The Silver Rail Blog

Good news for Amtrak's Silver Star, as reported in the Tampa Tribune: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/sep/08/sp-amtrak-silver-star-ridership-increases/news-money/

--Jackson McQuigg

As it has for SunRail, liability insurance provisions in the proposed agreement with Amtrak to begin passenger service on Florida East Coast Railway has become an issue.  Amtrak wants "no fault liability" language in the contract.  Each party would be responsible for its own financial costs from accidents that involve injury or death to passengers and railroad employees. 

Amtrak's position is they have a national policy of no-fault liability that is an industry-wide standard and is the manner in which Amtrak currently operates its exisitng service within Florida. FDOT seems not to favor this approach for either SunRail or FEC service and it appears to differ from the liability insurance agreement currently in effect between FDOT and Amtrak for operating over the state-owned Tri-Rail track in south Florida.

The issue may ultimately have to be resolved legislatively when the state legislature convenes next year.  State representative Thad Altman of Viera said he is willing to sponsor such legislation.

A decision on whether Florida will receive the $250 million federal grant to begin Amtrak service on the FEC is currently expected to be known in October.

Sadly, opposition against the idea of adding a one cent sales tax in the Tampa area to support transportation and transit is forming.

The new group, No Tax for Tracks, has launched a website, http://notaxfortracks.com.

Curiously, the main page on the site features a photo of a restored Milwaukee Road "Skytop" observation lounge, as well as a cartoon of a caboose. Neither, of course, have anything to do with modern rail transit.

FCRP supports this penny sales tax, as transit in Tampa is long overdue for an overhaul! The Coalition is part of the Moving Hillsborough Forward Coalition, which can be found on the web at http://www.movinghillsboroughforward.org/

A referendum on the sales tax will be on the ballot in Hillsborough County in the November elections.

--Jackson McQuigg

FCRP received the following email yesterday.

You are encouraged to respond and encourage planners to include intercity, commuter, and other forms of passenger rail in the plan for Florida's transportation system of the future.

--Jackson McQuigg

###

Dear Transportation Partner:

A Statewide Transportation Summit was held in Orlando last week to obtain partner
and public comment on draft 2060 Florida Transportation Plan (FTP) goals,
objectives, and implementation strategies.  We would like to encourage those of you
who did not attend the summit to provide your comments and suggestions on the same
material using an on-line survey tool.

The link below takes you to an on-line survey for your use in rating and commenting
on all draft 2060 FTP goals, objectives and strategies reviewed at the summit.
There are 5 goal areas (Community Livability; Economic Competitiveness, Connectivity
and Mobility; Environmental Stewardship; Infrastructure Maintenance, Preservation
and Operations; and Safety and Security) plus guiding principles and implementation
strategies for the cross-cutting area of Governance and Coordination.

http://www.2060ftp.org/index.php?/home/what_is_new/comments_welcome_on_draft_2060_ftp_goals/

We hope you will take time to review and comment on those areas of interest to you
or even better, to review and comment on all areas.  Your input must be received by
August 31st to be considered by the 2060 FTP Steering Committee at its September
9-10 meeting.

We also urge you to send this link to your membership, constituencies, and
colleagues to enable them to access and complete the on-line survey as well.

Thank you,

Heather S. Garcia
Public Involvement Manager
District 5 Department of Transportation
719 S. Woodland Blvd., MS 521
DeLand, FL  32720-6834
386.943.5077
heather.garcia@dot.state.fl.us<mailto:heather.garcia@dot.state.fl.us>

www.2060ftp.org<http://www.2060ftp.org>

FDOT is having another series of public meetings on the Florida High Speed Rail project.

 

They are:

 

Tampa Convention Center - Tuesday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Lakeland Civic Center - Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Orange Country Convention Center - Thursday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

 

A question-and-answer session will take place as part of the meetings, which are primarily intended as informational sessions for businesses interested in contracting for construction of the high speed rail system.

 

They are free and open to the public with no advance registration required.

 

More information in the Tampa Tribune here. You can read earlier coverage from the Bradenton Times here.

 

--Jackson McQuigg

 

You read it here first, folks:

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authored_newsitem.cws_home/companynews05_01573

Incidentally, dieting is also reported to be effective.

--Jackson McQuigg

From the St. Petersburg Times:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2010/08/dockery-seizes-on-sunrail-delay-blasts-legislators-for-overlooking-amtrak-details.html

--Jackson McQuigg

The final negotiations between FDOT, Amtrak and Florida East Coast Railway have concluded and the federal grant application for $250 million dollars for Amtrak service has now been submitted.  If approved, the funding would pay for eight passenger stations on the FEC, construction of a connecting track between FEC and the existing Tri-Rail/Amtrak line in West Palm Beach, capacity and infrastructure improvements to permit speeds on the FEC up to 90 mph where achievable, and the purchase of locomotives and passenger cars to support two daily frequencies. The service is planned to begin not later than three years after the grant is approved.

More than 160 resolutions from local governments, agencies and organizations along with letters of support from the Governor and Florida legislative delegations were submitted with the application. 

The draft application for a federal grant to extend Amtrak service on the Florida East Coast Railway is essentially complete.  There is an "Agreement in Principle" between Amtrak and FDOT, though the liability provisions are still being negotiated.  There will be two round-trips per day for the eight planned cities and the station locations have all been determined. Matching funds of 33% have been secured which is above the 20% minimum required from state and local governments for the federal grant application.  In a recent development, FDOT and Amtrak have left open a possibility to expand service to other communities in future phases.

5 years ago today, I got onboard the long gone Sunset Limited at Houston, which at the time was 5 hours late.  Although we arrived in NewOrleans, 5 hours late as well, we left there on time, thanks to the scheduled layover of 6 hours, and arrived in Jacksonville a full 25 minutes ahead of schedule the next day.  About 4 weeks later, it was gone for good east of  NewOrleans.

Rest in Piece, you were great while you lasted those 12 years.