transitrider wrote:Ocala Mike wrote:transitrider, that's an interesting map. Maybe I wouldn't have to drive to Gainesville so often with all those lines you have between Ocala and there!
By the way, you have Tallahassee in the wrong county; last I checked, it was in Leon County, a little further west than where you have it.
Thanks and these was my proposed new Amtrak Florida and it will be great if it was up/running today. I wasn't sure about Tallahassee btu I just assumed and just put it there. No biggie deal.
Once again, thanks!
.Transitrider nice to have you on the forum good looking draft. Hey Ocala mike nice to see you again.. being from the area I wonder if you remember the original Central Florida Commuter Rail project (CFCR) project back in the 80s. My grandfather who is still in Ocala had a article about it in the banner. I remember hearing about it but at that time i was just in my preteen years so I cant remember much I do remember it was shot down by all the old people who voted against it because they wanted there cars and didn't want any noise in there retirement communities, didnt want construction, refused to have any change in the area, they were just so for there current way of life. and felt they needed nothing else ( aka: the villages , leesburg, mount dora, etc.,). Im sure Mike you know what I'm talking about. Would have been great today if built, when back then it was thought to be a suitable Idea. Also the Ideal time to take whatever eminent domain then instead of waiting for the communities to grow as they were expected to do and did. It mainly would have run close to 441 from Ocala to Orlando as that route is a very populated stretch. provide a connection to Gainesville for all the U of F students ( myself included in the late 90s) and keep 75 and the turnpike free of traffic during the game weekends as Im sure you have seen. This would have been like Amtrak California where each section of the state would have there own branch IE: Surfliner ,San Joaquin, Capitol Corridor and cascades. Florida would have initially been set up this way and Central Florida was to be the starting point ( phase 1), next would have been southern Florida ( phase 2) and finally a direct line across the top Tallahassee to Jacksonville (phase 3). From my understanding the initial cost was around 1 billion at the time and the old fogies felt that was ridiculous to spend that kind of money on trains. Now there looking at that just for a line that only serves the Orlando area. Im pretty sure by now the routes would have turned a good profit if they were built.
Yellow was to be built first
Red was to be second
Green was to follow third
Here's a link to what it would have looked like, (phase 1) made the map myself from what I remember
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3632/335 ... 7221_o.gif
.......All would have been finished in the mid to late 90s and then the southern portion would have been the next project and would have been built between the 90s and completed just around now. I could only Imagine what it would cost now to reinvent this idea.
PS. all cities marked with numbers would have been terminal cities and linked/served at final completion of Amtrak Florida.
