Under the current high-speed rail plan, please explain how people will get from the train station to their jobs? I understand we can drive our cars to the station but what happens on the other end? Not all jobs are going to be walking distance from the closest stop? This underscores the need to have realistic efficient local transit before throwing endless amounts of money at connecting our Cities first.
I'm glad you asked these questions. I'll try to answer them.
1. I understand we can drive our cars to the station but what happens on the other end? Not all jobs are going to be walking distance from the closest stop?Like with any other transit corridor, the exact answer would depend on each station environment and final destination location desired by an individual rider. The initial HSR line down I-4 would have a total of five stations.
Excluding walkable TOD that would eventually grow around each station location (remember infrastructure investment facilitates urban development patterns), here is how things would stack up at each location.
Downtown TampaThe HSR station would be constructed next to the existing Marion Transit Center. Transit users would be able to walk to downtown destinations or use a variety of local based mass transit lines already in place or expected to be in place before 2015 (the year HSR would begin operations). Here are a few images showing existing DT Tampa streetcar and faux trolley lines, as well as Tampa's proposed BRT lines.
LakelandThe Lakeland station site had not been officially selected when Scott pulled the plug. City sites would have been tied in with the Citrus Connection bus system and the USF Poly site would have been located at the I-4/Polk Parkway interchange, directly adjacent to a full blown walkable university.
Walt Disney WorldWalt Disney World has the most efficient transportation system in Florida. This station would have been tied into that, providing it with direct connections to all of Disney's theme parks, attractions, hotels, retail and residential areas.
International DriveThis station site would have been next to one of the largest convention centers in the country. Transit connections would have been through the efficiently ran I-Ride Trolley and LYNX bus system.
www.iridetrolley.com/www.golynx.com/Orlando International AirportThis station would have been a part of an large intermodal terminal. From this point, a rider could transfer at the platform to Orlando's proposed Sunrail commuter rail system to access the urban core areas of central florida's cities (Kissimmee to Deland). For areas not adjacent to this rail spine, the LYNX bus system would also tie into the terminal.
2. This underscores the need to have realistic efficient local transit before throwing endless amounts of money at connecting our Cities first.The information above should answer this issue of planning for realistic efficient local transit that will tie in with an intercity rail line. These communities were working to fund a number of transit lines (both local and regional) at the same time. It now appears that a lot of that work and effort will go to waste and set them back for a generation. In today's changing economic climate, that's not a good thing.
Too many people can't see past our representatives' party affiliation to listen to the facts. Both sides just like to attack the other's decisions.
I agree. However, this article is not an attack on or from either side. It clearly points out that we don't exist in a vacuum by highlighting specific Jacksonville desired projects that will be negatively impacted by this decision. Up to this point, I don't believe this has been done by any of the local media.
The cost overruns argument from Scott is a legitimate one, and just because the money goes somewhere else doesn't make it bad decision for Florida.
The overruns argument isn't a legit one because Scott never waited for the studies he requested to be completed, allowed detailed bidding to take place or even consulted with FDOT and the professionals who have been planning these projects for decades now. Considering he doesn't have a history in transportation planning and didn't make the effort to fully vet the issue, it appears that the decision made is clearly the political one you mentioned in your response (see below).
Too many people can't see past our representatives' party affiliation to listen to the facts. Both sides just like to attack the other's decisions.
