Jupiter to Miami Tri-Rail Proposal

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/100701/story5.shtml

don't know much about the miam area, but there appears to not be a thread on this yet..

This is most likely more political "hot air" of which there is plenty here in South Florida. I don't they are even close to having the money to do anything here and believe me it will take a huge amount of money to do any commuter rail on the FEC right of way.
I am not saying that it won't happen someday and heavens knows we surely need more and better public transportation here but I don't think it will happen anytime soon and probably not for many years. The politicians here are always having forums and meetings about public transportation but so far in the 13 plus years that I have been here, nothing has gone beyond the talk stage except when they put down the second track on the existing Tri-Rail line a few years ago.
The highway lobby is much too strong to allow very much to go into commuter rail or any other rail here in Florida for that matter and I think that will be the "rub" here too.
Noel Weaver

I'm stuck up in atlanta, trust me florida is actually ahead of us.. it became clear when sunrail actually finally came to fruitation..

superbad wrote:I'm stuck up in atlanta, trust me florida is actually ahead of us.. it became clear when sunrail actually finally came to fruitation..

This might happen someday but it has NOT happened yet. We have more talk than action here in Florida.
Noel Weaver

As Noel pointed out - it's just more windbag baloney from uninformed journalists; the same folks who write four articles a year about "improved negotiations" to run Amtrak or TRCX on FEC. You can file it all under a folder entitled "uniformed journalistic B.S. & speculation."

That said, as this thread has as much future as the Jupiter extension, it is now locked.

-Kurt

Saturday's Sun-Sentinel has an article about running on the Florida East Coast. We go through these "ups and downs" on a regular basis. I think this is probably just more "HOT AIR" from the local politicians although it would be nice if I was wrong.
Hope you find it interesting.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/browar ... 4570.story

Noel Weaver

The same article wound up in The Miami Herald as well.

Notice how the article conveniently ignores how FEC feels about the matter. It reads like a bad press release in an attempt to create public interest and twist FEC's arm into submission.

That said, I'll leave this thread up for commentary, provided the commentary doesn't rely on stoking the coals in the rumor mill (in which case, I'd either delete said posts or lock the thread if it becomes uncontrollable).

-Kurt

The interesting part of the story, IMO, was the idea of a "fast track" project between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami's Government Center station only with seven stations. That's a solid 24 miles or so, nothing to sneeze at, but still a long way from Jupiter. One of the things that concerns me about Government Center is the Metromover which is too low to allow trains to reach the site of the old FEC station next to the Miami-Dade courthouse. Would the trains stop just north of where the Metromover goes east and have commuters walk the rest of the way? Is closing some streets and depressing the tracks slightly to get them all the way in a practical option?

While FEC recognizes, as all freight operators do, a "foot in the door" approach, is there any particular reason they may be more inclined to approve this service than a full line from the get go?

Wingnut wrote: One of the things that concerns me about Government Center is the Metromover which is too low to allow trains to reach the site of the old FEC station next to the Miami-Dade courthouse.

They can get double-stacks under it, but they can't get a Tri-Rail car under it?

PB wrote:They can get double-stacks under it, but they can't get a Tri-Rail car under it?

I'm referring to the piece of Metromover that ducks under Metrorail and proceeds east along NW 5th Street past the US courthouse. This used to be the terminal trackage of the FEC downtown Miami station which is long gone and is now occupied by a huge parking lot. Anyway, when I visited last year, the Metromover looked way too low to permit tracks to be put back in here.

I think the air is getting a little hotter, but summer is almost here!

South Florida’s Tri-Rail board would be reshuffled, the rail line could expand to Monroe County, and its administration could be privatized under a sweeping transportation bill (CS/HB 1399) approved Monday by the House.

http://www.postonpolitics.com/2012/03/t ... road-bill/

I sent a PM to Kurt: there's some news here. If it's much ado about nothing, he will lock it back up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/2 ... 06011.html

A half-century after the last passenger trains pulled into Downtown Miami, plans to return rail transport to South Florida's urban corridors are moving at breakneck pace.

At least 24,000 riders would use a proposed new commuter rail line between Jupiter and Downtown Miami, reports Miami Today.

The line lies along Florida East Coast Railway's US 1 corridor tracks, which the company plans to use for its upcoming Miami-to-Orlando All Aboard Florida rail service.

Longtime South Florida commuter service Tri-Rail, which currently makes its southernmost stop near Hialeah, is hoping to utilize FEC's Downtown track for a new eastern "Blue Line," pending municipal cooperation toward station development.

Both companies have expressed mutual willingness to share the FEC tracks. All Aboard Florida would service significantly fewer stations along the corridor than Tri-Rail, which plans to add 12 new stops between Fort Lauderdale and Miami for Blue Line service:

I hate to say it and wish I was wrong but it is probably more hot air from local politicians. The TV and the papers are full of this stuff although now that the election is past we don't usually hear much more. Some of this news dates back to 2010. The only one that has any hope is "All Aboard Florida" which has nothing to do with Tri-Rail.
Noel Weaver

FEC plans to build their Miami train station above the low Metromover, so it shouldn't be a problem. Read All Aboard Florida's environmental assessment.
http://www.allaboardflorida.com/wp-cont ... _Miami.pdf

AAF only plans to have 4 train stations initially; Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. The also only plan to double track 3 more bridges on the 66 miles between West Palm Beach and Miami. I'm certain they will ask TriRail to double track a few more bridges and build their own train platforms for their trains, which wouldn't be cheap.

electricron wrote:FEC plans to build their Miami train station above the low Metromover, so it shouldn't be a problem. Read All Aboard Florida's environmental assessment.
http://www.allaboardflorida.com/wp-cont ... _Miami.pdf

AAF only plans to have 4 train stations initially; Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. The also only plan to double track 3 more bridges on the 66 miles between West Palm Beach and Miami. I'm certain they will ask TriRail to double track a few more bridges and build their own train platforms for their trains, which wouldn't be cheap.

Again, I hope I am wrong but I don't think you will see any Tri-Rail service on any part of the Florida East Coast anytime soon. Elections are over so the politicians will not talk about it again until sometime before the next local elections. They talk a big game before the elections then after the elections they just continue to do NOTHING.
Noel Weaver