VIDEO, Passengers on the Florida East Coast

PARADISE REGAINED

http://www.fecrwy.com/home.aspx

In November 2009 a train consisting of the private rail cars of the American Association Private Cars Owners , rolled down the Florida East Coast Ry, on a tour! After the death of it's founder, Henry M. Flagler, the FEC skidded in and out of a bankruptcy that lasted until the 1960's. 25% of all revenue was from the huge fleet of passenger trains, and passenger trains represented 75% of the roads traffic.

Sadly, the anti-public, union busting, maverick railroad, was known over the next 20 years as the little railroad with a big stick. Constantly improving and raking in profits with renewed energy in freight traffic, the railroad had no time for pleasure. ANYONE caught on FEC property would be immediately escorted to the nearest exit, and any delay would result in arrest, on the spot. No pictures, no passengers, no railroad fans, no buildings, no nonsense, high returns, and more "NO TRESSPASSING," signs then . Good Business? Maybe, but so much ill will was garnered that when the company joined the Rail America family, the public was shocked at the friendly reception. It was time for a change.




Suddenly the FEC RY is flirting with the passenger business, and is working with the Florida Department of Transportation, Amtrak and the east coast communities, to create a new East Coast Corridor. Test trains and private cars, something unheard of only a few years ago are again becoming common. It appears that the axe has been buried and the railroad is back as the Speedway To America's Playground.

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AMTRAK TO THE FLORIDA EAST COAST!

NOVEMBER 2012, IS THE TARGET DATE FOR THE FIRST PASSENGER TRAINS TO ROLL ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST SINCE 1968.

From the Treasure Coast Palm comes this interesting quote:

In early October, the Florida Department of Transportation will apply for some $70 million to $100 million in federal economic stimulus funds to re-establish passenger rail service from Jacksonville to West Palm Beach.

Theoretically, the project could be given a green light by November, with funding documents in FDOT’s hands by December or January and construction beginning in early 2010, said Kim Delaney, growth management director for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.
Under that scenario, the golden spike could be driven and ribbons cut by October 2012, Delaney said.

“This project is already embedded in FDOT’s work schedule,” Delaney said. “There is a huge amount of work already underway,” ranging from preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition to environmental screening, she said.

On Monday, officials from Stuart, Martin County, two area planning organizations, FDOT and Amtrak met to begin amassing facts, figures and data in support of a Stuart Amtrak station near downtown.

There will be more on this exciting story in the near future. To read the complete article about the new Stuart Amtrak Station see: <http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/aug/31/no-headline---mc_amtrak/>

Another article with regards to Vero Beach, can be found at: <http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/aug/31/all-aboard-vero-beach-chooses-3-possible-sites/>

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St. Augustine leads Intermodal Way

Photo: Skybus Airlines at St. Augustine Airport
Will the Nations Oldest City Lead the Way?

Those familiar with St. Augustine's Airport location north of the ancient city, realize there is scant room to expand. Now that it has gone commercial with the Skybus Airlines, which came and went, being the first of what might become a community of carriers. St. Augustine is trying to figure out how to expand and build a terminal worthy of America's FIRST tourist destination. In the background is the State of Florida and Amtrak's long efforts to move one of the Florida trains back onto the Florida East Coast Railway between Jacksonville and Miami. Those tracks are just across the big 4-lane spread of US Highway 1, between downtown Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Toss in the long delays in full system funding for Amtrak, (something every administration has refused to do since the company was started in 1971) suddenly looking like they may finally get those long needed dollars. To this add the efforts of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) and plans for a BRT bus system to the County line, and the statement, "We'd like to do rail, someday..."
Suddenly the little old City down the road had a vision right out of a good Sci-Fi "Space" movie with NASA at the center of the plot. They went to work on a plan to span the giant road with a multi-modal terminal of their own, one that would serve as Airport Terminal, Amtrak Station, JTA buses, Commuter Rail and anything else that can roll, fly or float... Yes, there is a river right behind the property. I thought you might like a look at a tiny piece of what the St. Augustine Airport Authority is saying about their plans.

• Multi-Modal transportation Facility - the physical limitations surrounding the development of the airport precludes easy expansion of landside facilities support of unprecedented growth. Community and Airport planners have advocated the development of a multi-use transportation facility to address demand. The proposed 50,000 sq. ft. facility would accommodate aviation, rail and all surface vehicle demands in a facility that would eliminate the costly duplication of infrastructure otherwise required for each transportation mode. Estimated total cost is projected to approach $20 million. The lead community agency (the Airport Authority) is pursuing State grants to start the facility. The likelihood of a federal funding requirement is significant if the innovative approach to regional transportation is to be realized.

My hat is off to St. Augustine for showing the way to big sister Jacksonville, and the rest of Florida. But then, being first is not new here, they have been doing it since that first European Flag came ashore.

It really isn't the matter that Skybus chose a time of high flying fuel prices to start up an airline. What got the industrys attention is that little airport that filled nearly every seat on every flight. With Skybus gone, you can bet someone else is already watching.