The Brightline Thread

[eleven=11]

is there any updates on the Orlando airport ???

[Lakelander]

This is the latest article about AAF I've come across this week:

All Aboard Florida will generate $6B in economic impact over next 8 years: report

full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonvi...-economic.html

[eleven=11]

the new airport station for All Aboard will also connect
with the new monorail to the convention center and florida Mall .....
anybody got route/plans for the monorail track.....

[eleven=11]

oh yeah , the maps are new for Orlando /ft laud & Miami
the wiki map & google maps.......

nice update on the MIA train station/Amtrak & TriRail

[N830MH]

Miami-Orlando train executives unveil plans for massive downtown station, shops


http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/2...xecutives.html

All Aboard Florida executives and city officials believe the station complex, about 3 million square feet, will spur commercial development for miles in all directions as well as become an iconic city landmark like the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge or New York’s Grand Central Station.

“Think of Grand Central Station,” said architect Roger Duffy, whose New York company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the station. “It’s an important anchor for the center of the city, and it spurred development of downtown Manhattan. Miami has sort of lacked that.”

[ardecila]

[Eightball]

This looks incredible!

Hopefully it is actually built!

[bobdreamz]

^ Florida East Coast Industries who owns the right of way for the AAF train station and the adjacent 11.2 acres of land on the edge of downtown Miami has very deep pockets to build this including a 80 story tower. In the map below everything in red is Florida East Coast property:



^ then the land between the American Airlines Arena to the Miami-Dade County Administration building is where the huge Miami World Center project is set to rise.



^ in the above rendering you can see on the upper left side where the current Metrorail line is & where this project will be behind the Miami World Center project. This is going to radically transform downtown Miami.

[202_Cyclist]

bobdreamz:

Florida East Coast Industries who owns the right of way for the AAF train station and the adjacent 11.2 acres of land on the edge of downtown Miami has very deep pockets to build this including a 80 story tower. In the map below everything in red is Florida East Coast property:

This is one of the most interesting transportation investments in the United States right now. This is very exciting to see.

Leveraging development and land-use around the stations to pay for infrastructure is the model that several of the Japanese high-speed rail operators use to help finance their system.

[bobdreamz]

202 What is crazy about this is that FECI has been sitting on these 11.2 acres in the heart of downtown Miami for about 50 years when they abandoned passenger rail and sold the right of way to the county to build Metrorail in the 1980's. They just basically used them as parking lots! This is what they own:



and what is to come :



I think they finally realized they have a Gold mine by owning adjacent property along the entire ROW on the All Aboard Florida route up to Cocoa.

[bobdreamz]

This is also what is happening in Ft. Lauderdale:

[atlantaguy]

This is all so exciting. Henry Flagler's legacy lives on, and in an amazing way.

[Lakelander]

I hope this Miami to Orlando train is a great success. I'd love to see them extend to Jacksonville and do something with the old Jacksonville Terminal. They already own the tracks and have been scouting the area out for a potential second phase. Hopefully something materializes before the decade is over.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by Lakelander

I hope this Miami to Orlando train is a great success. I'd love to see them extend to Jacksonville and do something with the old Jacksonville Terminal. They already own the tracks and have been scouting the area out for a potential second phase. Hopefully something materializes before the decade is over.

That would be fantastic, imo. I think a line to Tampa from MCO would also be a huge success.

FEC could basically replicate the original route of the HSR. I'm convinced they could make it work.

[Prahaboheme]

Key to the success of this entire project is a link to the Port at Cape Canaveral -- quickly expanding and a prime mass transit contender from OIA. I hope they jump on the opportunity to provide that connection.

[N830MH]

One more thing? What about West Palm Beach station? Did they consider it? I just wonder that they didn't build one yet.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Prahaboheme

Key to the success of this entire project is a link to the Port at Cape Canaveral -- quickly expanding and a prime mass transit contender from OIA. I hope they jump on the opportunity to provide that connection.

Where should they build a train station in the Cape Canaveral area? At the port on an offshore island, on a beach on another island, or on the mainland next to their mainline where most of the population lives? It will be significantly cheaper to do so on their mainline. Don't forget, All Aboard Florida is a privately ran and financed "express" train. For multiple stations in a metro area - at the port, at the beach,, at every town center - a publicly ran and financed rail line would be better.
Placong a light rail line down the center of US 1 would reach the most beaches, business, industries, and homes. A few spurs could be built off that spine for local traffic.

[Eightball]

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

^ Florida East Coast Industries who owns the right of way for the AAF train station and the adjacent 11.2 acres of land on the edge of downtown Miami has very deep pockets to build this including a 80 story tower. In the map below everything in red is Florida East Coast property:.

Thanks for the response, but I'm quite familiar with the project. There have been some pretty compelling arguments made about why it won't be built. Hopefully they are wrong and construction starts soon

Could be truly transformative for Florida. Talk is cheap though, so I won't get my hopes up until it is nearing substantial completion.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by electricron

Where should they build a train station in the Cape Canaveral area? At the port on an offshore island, on a beach on another island, or on the mainland next to their mainline where most of the population lives? It will be significantly cheaper to do so on their mainline. Don't forget, All Aboard Florida is a privately ran and financed "express" train. For multiple stations in a metro area - at the port, at the beach,, at every town center - a publicly ran and financed rail line would be better.
Placong a light rail line down the center of US 1 would reach the most beaches, business, industries, and homes. A few spurs could be built off that spine for local traffic.

I could certainly envision a station near Cocoa, and it would definitely be on the mainland before the Western turn down the Beachline Expressway to OIA.

Disney has an entire fleet of luxury coaches that shuttle people back and forth all day long from OIA to the Port. Not all trains would have to stop there, but a more frequent schedule just between OIA and Cocoa might interest Disney enough to be a minority partner. And, this will be the segment with the highest speeds. Several through trains from South Florida a day could stop there, but not all.

I think it could work. Disney of course would provide the 10 minute coach connection to the Port.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I could certainly envision a station near Cocoa, and it would definitely be on the mainland before the Western turn down the Beachline Expressway to OIA.

Disney has an entire fleet of luxury coaches that shuttle people back and forth all day long from OIA to the Port. Not all trains would have to stop there, but a more frequent schedule just between OIA and Cocoa might interest Disney enough to be a minority partner. And, this will be the segment with the highest speeds. Several through trains from South Florida a day could stop there, but not all.

I think it could work. Disney of course would provide the 10 minute coach connection to the Port.

The new 125 mph tracks next to the Beachline Expressway will be mostly single track. All Aboard Florida (AAF) is planning to run 32 express trains a day over it within an 16 hour daily window. That's a train every half hour or so. That's about as many trains that can be run on a single track line without creating congestion and slowing down trains. There isn't that many windows for additional Disney trains heading towards the port over it. Double tracking the line will double the expense building that last 40 miles next to the Beachline to make room for more trains. Considering all the complaints about the additional 32 passenger trains a day further south - I don't think AAF will ever double track that section of track. Although Sun Rail might lay the second track for commuter trains. The best hope AAF may do is build a train station and have some or all of the trains stop there. But that still will not provide resort to port (without transfers) service that the motor coaches already provide. Every local resort to port passenger occupying a seat would reduce the amount of seats available for higher fares coming from Central to South Florida passengers. The all important higher fares AAF is relying upon to make this train turn a profit. That's why AAF is not planning a station there at this time......
And please don't reply with the counter argument that AAF is planning three stations in South Florida. Few passengers will be paying the higher fares AAF will be charging for local traffic when TriRail can charge significantly (80%) cheaper fares because they are subsidized and don't need to turn a profit. Most of the AAF passengers will be riding between Central and South Florida.