First Coast Commuter Rail

First Coast Commuter Rail
Overview
Type Commuter rail
Status Alternative Study Stage
Locale North Florida
Termini Central: Downtown Jacksonville, FL
North: Yulee, FL
Southwest: Green Cove Springs, FL
Southeast: St Augustine, FL
Website http://www.jtafla.com/JTAfutureplans/Rail/
Operation
Character At-grade
Technical
Line length 91 mi (146 km)[1]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Route map
Legend
Yulee
Hedges
Nassau
Duval
Pecan Park
Airport Center Dr
Cole/New Berlin Rd
Interstate 295
Busch Dr
Heckscher Dr/Zoo
Trout River
East 64th
East 44th
Amtrak Silver Service to New York
Jacksonville Amtrak Station
East 21st
Warehouse District
Shands
Interstate 95
West 8th
Kings
Interstate 95
Jacksonville Regional Transit Center(Future Amtrak?)
St. Johns River
Prudential Dr/San Marco
Interstate 95
Riverside
FCCJ-Kent
Emerson St/Jackson Sq
San Juan Av
J. Turner Butler Blvd
Timuquana
Baymeadows Rd
NAS Jacksonville
Interstate 95
Avenues
Interstate 295 / Buckman Bridge
I-295
Duval
Clay
Orange Park
Old St. Augustine Rd
Lakeside
Race Track Rd
Duval
St. Johns
Doctors Inlet
Lake Asbury
Palencia
Green Cove Springs
Amtrak Silver Service to Miami
St. Augustine/St. Johns County Airport
St. Johns County Complex
St. Augustine
West Augustine
FEC Mainline to Miami

[2]

The First Coast Commuter Rail is a proposed commuter rail system serving Jacksonville, FL and northeast Florida. It is currently in the very early planning stages, having completed the first step of a feasibility study and currently pursuing an alternatives analysis.

Three routes were analyzed in depth, north to Yulee, FL, southwest to Green Cove Springs, FL and the southeast to St. Augustine, FL.[3]

A feasibility study was completed in November 2009 for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). James Boyle, JTA's regional transportation planner, has since said that there are no fatal flaws in the study.[1]

History

JTA hired a consultant to conduct a feasibility study in early 2008 at the cost of $400,000. It was completed in November 2009[4] The study looked into 7 routes, most along existing freight rail right of ways. Three of these, north to Yulee, FL, southwest to Green Cove Springs, FL and the southeast to St. Augustine, FL were selected for in depth study.[3] In the Summer of 2010, JTA allocated $1 Million for an Alternative Analysis study on the proposed system. This is required step to participate in the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) New Starts program.[5]

In May 2013, St. Augustine City Commission voted in a resolution supporting the proposal of a commuter train service on the southeast corridor. JTA says that the federal government could fund half of southeast corridor project, estimated to cost about $193.3 million. The proposal still needs approval from St. Johns County, The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization board and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority board.[6]

Routes

All routes in the in-depth study start in downtown Jacksonville and head out in one of three directions, North, Southwest and Southeast.

North Corridor

North Corridor
Overview
System First Coast Commuter Rail
Status Planning (Alternatives Analysis)
Termini Downtown Jacksonville, FL
Yulee, FL
Stations 15
Daily ridership 1020 to 2040 (Projected 2015)
Technical
Line length 23.7 mi (38.1 km)

The North Corridor originates in Downtown Jacksonville, and heads North along the abandon S-Line to the CSX Kingsland division line to Yulee, FL. The Kingsland division line is a remnant of the Seaboard Coast Line’s mainline. The route passes two miles (3 km) from Jacksonville International Airport.

Southwest Corridor

Southwest Corridor
Overview
System First Coast Commuter Rail
Status Planning (Alternatives Analysis)
Termini Downtown Jacksonville, FL
Green Cove Springs, FL
Stations 12
Daily ridership 1490 to 2970 (Projected 2015)
Technical
Line length 29.3 mi (47.2 km)

The Southwest Corridor originates in Downtown Jacksonville, and heads South along the CSX A-Line to Green Cove Springs, FL.

Southeast Corridor

Southeast Corridor
Overview
System First Coast Commuter Rail
Status Planning (Alternatives Analysis)
Termini Downtown Jacksonville, FL
St. Augustine, FL
Stations 13
Daily ridership 2410 to 4810 (Projected 2015)
Technical
Line length 38.4 mi (61.8 km)

The Southeast Corridor originates in Downtown Jacksonville, and heads Southeast along the Florida East Coast Railway's main line to St. Augustine, FL. The proposed 38.4-mile (61.8 km) route is the northernmost part of a 368-mile (592 km) freight rail line to Miami.

The corridor already serves 17 regularly scheduled interregional freight trains a day. The 2009 feasibility study estimated that this route could carry an estimated 5,132 riders in 2015 and 5,469 by 2020 on trains between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Travel time is estimated at 51 minutes end to end. [7]

Notable proposed stops along the route include Palencia, The Northeast Florida Regional Airport, the St. Johns County Complex, downtown St. Augustine, West Augustine, Race Track Road, Avenues and JTB.[6][7]

See also

Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Commission

References

  1. 1 2 JTA finds ‘no fatal flaws’ in commuter rail study
  2. title=Candidate Rail Stations |accessdate=2011-02-04 |publisher=Jacksonville Transportation Authority}}
  3. 1 2 Feasibility Study Final Report
  4. "Report: Jacksonville commuter rail would be costly". jacksonville.com. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  5. "Jacksonville Commuter Rail Plans Progressing". Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Commuter-rail-from-Saint-Augustine-to-Jax-gets/FXGBaYRtu0K5Ui5YjObp2Q.cspx
  7. 1 2 "St. Augustine asked to support commuter rail link to Jax - StAugustine.com Mobile". Retrieved 6 May 2016.
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