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Downtown South (Sunrail/Amtrak, SODO, Orlando Health, Lymmo, Orange/Michigan Avenues)


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Extending SunRail to OIA could cost more than $257M

From WFTV.com

ORLANDO, Fla. - Extending SunRail service to Orlando International Airport could cost $257 million, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

“The capital costs, as I say, were much higher than expected because even though the corridor is generally there, there's a lot of very difficult and very expensive construction that would have to be done to make this a reality,” said Harold Barley, executive director of MetroPlan Orlando.

On Wednesday, board members from MetroPlan agreed to have a special executive committee discuss the costs, funding agreements and decisions that will have to be made moving forward. 

Besides funding, some of the complications include SunRail’s unfinished leg between DeBary and DeLand and whether to find a way to connect service with the Orange County Convention Center and International Drive. 

Airport service could generate about 2,500 boardings a day, according to MetroPlan.

The committee will likely report back to the full board in September or October.

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/extending-sunrail-to-oia-could-cost-more-than-257m/788015402

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Seriously, though, this is about the only thing I can see that will immediately force everyone's hands to commit to Orlando rail.  What we currently have isn't a true commitment, just something to have.

The Southern leg of Phase II will add tons of riders, but Phase III makes the first real step to being a legit thing.  Maybe I'm off, but I think this is the real domino to make Phase IV, V, VI, etc. even get talked about.

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14 minutes ago, prahaboheme said:

Is $257M really a big price tag? 

The way rail transit is reported and vilified in this country, while highway expansion goes entirely unquestioned, boggles my small mind.

Parts of I-4 Ultimate will need maintenance and repairing before it's even finished.

i just read in the OS that the I 4 ultimate is behind schedule by 8 months and worst yet over budget by $100 million.  Apparently the $1.4 billion isn’t enough.

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28 minutes ago, prahaboheme said:

Is $257M really a big price tag? 

The way rail transit is reported and vilified in this country, while highway expansion goes entirely unquestioned, boggles my small mind.

Parts of I-4 Ultimate will need maintenance and repairing before it's even finished.

No. But it sounds like LRT at that cost. As Opposed to CRT. I Dont know if thats a good move or not.

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On ‎7‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 3:29 PM, Jernigan said:

Oh no this isn’t the sunrail thread y’all 

Sunrail is in the title, so LET IT FLY!!!!

 

In all seriousness, I have repeatedly asked some of my "fiscally conservative" friends (a title they like to bandy about) how much money the interstate system made the US last year.  How much their state roads profited last year?  How much their local roads sent them a refund check for?  The point is: transportation for the good of the public doesn't make money.  At best, it breaks even.  At worst, it costs a lot.

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7 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Sunrail is in the title, so LET IT FLY!!!!

 

In all seriousness, I have repeatedly asked some of my "fiscally conservative" friends (a title they like to bandy about) how much money the interstate system made the US last year.  How much their state roads profited last year?  How much their local roads sent them a refund check for?  The point is: transportation for the good of the public doesn't make money.  At best, it breaks even.  At worst, it costs a lot.

Well some highways do make money... here in Orlando, 408 is very profitable, as is Turnpike and a number of other roads. As a "fiscally conservative friend" I am a proponent of setting toll rates and gas tax rates to cover the cost of the roads so we don't have to dip into other tax sources to cover that cost. I think increasing the gas tax to is also a good way to get people to buy more efficient cars and help the environment without requiring all these other regulations to force people to do it against their will. It might even bring things closer to the point where it makes sense for more private businesses to copy Brightline and invest in private transit services. We had a huge boom in intercity private bus services in the last decade or so.

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Technically, the 408 may make money, but it isn't profitable.  They keep about $2M in cash for emergencies, but the rest is reinvested in the system.  It doesn't profit anyone directly.  Obviously, more work = more jobs, but it doesn't run for profit or for user refund.

 

I would definitely agree with you about the gas tax being too low.  I think the 2 biggest keys to a better future (in this sense, not stuff in my private life) are better infrastructure and better education.  I think those 2 things should receive much more funding.

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2 hours ago, codypet said:

Key word....system.   They can't turn a profit, but they can use SR 408's money to pay for SR 429 widening.

Yup, I'm not saying every segment of road needs to be priced just for profitability or to be revenue neutral for that section, but the region/system in general. SR 408 is profitable. The profits are reinvested into SR 429.

Technically few companies make money on every single customer and project. Google obviously steals money from advertising/search to pay for all sorts of other services, like Docs and all these services like Wave they've tried and failed with. Even in the physical world, if I buy a car, and its in the shop for warranty service and needs a new engine due to a defect, and its blows out the transmission too, the manufacturer has a good chance of losing money on that sale.

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On 7/16/2018 at 12:46 PM, HankStrong said:

Sunrail is in the title, so LET IT FLY!!!!

 

Don’t make me post a whole bunch of old photos of SoDo buildings that show no progress and cause you all to look for a tiny changes just to bring this back on topic LOL

A8F3001E-EEE5-4C9E-A867-14C171B4E667.jpeg

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21 hours ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

Not really downtown south but this used to be a Bank of America branch on OBT and Holden. Now a McDonald's. Super fast build. 

So I wonder 9f the McDonald's connected with the Chevron on 41st Street is leaving. These aren't even a mile apart.  Then the one down by oak ridge. 

IMG_20180801_155835.jpg

That McDonald's is already gone.  And the Chevron is now a Shell.  They rolled a rack of shelves from the convenience store to keep people from walking into the old McDonald's.

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8 hours ago, codypet said:

That McDonald's is already gone.  And the Chevron is now a Shell.  They rolled a rack of shelves from the convenience store to keep people from walking into the old McDonald's.

I would love for this area to get cleaned up I think that's a start keep some of the other type of characters from around

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Aldi and the relocation and then the subsequent expansion of AutoZone did a lot to improve the look of that dumpy plaza across the street.  It prompted the owners of the gas stations to clean up a bit and the owners of adjacent land to demo the long vacant buildings that have dotted the area.   BOA demo'ing the branch and just building ATM's across the street still shows how depressed the area really is.  Banks don't really like being in areas like that.

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