Orlando International Airport Intermodal Station [Approved]

[bic 87]

Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal Facility

 

 

 

 

 

YouTube walkthrough video of station model

 

 

11.21.14 {sodEmoji.|} 3 years of construction on tap for Orlando airport’s $1.1B expansion

 

 

SchenkelShultz Architecture announced it completed the master plan for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority's planned expansion and work now can get going on three major pieces of the project:

• Expansion of the airport's automated people mover and $215 million intermodal transportation hub planned to accommodate three other passenger rail projects, including Central Florida's $1.3 billion commuter rail SunRail; the $2.5 billion All Aboard Florida Miami-to-Orlando intercity train; and the planned magnetic-levitation train Maglev, set to connect to the Orange County Convention Center.
• Renovations of the existing ticket lobbies on the airport's third floor
• $114 million in expansion and improvements for international travel on Airside 4

[mcn11 40]

That is one of the best video renderings I've ever seen.

This is one hell of a project.

[codypet 472]

Construction already started!  I just drove by the other day and the fences were around the cell lot and some dirt was turned over.

[bic 87]

The Miami to West Palm Beach stretch of All Aboard Florida is slated to be operational in 2016 while the West Palm to Orlando leg will come online in 2017. Construction of the Miami terminal has already begun.

[codypet 472]

According to AAFS website, all stations are under construction.

[demon 6]

Wow! Will we have a train to get from downtown to MCO?

[Boomer136 225]

Only if Sunrail wants and is able to use the OUC coal spur.

[HankStrong 985]

This has the potential to be one of the most positive things that has happened to this region in a long time.  It doesn't mean it will succeed, BUT it has the potential to be a game-changing thing.

[sunshine 542]

I do not quite understand this place, is it just a giant parking garage and train station? In the future, I will just drop my friend here for all the terminal or I am still doing the same thing by drving to terminal A or terminal B?

[shardoon 143]

I do not quite understand this place, is it just a giant parking garage and train station? In the future, I will just drop my friend here for all the terminal or I am still doing the same thing by drving to terminal A or terminal B?

 

look at the plan for the south terminal. this is essentially going to be in the center of the terminal. when all built out in 20-30-40 years, this will be in between both the east and west side of the south terminal. 

[HankStrong 985]

The idea is for this to eventually be THE place that the bulk of traffic comes and goes from.

 

Obviously, they have a lot to work out.  The long-range plan seems like it would let the airport reclaim a lot of stuff currently in use for transportation related things.  It looks like, for the foreseeable future, personal vehicles could still drop off people at the current locations.  It looks like they want to put all pick-ups at the new ITF.

 

 

New ITF:

Trains, busses, rental cars, taxis, personal vehicle pick-up, long-term parking

 

Old Term A&B:

Personal vehicle drop-off, short term parking, hotel parking

 

 

That's just from reading a lot of the billion page long PDF and making my own interpretations.  The taxis, busses, and rental car part will be a huge relief on the internal traffic congestion you currently see at peak times.

[HankStrong 985]

That is one of the best video renderings I've ever seen.

This is one hell of a project.

 

Except for that jerkwad driving the Audi who has an entire floor to park on and decided to double-park right behind another car!

 

HAHAHAHA

 

 

[ref: 2:33 in the YouTube video]

[jliv 74]

A SunRail connection to the airport makes less sense to me than an express train service between the airport and downtown. When I say "express", I am talking about non-stop service that bypasses the Sand Lake and Orlando Health/Amtrak stations via a third track when SunRail trains are stopped at these stations. The terminus for this new line would be a rebuilt Church Street Station, replacing the Hyatt Place plan and the current ballroom with an elevated station to serve passengers of this express service and, perhaps, an extension of the All Aboard Florida service. Thus, MiamiCentral would sit on one end of the All Aboard Florida line, and a new "OrlandoCentral" on the other. You could even top this station with a high-rise hotel/office/condo structure with meeting space to replace the ballroom. An elevated walkway could guide passengers to and from Church Street, or even to developments along the no-mans land of empty lots between Garland and the railroad tracks.

This could be a game-changer for downtown by drawing traffic from the airport-I-Drive corridor into a proper urban experience with amenities only cities can offer. As a seasoned business traveler, I would welcome something like this in Orlando. And it only would cost a little more than the current Phase 3 estimates (for the bypass tracks and a rail spur into the new station) along with a public-private partnership to build this "OrlandoCentral".

Edited November 24, 2014 by jliv

[popsiclebrandon 433]

If this means I never have to take a friend to the airport at 4 AM again I can't wait.

[jrs2 1331]

I'm excited, to say the least. 

 

For cost reasons, they should just expand the SLR station and buy a new set of cars to go back and forth from there to OIA.  SLR would become a transfer station.  It would make sense also for northbound traffic trying to get to OIA.  Otherwise you would need TWO transfer stations, one for NB traffic and one for SB traffic.

 

A lot of what gets done ala Sunrail Phase III to OIA I think depends on AMT Maglev.

[HankStrong 985]

I'm still having a hard time seeing how AMT Maglev fits in the overall rail transportation plan.  Although, I will repeat myself and say that every single tourist and taxi off the road = a win for me.

[sunshine 542]

I am still a non believer that the Mag-lev will happened. It is more practical to have a light rail or dedicated street car system ( a long line) from UCF to downtown to Disney.

 

About the express train to airport, they have one express train that only go from downtown Oslo to the airport and it runs every 15 mins. I was pleasantly surprise to see that it is actually crowded most of the time considering Oslo is a small city. But 80% of the residents in Oslo use public transport. I imagine an express train from Disney to airport will be more viable than from downtown to airport. But Disney will have to pay for it.

[jliv 74]

Remember, AAF is more a real estate play than a transportation play, as it boosts the value of land around its stations. Consider the potential an express train to Downtown would create with underdeveloped properties (like Church Street Station).

[cwetteland 152]

Remember, AAF is more a real estate play than a transportation play, as it boosts the value of land around its stations. Consider the potential an express train to Downtown would create with underdeveloped properties (like Church Street Station).

... AAF is using existing rail from Miami to about Cocoa Beach, and then new rail line along the B-line.  The only rail line into DTO is in use by Sunrail.  There is no financially feasible way to get a new rail line into downtown.  

[FLheat 69]

I am still a non believer that the Mag-lev will happened. It is more practical to have a light rail or dedicated street car system ( a long line) from UCF to downtown to Disney.

 

About the express train to airport, they have one express train that only go from downtown Oslo to the airport and it runs every 15 mins. I was pleasantly surprise to see that it is actually crowded most of the time considering Oslo is a small city. But 80% of the residents in Oslo use public transport. I imagine an express train from Disney to airport will be more viable than from downtown to airport. But Disney will have to pay for it.

I wasn't expecting so much rural land between the airport and Oslo, but a nice transportation system and free wi-fi (weefee as they say it) everywhere.  As a sidenote, Norwegian Air has very inexpensive non-stop airfare from Orlando to Oslo as well as cheap connections to many european cities.  I paid less than $500 roundtrip in September.  Very nice, new, fuel efficent planes.

[jliv 74]

... AAF is using existing rail from Miami to about Cocoa Beach, and then new rail line along the B-line. The only rail line into DTO is in use by Sunrail. There is no financially feasible way to get a new rail line into downtown.

Some bypass lines of SunRail stations would solve that; it's what TriRail is proposing to do with the FEC lines to share tracks with AAF. It's also how major arterial lines like the East Coast Main Line and the Great Western operate in England. The only significant new line would a second track through the OUC corridor; AAF trains could feasibly use the connector (and its plans allude to that intent as it will share a connection to its maintenance yard with SunRail) to continue on to downtown.

[bulldogger 84]

If this means I never have to take a friend to the airport at 4 AM again I can't wait.

I will be glad not to bother anyone when I get on a 6am flight as well.