Jacksonville Commuter Rail

Here we again folks! More state money! The Florida Times-Union February 1, 2008 Commuter rail study under way By DAVID HUNT, The Times-Union The Jacksonville Transportation Authority reached out to urban planners and retired railroad workers Thursday to give suggestions for a possible commuter train system in the region. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- The exchange between the group and those conducting a roughly $400,000 rail study signified the first meeting of the commuter rail citizens advisory panel. The study, headed by Camp Hill, Pa.-based consultants Gannett Fleming Inc., is expected to conclude by December. "Based on our congestion and the rail system we have now, we'd like to think it's feasible," said James Boyle, regional transportation planner for JTA. "But we need the study to make sure it's feasible." Boyle said the panel of about a dozen members was selected for its insight into Jacksonville's transportation needs. Among the group was Jerry Sullivan, a retired CSX worker who heads the North Florida chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. He said Jacksonville's scattered geography was a chief concern for commuter rail. "When I came here in 1986, the first thing I noticed was downtown was basically dead. Everyone was building their office parks outside of the city," Sullivan said. Other issues include cost effectiveness, parking availability and how to arrange train stations in a way that would shave time for commuters who'd otherwise be driving. The group met for about 90 minutes and plans to meet again in the spring. "This is the right time to be having this discussion," said Tom Hickey, the project manager for Gannett Fleming. The good news for the plan is that Jacksonville has six rail lines, each of them in good shape. The bad news is that the tracks are privately held by CSX, Norfolk Southern and Florida East Coast Railway. Access to the tracks likely would carry a price. An example: Last year the state signed a nearly half-billion dollar contract with CSX to make way for a Central Florida commuter rail network expected to be running in 2010. david.hunt@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4025 This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/020108/met_242544190.shtml.