SunRail

[jrs2]

15 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

They should spend any potential money they would have spent on that for the Sunshine Corridor plan. 

I'm thinking that the Sunshine Corridor should be the catalyst that compliments the Mainline and makes it an easier sell for OBX

[jrs2]

2 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Why not expand the rail network to established areas of the metro such as Apopka? 

Do they have any kind of commuting numbers for Apopka?

Back in the early 2000's, people would mainly commute to Lake Mary, Maitland Center, and downtown, from Deltona, Poinciana, and areas in between.  That still holds true today

You could get to the outskirts of Maitland Center with the OBX line...but way west of Forrest City Road so it wouldn't be practical.  The Mainline is off of 17/92 at Maitland Blvd.  If this was the original Lynx LRT using an I-4 easement, it could work.  But this isn't Manhattan...where there is tower on top of tower where each Subway station services X number of high density buildings within X feet of each station.

[codypet]

Apopka is about to blow up.

A Waterford Style Town Center is getting built at 429 and 441 just south of the start of the Wekiva Parkway.  SR 429 is being widened from WG to Apopka.  Wekiva Parkway is getting completed.  That area  is going to be ripe for development.   CFX already got their foot in the door in trying to move people across town.  Ironically, that stretch of 414 west of 441 is in the location of an old rail line that went into the west side of Altamonte Springs.

[Urban Mail Carrier]

Im so over this! Sunrail will just be another TriRail with no hope.  Disillusioned with the lack of vision in our State.  So backwards. It really is time to find new horizons.

[HankStrong]

8 hours ago, Urban Mail Carrier said:

Im so over this! Sunrail will just be another TriRail with no hope.  Disillusioned with the lack of vision in our State.  So backwards. It really is time to find new horizons.

How about solutions instead of complaining?

[dcluley98]

I dunno, I thought they were being somewhat proactive in coming together with private companies and other agencies to try to get a decent plan/solution with the Sunshine Corridor. 

The voters turned down the tax. (They probably should have worded the referendum better, but at least they had some ideas this time instead of waiting for somebody else to do it for them). 

[popsiclebrandon]

11 hours ago, Urban Mail Carrier said:

Im so over this! Sunrail will just be another TriRail with no hope.  Disillusioned with the lack of vision in our State.  So backwards. It really is time to find new horizons.

I've only used it once but TriRail seems to work pretty well. What am I missing?

[HankStrong]

I don't get the TriRail hate either.  I've used it twice and it seems to function well.  It wasn't amazing, but it did what I needed.

SunRail isn't bad either, it just doesn't run frequently enough (which is intentional to satisfy the haters of yore who weren't going to pay for anything that actually helped people because "ewww poor people") and it needs more lines.

[orlandocity87]

TriRail is fine, but it's so far inland that it's basically suburb to suburb, instead of city center to city center. They've had plans for a Coastal Link forever, but little has been done outside studies. However, Tri-Rail should link up to the Miami Central station downtown sometime next year. 

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, Urban Mail Carrier said:

Im so over this! Sunrail will just be another TriRail with no hope.  Disillusioned with the lack of vision in our State.  So backwards. It really is time to find new horizons.

I thought TriRail was a pretty successful CRT line.  Isn't it?

[aent]

19 hours ago, orlandocity87 said:

TriRail is fine, but it's so far inland that it's basically suburb to suburb, instead of city center to city center. They've had plans for a Coastal Link forever, but little has been done outside studies. However, Tri-Rail should link up to the Miami Central station downtown sometime next year. 

I thought they are planning to start up the first phase of the coastal link soon, don't the new Aventura and Boca stations have Tri Rail platforms in addition to Miami Central?

[dcluley98]

TriRail has been very successful. The main complaint is that it doesn't go directly downtown. The TriRail transfer station is in Hialeah. They have said they would like to extend TriRail all the way to the core to connect directly with the other systems including the MetroRail and circulator/people mover.  

Here is the link to the proposed extension to downtown: https://www.tri-rail.com/pages/view/downtown-miami-link

 

Would be a fantastic system if completed working with local/commuter/inter-city (BrightLine) all connected. 

[codypet]

I don't believe the Aventura and Boca stations have TriRail platforms.  I think the intent was to have BL serve those.

[dcluley98]

TriRail has a Boca Station. Not sure on Aventura area. I know some of the new BrightLine stations (including the Aventura station) they are building also were designed for "dual access" of systems with multiple separate areas for BrightLine intercity as well as local/commuter service. There is discussion about that on the Roaming Railfan YouTube video updates.

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by dcluley98

[jrs2]

7 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

TriRail has been very successful. The main complaint is that it doesn't go directly downtown. The TriRail transfer station is in Hialeah. They have said they would like to extend TriRail all the way to the core to connect directly with the other systems including the MetroRail and circulator/people mover.  

Here is the link to the proposed extension to downtown: https://www.tri-rail.com/pages/view/downtown-miami-link

 

Would be a fantastic system if completed working with local/commuter/inter-city (BrightLine) all connected. 

I thought Tri-Rail went directly to The MIC, and there, they have a connection to Metrorail, which goes downtown and connects to MetroMover at BOA, etc.

the MIC connection was a big deal.  but it seems that every five years that goes by, people want a train going directly to their front door.

Edited December 14, 2022 by jrs2

[dcluley98]

Tri-Rail does go to MIC at the aiport and can connect to the Metro-Rail Orange line there.

Tri-Rail also connects to the Metro-Rail at the "Tri-Rail" station with Original green line in Hialeah for more direct service without going to the Airport. 

Neither of those are anywhere close to downtown and the Metromover at Miami Central/Government Center station. That's where they want to connect everything.

Edited December 14, 2022 by dcluley98

[aent]

12 hours ago, codypet said:

I don't believe the Aventura and Boca stations have TriRail platforms.  I think the intent was to have BL serve those.

 

11 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

TriRail has a Boca Station. Not sure on Aventura area. I know some of the new BrightLine stations (including the Aventura station) they are building also were designed for "dual access" of systems with multiple separate areas for BrightLine intercity as well as local/commuter service. There is discussion about that on the Roaming Railfan YouTube video updates.

 

That video seems to confirm what I said, Boca, Miami, and Aventura will all have Tri-Rail transfer stations when the new coastal link is started up. These new stations all include accommodations to allow Tri-Rail to share some facilities, such as a separate entrance/elevator for Tri Rail, and ability to split the pedestrian bridge in half to keep Tri-Rail and Brightline traffic separated. I believe the goal is for Tri-Rail Coastal link to have 15-20 stops, while Brightline will have 6 throughout South Florida (WPB, Boca, Ft Lauderdale, Aventura, Miami Central, Port Miami), with most of the Brightline ones shared with Tri Rail.

[aent]

Here's the plan for the Tri-Rail future routes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Tri-Rail_Coastal_Link

Also after some more Googling, it appears the plan is to divert some trains to the first stop or 2 in Miami's coastal link as soon as next year, then try to divert some of the existing northern Tri Rail trains to a few stops on the northern part of that coastal link, then connect the 2. Apparently the crossovers on that map are currently under construction, but the the only train stations under construction so far are the Brightline/Tri Link dual stations.

[codypet]

I actually designed one of the crossovers in WPB (and the one in south of the Amtrak Station in Miami), but my understanding at the time was that there hadn't been an agreement in place for those stations.   They were actually a re-establishment of existing rail lines.  Sounds like they did actually get an agreement together.   That's good.

Edited December 15, 2022 by codypet

[aent]

7 hours ago, codypet said:

I actually designed one of the crossovers in WPB (and the one in south of the Amtrak Station in Miami), but my understanding at the time was that there hadn't been an agreement in place for those stations.   They were actually a re-establishment of existing rail lines.  Sounds like they did actually get an agreement together.   That's good.

Yes, also apparently Brightline is interested in possibly operating the commuter rail service as well, with a contract from Tri Rail/public private partnership. I wish SunRail would would try to pursue Brightline for operations, they seem to know what they're doing and have expressed interest in the past, instead of giving it to CFX and the corrupt government leaders.

[FLClarkKent]

Until there is seven day a week service - plus holidays- SunRail is a joke. They’ve had nearly 10 years to do this. It’s crazy that they haven’t (and predicative of the future of mass transit in Central Florida).

Edited December 17, 2022 by FLClarkKent

[spenser1058]

6 hours ago, FLClarkKent said:

Until there is seven day a week service - plus holidays- SunRail is a joke. They’ve had nearly 10 years to do this. It’s crazy that they haven’t (and predicative of the future of mass transit in Central Florida).

Thanks for nothing, Clarence Hoenstine!

[dcluley98]

Plan for SunRail airport link to Universal, I-Drive takes big step forward

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/transportation/os-ne-universal-ambition-brightline-corridor-20230105-nmscgli3znfkpl6z2wmp56mp5e-story.html

 

Universal Orlando Resort filed an application with Orange County to form a quasi-governmental body known as a community development district. Named the Shingle Creek Transit Utility Community Development District, it would overlay one property, that of Universal Orlando, making the resort the sole fee payer within the district. It would be a cornerstone financing vehicle for the development of 11 miles of rail from the airport to the convention center for the publicly owned SunRail, but also leasing out track for usage by the private Brightline Trains.

Corey Hill, vice president for Kimley-Horn, former executive director at the Federal Railroad Administration and consultant for Central Florida’s rail ambitions, said federal rail agencies want assurances for three factors when considering grants.

Hill said they want to know if a project: is technically viable as far as right of way, design and environmental considerations; has unified political support; and includes private interests that are willing to contribute financially.

“You already have the private sector stepping up and putting a contribution on the table right from the get-go,” Hill said, referring to Universal and expected contributions from International Drive businesses. “They are already stepping up to contribute land, they are making a capital contribution, and, as the mayor said, they are taking the third and hardest step of even making a contribution on the operation and maintenance. That is extremely rare.”

[codypet]

So now we have the possibility of an EW Sunrail line.

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/proposed-sunrail-link-connecting-universal-and-i-drive-to-orlando-international-airport-advances

A far cry from the attitude 12 years ago.   I can't help but think this crew 12 years ago would have been fighting the project.  Particularly the Rosen people.

Brightline likely more than happy to lease trackage for their express line to Tampa.

I hope this happens.

https://www.orlandosrightrail.com/

Edited January 6, 2023 by codypet

[gibby]

So, would this be the line Brightline uses to get to Tampa or would there be two routes leaving from the airport toward the west/southwest?