SunRail

[JFW657]

The closest to Michigan would be ORMC, which isn't terribly far for that district.

 

Michigan needs a stop.

 

At least SoDo anyway!!!!

 

ORMC is way too far to walk & the traffic on Orange is too clogged for a trolley or whatever.

[Captain.Metro]

Michigan needs a stop.

 

At least SoDo anyway!!!!

 

ORMC is way too far to walk & the traffic on Orange is too clogged for a trolley or whatever.

That is frustrating, but this is commuter rail and is designed to work with intermodal transport options. Being that there is no connectivity other than LYNX or taxi, I see your point. I would encourage you to push for the N/S Lymmo extension. There are viable options to connect ORMC Station with Michigan if you consider repurposing the industrial areas in between.

[Jernigan]

Yea if you are at Michigan and Orange, why would you take a train to downtown aside from the cool factor?

Between the 3, 8, 11, 18 and 40 you can pretty much stand at Orange outside the Starbucks at Crystal Lake and catch a bus within 8-10 minutes. That's a pretty awesome situation to be in in any city, let alone one as young as Orlando!

[Captain.Metro]

Yea if you are at Michigan and Orange, why would you take a train to downtown aside from the cool factor?

Between the 3, 8, 11, 18 and 40 you can pretty much stand at Orange outside the Starbucks at Crystal Lake and catch a bus within 8-10 minutes. That's a pretty awesome situation to be in in any city, let alone one as young as Orlando!

The 11 is a very underutilized line. I have a car and live in Thornton Park (Eola Square) and walk to Orange to take the 11 to the airport. Once the E/W Lymmo begins services, I'm hoping more downtown dwellers realize the use of Lynx without the stigma.

[JFW657]

Yea if you are at Michigan and Orange, why would you take a train to downtown aside from the cool factor?

Between the 3, 8, 11, 18 and 40 you can pretty much stand at Orange outside the Starbucks at Crystal Lake and catch a bus within 8-10 minutes. That's a pretty awesome situation to be in in any city, let alone one as young as Orlando!

 

Well, you might not be going to downtown, or you may have ridden in from WP or Altamonte, etc. & wish to go shopping at SoDo or one of the other fine retail establishments in or around the intersection of O&M.

 

[smileguy]

I took a few photos of the Church Street platform covers going up today. 

 

[prahaboheme]

Thanks for the photo update!

[demon]

Yea if you are at Michigan and Orange, why would you take a train to downtown aside from the cool factor?

Between the 3, 8, 11, 18 and 40 you can pretty much stand at Orange outside the Starbucks at Crystal Lake and catch a bus within 8-10 minutes. That's a pretty awesome situation to be in in any city, let alone one as young as Orlando!

I agree with you. I'll play devil's advocate and say it would be easier to bring a bike downtown on the train VS the bus, and SunRail would have Wi-Fi.

The 11 is a very underutilized line. I have a car and live in Thornton Park (Eola Square) and walk to Orange to take the 11 to the airport. Once the E/W Lymmo begins services, I'm hoping more downtown dwellers realize the use of Lynx without the stigma.

Totally agree. I live on South St and would pretty much refuse to drive to the airport when I can walk a block & catch the 11 or the 51. 

[JFW657]

I agree with you. I'll play devil's advocate and say it would be easier to bring a bike downtown on the train VS the bus, and SunRail would have Wi-Fi.

I dunno. If I was a middle aged woman who lived in WP or AS & I wanted to visit SoDo, I don't think I'd be too keen on the idea of getting off downtown & riding a bike.

Especially on a hot or rainy day.

[Captain.Metro]

I dunno. If I was a middle aged woman who lived in WP or AS & I wanted to visit SoDo, I don't think I'd be too keen on the idea of getting off downtown & riding a bike.

Especially on a hot or rainy day.

True. Weather always plays a factor in a city with public transit. In this case, she would take a taxi from the station, or in the future take LYMMO. Plus, other than an orthopedic center or to visit someone in The Lofts at SODO, SODO isn't particularly a destination. Edited June 1, 2013 by Captain.Metro

[JFW657]

SoDo is not a destination? I wonder what the people who go there refer to it as, then. And I wonder if the people who run the Super Target or any of the other retail & restaurant establishments there feel that they are not a destination. I can see somebody living in WP or Maitland wanting to hop on the train & take a quick CONVENIENT jaunt down to Target or the new Walmart Market at O&M, without having to call, then wait for, then fork over more money for a cab just to go another half mile when they should just be able to hop off & walk a block or so.

I'm betting that before too long, there will be a stop added in that vicinity.

[Captain.Metro]

SoDo is not a destination? I wonder what the people who go there refer to it as, then. And I wonder if the people who run the Super Target or any of the other retail & restaurant establishments there feel that they are not a destination. I can see somebody living in WP or Maitland wanting to hop on the train & take a quick CONVENIENT jaunt down to Target or the new Walmart Market at O&M, without having to call, then wait for, then fork over more money for a cab just to go another half mile when they should just be able to hop off & walk a block or so.

I'm betting that before too long, there will be a stop added in that vicinity.

If someone is living in Altamonte Springs, it's very unlikely they would want to journey to the Super Target in SODO when there are other Target Stores closer, with groceries. One wouldn't take SunRail with perishables. 24 Hour Fitness may be another "destination" stretch. Let's be honest, most of the businesses (retail and restaurant) surrounding SODO are intended to serve the community within a 5 mile radius. I doubt they advertise to the residents of Altamonte Springs or even Maitland.

Also, we need to remember this is a commuter rail line. I don't know a commuter rail line in any other city I've experienced (internatioonally and domestic) that would have so many stops near each other. It's up to the community to voice intermodal connections for the surrounding areas. I'm hearing you, I just don't think commuter rail is the answer to this area.

[Jernigan]

Captain nailed it. I'm confident that I'm not offending all the other Central Florida gyms and grocery stores because I do shop at the SoDo Target.

Ill probably never go to that possible Fashion Square Target, but if I did, I don't think that that behavior would warrant a rail line - especially when there are bus routes serving it already.

[JFW657]

Sure, there are Targets in & around Altamonte if you want to get in your car & fight the traffic to drive to them. I thought the whole idea of having a rail line was to get people out of their cars. One of the ways you do that is by giving them as many reasons as possible to ride on your shiny new train. Who cares why or if you're a daily commuter or someone looking to do their shopping without fighting traffic.

Also, who says the area around SoDo has to stay as it is? Seems to me that if you want to see SoDo grow into something more than what it is now, you should provide developers & potential businesses with an incentive to expand the surrounding area. There is a lot of prime real estate on the north & south sides of SoDo that could be turned into new upscale residential & mixed use developments.

I just think that having a train stopping there would go a long way towards encouraging that.

[JFW657]

Ill probably never go to that possible Fashion Square Target, but if I did, I don't think that that behavior would warrant a rail line - especially when there are bus routes serving it already.

No, of course it wouldn't, but then again, we were talking about a stop on a rail line that's already going to be in existence as opposed to building an entire new one just to go to Fashion Square.

Because that would be an absurd notion, wouldn't it?

Yes, of course it would.

[popsiclebrandon]

Now if they wanted to put a stop right outside the brewery then I would have a reason to go to that part of town.

[smileguy]

Now if they wanted to put a stop right outside the brewery then I would have a reason to go to that part of town.

 

 There is a stop right outside the brewery - the brewery just needs to open their back fence and it'll be right on the platform.

[Jernigan]

O&M makes sense for a premium transit stop but just not commuter rail. If you add too many stops there's no way people will take it from the burbs into downtown. Each stop adds time. People want to get to work, not transfer unwillingly on to a light rail type system.

If you have gone to major cities, you have probably ridden some sort of rail around the downtown. That city also likely had a commuter rail that you barely saw or rode.

LYMMO will likely be that downtown get-around mode for us. It needs more dedicated lanes but its a start. If someone is really willing to go from Altamonte to SoDo in the first place, a free transfer from SunRail to LYMMO at LYNX Station or Orlando Health won't be a dealbreaker. Plus, it will get them closer to the action (LYMMO stops planned for Orange and Grant and the Market at Southside) than SunRail would (back on the tracks)

[JFW657]

If they do utilize LYMMO or some other type of shuttle to SoDo & MaS, they'd probably be better off taking Division rather than Orange. At certain points during the day, Orange is so clogged with traffic walking would almost be faster.

[orlandoguy]

O&M makes sense for a premium transit stop but just not commuter rail. If you add too many stops there's no way people will take it from the burbs into downtown. Each stop adds time. People want to get to work, not transfer unwillingly on to a light rail type system.

If you have gone to major cities, you have probably ridden some sort of rail around the downtown. That city also likely had a commuter rail that you barely saw or rode.

LYMMO will likely be that downtown get-around mode for us. It needs more dedicated lanes but its a start. If someone is really willing to go from Altamonte to SoDo in the first place, a free transfer from SunRail to LYMMO at LYNX Station or Orlando Health won't be a dealbreaker. Plus, it will get them closer to the action (LYMMO stops planned for Orange and Grant and the Market at Southside) than SunRail would (back on the tracks)

This explains it perfectly ... Well said.

[klstorey]

These emails were sent out to businesses and churches along the 441 corridor today...

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Subject:       Scoping Meeting

                        US 441 Corridor Study from Downtown Orlando to the City of Eustis

Orange and Lake Counties, Florida

                 Financial Project Numbers:  429214-1-12-01, 429214-1-12-02, 429214-1-12-03, 429214-1-12-04, 429214-1-12-05, 429214-2-12-01, 429214-2-12-02,

                                                                               429214-2-12-03, 429214-2-12-04

 

 

Dear Stakeholder:

 

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting the US 441 Corridor Study between Orlando and Eustis in Lake County. This letter is an invitation for your organization to attend a Scoping Meeting for this project.  The details of this meeting are as follows:

 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 

City of Apopka

City Hall, Council Chambers

120 East Main Street, 1st Floor

Apopka, FL  32703

 

This early scoping meeting is intended to invite comments on the US 441 Corridor Study. Agency and public comments are being sought on the study scope, as well as any factors that the public and agencies believe should be considered in analyzing alternatives for this project, including:

 

·         Purpose and need;

·         Transportation issues to be addressed;

·         Range of alternatives;

·         Transportation and community impacts and benefits; and,

·         Capital and operation costs.

 

The US 441 Corridor Study will evaluate options for providing transit service between the major activity centers in the study area and connectivity with the SunRail project, and develop information that will result in a recommended alternative to be adopted by MetroPlan Orlando and the Lake~Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (LSMPO).  The analysis will assess community consensus and the financial and policy support of the transit improvement alternative determined to best meet the current and future needs of a connector from downtown Orlando to the cities of Tavares, Eustis and Mount Dora in Lake County.

 

The early scoping process supports FTA planning requirements associated with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21) New Starts program (Rule [49 USC 5309 – New Starts Criteria]). This process is necessary to obtain approval from the FTA so the chosen transit alternative(s) may quickly proceed into the next phase of project development and be eligible for Federal funding. If the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is warranted following the completion of the US 441 Corridor Study, a notice of intent to prepare an EIS will be published.

 

This formal scoping meeting is necessary to aid the Department (FDOT) in project development and to increase inter-agency awareness of concerns. An agenda and project location map are attached to assist you in preparing for this meeting and outlining potential issues.  If you have any questions prior to the meeting, please contact Michael Carragher, P.E., Consultant Project Manager in writing at 225 East Robinson Street, Suite 300, Orlando, Florida, 32801, by telephone at (407) 839-4006, or by email at [email protected].

 

Your organization’s participation and cooperation in this preliminary issues identification effort is encouraged.  Please contact Ginger Corless, Public Involvement Coordinator at (407) 657-9210 or by email at [email protected] by June 20, 2013 if your organization is planning to attend this meeting.

 

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.  Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or persons who require translation services, free of charge, should contact: Ginger Corless, Public Involvement Coordinator, at (407) 657-9210 or by email at [email protected] at least (7) seven days prior to the meeting.

 

 

                                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                     

 

                                                                                                                John Zielinski

                                                                                                               FDOT Project Manager                                                 

[JFW657]

 

Downtown Steve, on 04 Jun 2013 - 09:08 AM, said:

 

O&M makes sense for a premium transit stop but just not commuter rail. If you add too many stops there's no way people will take it from the burbs into downtown. Each stop adds time. People want to get to work, not transfer unwillingly on to a light rail type system.

If you have gone to major cities, you have probably ridden some sort of rail around the downtown. That city also likely had a commuter rail that you barely saw or rode.

LYMMO will likely be that downtown get-around mode for us. It needs more dedicated lanes but its a start. If someone is really willing to go from Altamonte to SoDo in the first place, a free transfer from SunRail to LYMMO at LYNX Station or Orlando Health won't be a dealbreaker. Plus, it will get them closer to the action (LYMMO stops planned for Orange and Grant and the Market at Southside) than SunRail would (back on the tracks)

 

 

 

This explains it perfectly ... Well said.

 

Well, not to belabor the point but......

 

Let's keep in mind here that we're only talking about one stop, not one on every block. What would that add to a morning commute.... 5 minutes?

 

And.... all those apartments/condos at SoDo & all the potential new ones close by, with all those residents who could really utilize the system?

 

I think that they probably didn't include a stop there in order to keep the initial cost down & that we'll likely see one there before too long.

 

[XpressEnterprise]

What do you guys think will be the largest development around the stops? I know Florida Hospital has an expansive plans, but do you think any of the stops will be "completely" changed from what it once was. For instance maybe the Rida development will be a premier shopping district and finally bring retail to downtown. 

[JFW657]

What do you guys think will be the largest development around the stops? I know Florida Hospital has an expansive plans, but do you think any of the stops will be "completely" changed from what it once was. For instance maybe the Rida development will be a premier shopping district and finally bring retail to downtown.

Re: Rida, I know they have some retail planned for that development, but how "premier" it will be is anybody's guess.

I said a few posts back that I think SoDo would be a prime spot to reap the benefits of being right smack dab on the rail line. The tracks run so close to the back of Target, they could literally build an entrance there where passengers could step off the train & be inside the store.

And of course there's all that land to the north & south just sitting there waiting to be turned into anything imaginable.

Can't really imagine much going on farther south round Oak Ridge, though.

Maybe a couple of new restaurants?

A convenience store posibly?

[jgardnerucf]

When McDonald's remodels their south orange ave./SunRail location upcoming, you can ride it allllllllllll the way down and get yo' self a happy meal. hahahahahah

Or get a grand slam at Denny's. hahahahahah

 

What makes me ask the question in the wrong category... Why isn't there a Wawa on the corner of Sand Lake and Orange ave in the old chevron location, adjacent to the mighty oak trees and Wendy's?