SunRail

[codypet]

Florida Mall not a huge travel destination? When I was getting prepared for my trip to Brazil I went there to practice my Portuguese. Busload after busload, big spenders in club cars. Not just Brazilians, but Brits, Euros, Asians, you name it.

Like I said....not at 8am.

[codypet]

So I had a bad case of the flu this weekend, and decided since I wasn't 100% back to health, I'd take some photos around town and remembered WP Amtrak had its opening.   I shot some video and took pics (pics will follow)

 

Ticket Machine

http://youtu.be/M23wkjq_NLM

 

Mayor of WP speech

http://youtu.be/eIbyzuRRjz0

 

Tour of the inside

http://youtu.be/Xu18yhcuq4Y

 

Police officer I talked to said they enforce the Park Ave area pretty regularly, and don't expect to change that.  They're not worried about crime other than an extra drunk person here or there.   Seemed really excited about it though.  One Sunrail attendant told me when I asked her about the tap on, tap off, what keeps you from buying a ticket and just jumping on and not tapping, she said "really nothing".  I suspect they'll fix it.   You'll see in the first video the gentleman explain attendants will be onboard checking passes.  They have 4 locos being tested right now and most will have 2 coaches......at least at first.

Edited March 3, 2014 by codypet

[Jernigan]

I've never understood the crime argument from cynics. Aside from the obvious fact that a train would make a terrible getaway vehicle, if the assumption is that transit dependent hooligans will now have a new way to get around - its not like Winter Park doesn't already have direct and frequent access from LYNX Central Station and other areas. It's not like they are giving a bus the gate key into Isleworth

[jrs2]

^^

back when  Sunrail train first rolled into WP about 3 years back or so, a local started talking to me about Sunrail- at first I thought she was for it.  Then I realized that she wasn't when she began talking about a certain element that might come into WP; a similar element such as that which the VCC campus had brought in.  When I heard that, I was like...are you F'ing kidding me?  I didn't know what to say.

 

^^

The occupation of CFLA by Sunrail is progressing. I was at the Ivanhoe & Orange Ave intersection between 8:30am and 9am and I saw two Sunrail trains rolling down the track in opposite directions; first time I had seen that so far.

[John Hargrove]

^^

back when  Sunrail train first rolled into WP about 3 years back or so, a local started talking to me about Sunrail- at first I thought she was for it.  Then I realized that she wasn't when she began talking about a certain element that might come into WP; a similar element such as that which the VCC campus had brought in.  When I heard that, I was like...are you F'ing kidding me?  I didn't know what to say.

 

^^

The occupation of CFLA by Sunrail is progressing. I was at the Ivanhoe & Orange Ave intersection between 8:30am and 9am and I saw two Sunrail trains rolling down the track in opposite directions; first time I had seen that so far.

 

My apartment in 55 West has a good view of the north stretch of rail. I can hear the Sunrail trains going by once or twice an hour for the last month or so. I love seeing them. 

 

Also, OBJ article today:

 

SunRail’s Phase 2 gets $63M in Obama’s 2015 budget

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2014/03/sunrails-phase-ii-gets-63m-in.html

 

A budget I'm sure that will never see the light of day with this congress. Oh well. 

Edited March 4, 2014 by castorvx

[jrs2]

^^

yeah...something tells me ole Mica won't allow Phase II to flounder money-wise...

[Jernigan]

The long awaited time tables

http://sunrail.com/documents/sunrail_train_schedule.pdf

[AndyPok1]

The timetables say that I can get from my apt at 55W to past my work in 9 minutes.... If only LYNX could have a remotely useful schedule.

[FLClarkKent]

The times are better than I thought they would be. Very promising!

[HankStrong]

Those are much better times than I anticipated.

[jrs2]

yeah, same here.  I was pleasantly surprised.  man if this thing went into the OIA intermodal....

[Jernigan]

Living downtown and not able to use it for the commute - it's great to see some very doable dinner trips to Winter Park or Lake Mary's Central Park area.

[John Hargrove]

Living downtown and not able to use it for the commute - it's great to see some very doable dinner trips to Winter Park or Lake Mary's Central Park area.

 

I thought about this too. No dealing with parking in Winter Park, and if you have a few too many, who cares? not driving!

 

That said, the last southbound out of Winter Park is at 8:33PM. So better make it an early dinner or you're cabbing it back. 

Edited March 8, 2014 by castorvx

[Jernigan]

they should add an extra half an hour or two to peak and push that last run back 30-60 minutes. Won't get you home from a magic game but will allow a lot more flexibility and still get the trains home by midnight

[jrs2]

^^

aren't they also going to give temporary game-night running schedules as well?

[tennis32801]

Its a bummer that the Sanford stop is at least 2 miles from downtown Sanford and Lake Mary stop is 4 miles from Lake Mary Promenade dining area. Also, google earth of the Debary, Lake Mary, Longwood, and Sandlake stop areas doesn't show any nearby residential or commercial developments, making me wonder who are these commuters?

[Jernigan]

jrs2 - by owning the tracks SunRail had the technical ability to run trains every 15 minutes , until late at night and on weekends. FDOT is only funding this as an alternate to I4 essentially - almost like an additional lane.

It would be great for our local community to respond with a demand for greater service and of course a willingness to fund it.

[codypet]

Its a bummer that the Sanford stop is at least 2 miles from downtown Sanford and Lake Mary stop is 4 miles from Lake Mary Promenade dining area. Also, google earth of the Debary, Lake Mary, Longwood, and Sandlake stop areas doesn't show any nearby residential or commercial developments, making me wonder who are these commuters?

Lake Mary has no shortage of commuters.  Sunrail is actually perfectly built for Sanford and Lake Mary suburban residents who work downtown or at the hospitals.  Reverse commuters like me sadly, will be better served by the car.

Edited March 11, 2014 by codypet

[FLClarkKent]

There's been talk of a direct shuttle bus from the Lake Mary station to Heathrown. That would make SunRail more viable for reverse commuters.

[Jernigan]

Also with Maitland Center office parks and offices west of the Sand Lake station.

International Drive already has a great connection in the Link 38 from LCS to OCCC and Sea World and then up the drive. While not rail, it could almost be considered a spur in terms how useful it is.

[AndyPok1]

The west of the Sand Lake station is the demographic they're missing I think.  You have all those offices on John Young/Commodity Circle.  CHEP.  Lockheed.  Golf Channel.  Disney.

 

But there isn't a Lynx that runs up and down Sand Lake.  You have to transfer halfway down making it not feasible  (Plus loop around the Florida Mall).

[jliv]

jrs2 - by owning the tracks SunRail had the technical ability to run trains every 15 minutes , until late at night and on weekends. FDOT is only funding this as an alternate to I4 essentially - almost like an additional lane.

It would be great for our local community to respond with a demand for greater service and of course a willingness to fund it.

 

Would love to see another opportunity for the voters of Orange County and Orlando to vote again on a sales tax increase to provide a dedicated funding source for transit.  SunRail was Rep. John Mica's concession to the Orlando area after the failed Mobility 2020 vote in 2004; it's unfortunate that the grander plans of the 90's devolved into the commuter rail system that is now upon us.  I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, though.  A slow evolution in mindset towards alternative forms of transportation needs to start somewhere...

Edited March 11, 2014 by jliv

[Jernigan]

I know it's the worst source of data ever, but I'm encouraged by the comment section of news outlets facebook posts about SunRail. In what used to be a mini tea party rally versus a few hard core supporters, it's now overwhelmingly in support of better hours and expansion. In some cases I think the "nevergonnawork" crowd had given up and in others I think people just want to complain but at least their complaints are now in line with the pro-rail peanut gallery. We'd all like to see it behave more like a light rail in terms of frequency and of course that type of development at every station and not just park and rides

[Bungalower-MattBroffman]

I know it's the worst source of data ever, but I'm encouraged by the comment section of news outlets facebook posts about SunRail. In what used to be a mini tea party rally versus a few hard core supporters, it's now overwhelmingly in support of better hours and expansion. In some cases I think the "nevergonnawork" crowd had given up and in others I think people just want to complain but at least their complaints are now in line with the pro-rail peanut gallery. We'd all like to see it behave more like a light rail in terms of frequency and of course that type of development at every station and not just park and rides

 

Yes I observed the same thing. But I wonder what the feedback from this same crowd would be to "fix" the gas tax and use it to fund a light rail system? Most likely they would freak out. There are a lot of people (although in the downtown area I think they are becoming the minority) who are always against any change and then when the change come it's just not good enough for them

 

The good news is that more pro-smart growth folks are speaking up...outside of this forum.

[Casselberry_Knight]

But I wonder what the feedback from this same crowd would be to "fix" the gas tax and use it to fund a light rail system?

WHOA there buddy.. Gas Taxes should go towards Roads. Nothing Else.

Why? Because the tax money is being raised from the user to drive on the roads. It's just like paying a toll on 408. Should the OOCEA pay for Sunrail with toll money? Should the money raised from Sunrail tickets be used to pay for I-4?

The Majority of Orlandians don't live OR work downtown. So Sunrail just really isn't an option for many of us.

I'm all for a REAL transit system, and if the majority of voters believe that a general tax for mass transit is OKAY, awesome, let's do a 1% sales tax to go towards building a real transit system.

Sunrail Rant:

The more I look at it, the more I think Phase 1 of SunRail isnt going to be a major hit in the near-term (5-10 years). Phase 2 could be great. But for short distances, who is going to use this (what station is practical)? Who is going to hop on the Sandlake Road train when you could just drive to downtown in half the time? Is someone living near winter park going to wait for a bus to the station, wait for the train, then take it to downtown, hop on the lyymo? Easily an hour versus a 15 minute drive. Deland or St Cloud? Awesome. Makes sense. But Phase 1 offers only a few stations with meat to get people onboard (lake Mary, Sanford)

I really wish we'd have approved Mob 20/20 and have gotten the N-S Light rail line going down from Disney to Lake Mary. Add in the OIA light rail & UCF Light Rail line....oh man..now THAT is a system. I understand why Sunrail is the way it is....but man I want more!!

Edited March 12, 2014 by Suburb Mike