folks will come back. Meanwhile, I continue to learn a lot from the think pieces folks like cloudship and praha do, as well as our other regulars like bic. I guess the way to keep the thread active is to make sure and keep contributing myself. I shall try to do so (for those who have suggested my thoughts are a little too lengthy for the format, sorry about that).

[i_cre8]

FDOT and Amtrak still bickering according to the Sentinel:

article

[prahaboheme]

How is this possible? Why is Amtrak given so much leverage in Central Florida? This was approved fair and square, they just need to move forward with this.

Edited August 19, 2010 by prahaboheme

[Jernigan]

Orlando Sentinel: Rally Touts SunRail, but Winter Park wants more wiggle room

WFTV: Winter Park Agrees to SunRail, Can Bail Later

[prahaboheme]

This is by far the most self righteous, indulgent city in Florida:

"Commissioners also included language to give Winter Park the right to move the location of its commuter-rail stop if the city experiences any "adverse impacts," such as increased congestion or crime downtown or a drop in local business.

Commissioner Carolyn Cooper, one of the amendment proponents, argued that the city should be as prepared as possible for any changes commuter rail could bring to Winter Park.

'We have an incredible city here, and we have the stop on the line that right now is going to be the most attractive,' Cooper said."

What a ridiculous statement -- there is not correlation between crime and commuter rail, whereas, there is a correlation between increased business (not decreased) and commuter rail.

Winter Park is indeed a beautiful city, but I know of plenty that are as beautiful, or more so, and are serviced by commuter trains, traveling right through their respective centers. For starters: Newton, Wellesley, Hingham, Winchester, Beverly, MA; Bronxville, Westchester, NY; Villanova, PA.

I'm so irritated by this small mindedness. It's a comprehensive plan, it's the best, most direct route of any commuter train in the state of Florida (or will be) and needs the full cooperation of all involved. Of course, once it gets started, Winter Park will never look back and will likely be taking all the credit for the success of the line. And while Winter Park may have the most beautiful stop on the line right now, many of the other station plans are promising.

[Jernigan]

I like one of the comments posted in the Sentinel article. I was thinking along the same lines. If you don't want the train at all, I can see that viewpoint (though I disagree) but to have the viewpoint that the train should just whiz on by past Winter Park giving all of the negative results with none of the positives is mindboggling.

It's really crazy how cities up and down the railline are getting so excited - with Longwood probably being one of the most visionary - getting their transit-orientated development squared away....and here is Winter Park. The stop that has the most to gain outside of Downtown from the get-go...and they just don't get it.

[prahaboheme]

Are Longwood's station plans available? I cannot locate anything.