Commuter Rail: Preliminary Station Locations

[Tristan]

Specifically, on the South Corridor, there should also be a stop across from the FCCJ - Kent Campus.  In addition to serving students at this campus, it would also tie into a number of bus routes already established at this location.   

And of course there should be a stop at the NAS. 

On the Southeast Corridor, stations are need at Emerson and at JTB.       

On a general note, some of these proposed stations, such as the one at Edgewood Avenue, have the potential to greatly enhance the quality of urban life in such neighborhoods as Murray Hill.   The rail system will bring new vitality and development to these areas  (BRT will not do this).       

[Ocklawaha]

A few changes in the plan...

My own opinion is that the SOUTHWEST LINE INCLUDE:

King Street U
Edgewood C
FCCJ Kent U
San Juan U-C-T
Timmaquana C
Yukon-NAS C-T
Orange Park U-C-T
Doctors Lake C
Russell C
Magnolia Springs C
Green Cove Springs U-C-T

"STATION THINK"
 
C=a station designed for the driver, or passenger arriving on a bus. This place includes huge parking facilities, transit lanes and pull outs, and lots of real time information.

U=Urban, stations that could graduate into Amtrak, Greyhound, JTA, Commuter Rail etc... These would offer urgan services, snacks, restaurant, shops. Note these stations do not depend on the automobile for survival.

T=Transit, multi-modal stations, these stations rely on a heavy network of interlaced networked transit from several different modes. Skyway, commuter rail, streetcar, LRT, Bus etc. Depending on location, retail or services might become highly developed.



this style of "rethinking" the stations would take place on all lines. The Southwest line would retain Russell and Orange Park would become a major Urban Staion with the political PUSH for an Amtrak stop as well.
Yukon-NAS is another that would have to be added, right out of the front gate at NAS,

The Southeast Lines would get the same treatment with ATLANTIC taking the place of the current "San Marco" station. Further it opens the door for a "Gary Street Busway" that would tie the entire City Coach fleet on the Southbank to the Skyway/Baptist/Aetna, As the routes turn south past the current "Kings Avenue Station" and the Skyway reaches Atlantic or "Jackson Square" Proposal area, then the short section of BRT busway becomes a balancing factor, Skyway on the East, Rail down the center and BRT in the west of the Southbank. All working and feeding each other, and each doing what it does best.
The former St. Augustine Florida East Coast Station is still very much in place, still a very 1963 modern building, with parking for several hundred cars. Another former station stood on the North end of the old FEC office buildings (Flagler College) in the little park. Further boarding tracks ran down the line to the west of the parking lot and crossed the road to the shrimpboat docks. Either of these could be rebuilt as a commuter station, while the flassic station would make an excellent stop for AMTRAK, COMMUTER RAIL,

Northside, should still be considered as LRT, private right of way + extreme fast acceleration + zero pollution makes it ideal for an urban setting.

In most cases there is room for ruture expansion. An old branchline from St. Augustine to Elkton, Spuds, Hastings and East Palatka, could be revived. A big chunk of it is still intact. Another right of way is the former ITT PORTLAND CEMENT railroad which branched off the FEC South of St. Augustine and stoped short of Flagler Beach right in the middle of the working section of Palm Coast. I believe they have preserved that right-of-way. North of Yulee, the railroad runs into Kingsland, from there the St. Merys Railroad runs to St. Marys and the Nuke Sub Base. There is also a former CSX/ARMY branch that wanders up and over to make a second connection with the base. Future lines to Baldwin will encounter several branchlines, one from US-90 (Beaver Street) to Gateway Mall and the mainline north over the Trout. Another branch fed into the Cecil Commerce Center (something the bright lights in the Navy or City Hall allowed to be pulled up... prior to shopping for new industry. {I can just imagine the look on the faces of these executives, "Oh look Mac they HAD a railroad for us, but they tore it up...duh?"})

A bit West and South and more former lines come into play, a former ACL, nee Jacksonville Southwestern mainline from west of Baldwin to Lake Butler, Raiford, Alachua - Gainesville, Micanopy, Ocala. Another is the remaining tap to a tiny surviving segment of this from Starke to Alachua. Another extensive Railroad runs from about 3 blocks from the front gate of Camp Blanding all the way to just South of Starke. Remains at Waldo, Monticello, Madison to Valdosta, White Springs - Live Oak - Dowling Park, Tallahassee to Carabelle, St. Marks, Thomasville

Some of these old right-of-ways are useless, others have use as AMTRAK, or perhaps commuter links, maintence bases . The facts are we have a network of railroads past or current that go where we want to be everyday. It's a trump card that Miami and Tampa don't have, and frankly, New York Atlanta and Washington only dream about. Wouldn't it be great if just once in our history, we seized the day?

Ocklawaha

[AndyB]

I would think a stop at Wells Rd in OP would be a good idea. There is a college, two new hotels and the dog track in close vicinity. Plus, this would relieve a great deal of congestion during rush hours.

[thelakelander]

I would think a stop at Wells Rd in OP would be a good idea. There is a college, two new hotels and the dog track in close vicinity. Plus, this would relieve a great deal of congestion during rush hours.

Its also a direct link between Park and Blanding with direct access to Orange Park Mall.  Perhaps the station they have at I-295 & Park, should be relocated a little south to Wells Road instead.

[pwhitford]

I have become afraid to be hopeful.  This plan, assuming the suggestions modifying some of the stops are incorporated, would be a magnificent achievement.  I am convinced it would not only stabilize and/or revitalize every area it reaches, spurring development and adding significant economic activity across this sprawling mess of a metropolis, but it would serve to unify us into a more powerful, integrated entity.  It may even provide the "turning point" so many have been waiting for.  What do we need to do to help make this a reality?

[Doctor_K]

I would think a stop at Wells Rd in OP would be a good idea. There is a college, two new hotels and the dog track in close vicinity. Plus, this would relieve a great deal of congestion during rush hours.

Its also a direct link between Park and Blanding with direct access to Orange Park Mall.  Perhaps the station they have at I-295 & Park, should be relocated a little south to Wells Road instead.

Theoretically a station at Wells would be better than at Collins, and a dedicated bus or even a PCT "trolly" route from that station up & down Wells (primarily to the OP Mall) would help.  That would help make it a destination.

Along with pwhitford's air of cautious optimism, the question that begs to be asked is "What are the odds that Clay County would be on board for this at all?"  And even St. Johns County for that matter, regarding the proposed SE corridor all the way down to St. Aug?  Could we be hoping for and subsequently biting off more than we can chew for a 'starter' system?

[Jason]

The starter system can dead end at the Duval county borders.  However, I'd have to believe that Clay and St. Johns would be willing to front the dough to tie into the system and reap the benefits.  Blanding and US17 can't get any wider, and 210 and US1 are on the brink of becomming another Blanding.  They can only win by jumping on board.

[thelakelander]

Along with pwhitford's air of cautious optimism, the question that begs to be asked is "What are the odds that Clay County would be on board for this at all?"  And even St. Johns County for that matter, regarding the proposed SE corridor all the way down to St. Aug?  Could we be hoping for and subsequently biting off more than we can chew for a 'starter' system?

At this point, its just a feasibility study.  I would assume a "starter" system would be to take whatever line is the most feasible and move forward with making it a reality.  The others would be part of a master plan and future phases, based on gaining additional funding.  Imo, that starter would most likely remain in Duval County, unless the other counties are willing to pay their fair share.

[Steve]

In addition, just because there is a stop there doesn't mean that necesarily every train would stop there.  For example, maybe only every other train makes the trip to Yulee or Green Cove Springs.  I just got back from London, Paris and Rome and London in particular was huge in to the "conditional stops" thing  There were some stations that were only served during rush hour in the morning and afternoon; they would just blow right by during the day.  Or, a train would stop running 5 stops to the end, unless it was rush hour or lunchtime.