5) SuperTall hotel/office Phase 2 downtown miami announcement
http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/20...ity-land-swap/
put the nail on the head of MiamiCentral station

http://www.tcpalm.com/opinion/column...337656001.html
this guy is either a jerk asshole or really wants AAF Vero Beach station?

Nope, just asshole.

They want a train stop. The Treasure Coast was begging for FEC to allow Amtrak to use their rails a few years back. That project would have included a couple of stations in the Treasure Coast. Once AAF came online and they found out they weren't getting a stop, the sour grape arguments started up.

Wow, wow! What is hell going on there? What's up with this guy? Is he jerks or something?

Good riddance to him!!!! Go to hell! :hell:

Congressman Mica is claiming AAF may be extending up to Jacksonville and Daytona within the next five years.

Full article: http://www.news-journalonline.com/ar...news/151109909

^ Nice to see Mica who is a Republican in favor of mass transit in Florida.

It's much easier to support mass transit than it is to support inter-city trains like Amtrak. Just look at the ridership numbers just for Penn Station in New York to see why.

Amtrak = 12,573,000
LIRR = = 83,496,000
NJT = 54,268,000
NYC Subway = Total = 55,132,214
34 St-Penn Station 1,2,3 = 28,638,643
34 St-Penn Station A, C, E = 26,493,571

So, at Penn Station specifically, local and regional transit ridership was 192,896,214; while all Amtrak ridership was 12,573,000. That's a ratio of over 15 to 1.

Of course, common sense suggests the amount of subsidy required per rider is different between the various transit agencies and Amtrak. I'm not aware if any of the various agencies actually break the subsidy amount down to specific stations. So it would be difficult to suggest which of the various trains have more economic impact. But I would suggest, by just the numbers of passengers, the data favors local transit agencies over inter-city rail.

Sources of data:
http://esd.ny.gov/subsidiaries_proje...irculation.pdf
http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffsubway.htm

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/b...-1-1b.html#g16
new airport station/roads/parking

The only reason hes pushing this project through is to get federal funding for CSX upgrades..

^??How would AAF lead to CSX upgrades? AAF will run on FEC's tracks.

I agree. I think it's right choice for everyone. For those people who take a public transit. They can take AAF or Amtrak. Whatever if you want to take. It's their choice.

Wow! Very nice pictures. I can see that. When they will be completed? I don't see a trams yet. They haven't build a tracks yet.

You should stick to what you know, which is the Tri-State.

I'm not a Repub, but Mica has always been progressive when it comes to transportation.

AAF doesn't even touch any CSX tracks. Through their parent FEC, they already have - and are building their own.

^^^ what a bunch of hogwash. Mica, of course, led a multi year jihad against Amtrak.

Eightball-- I agree with you. I've heard Rep. Mica describe Amtrak countless times as "Soviet-style rail," irregardless that Amtrak has enjoyed growing ridership every year for the past decade and the Northeast corridor is a profitable service.

Im talking about Sunrail...and this has been debating at length on SSC... Hahaha , Mica hates Amtrak and passenger rail...always so critical of it..typical republican...except when it comes to pleasing his buddies at CSX... And CSX is interconnected into FEC , im sure they'll want direct access to Central Florida...

As someone intimately involved in the local transportation industry (political and professional) this part about CSX and FEC makes no sense.

With that being said, from what I can tell, it's obvious that Mica likes AAF because its privately funded and operated.

Anyone knows what are the chances (and the timeline, in that case) of seeing an AAF stop at the Cocoa station?

No, they won't be Cocoa Beach. Only Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, as well.

Cocoa-Not-Beach, where AAF will be passing (and changing direction for the only time between Miami and Orlando).
https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4040877,-80.759075,15z

My links are a bit dated (Spring, 2015) but last I heard it was not initially planned (as a stop) but could be added later. I thought you guys might have more fresh info.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/op...ject/25963323/

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/op...-hub/26577323/


"In South Florida, work has begun on slick stations connected to shops, offices and commuter rail in downtown Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Trains could roll by 2017.

Brevard may not see 32 trains a day right away, and no one could say whether it will get a stop.

That will be for the market, not activists or local governments, to decide."

-------------------------------------------------------------------


"Q: What have you heard from Cocoa residents about it?

Parrish: I have a few residents that aren't for it. But I'd say about 70 percent are for it.

Q: But the service isn't planning to stop in Brevard, meaning your constituents wouldn't experience the upside. All Aboard Florida's president told me that's because they haven't detected a market here.

Parrish: This is a money-making enterprise, not subsidized like Amtrak or something. But I've sat in a lot of meetings with these guys and said, "You'd be crazy not to stop in Cocoa."

The Port is going to drive this. It's doing a market study for the company.

Passenger rail is the future. Obviously, I'm pro-cargo-rail too, but that's a little out of my purview. That'll happen a little farther north."