Amtrak, All Aboard Florida, Tri-Rail

"The Florida Transit Nexus (My Description): A New Configuration" by v. johns, 7/27/13, 8:50 PM

Southeast Florida Transit Nexus is a term I have used to describe the massive network of federal, state and local mass transit outfits that would intersect and connect right here in Southeast Florida. When Governor Scott killed a bill that would have brought federal dollars for high-speed rail to our state, I renamed it the “Southeast Florida Mass Transit Corridor.” Now that All Aboard Florida has revived the option of passenger-rail service between Orlando and Miami (and possibly Tampa), I have renamed the term: The Florida Transit Nexus.

Should this system take shape, it will consist of the following entities:

1. East-coast Amtrak service between Jacksonville and Miami (federal, FEC tracks, proposed).

2. All Aboard Florida passenger-rail service between Orlando and Miami with possible expansion into Tampa (private, FEC tracks, proposed).

3. Tri-Rail service between Mangonia Park and Miami (state, CSX tracks, currently in operation).

4. Tri-Rail Coastal Service between Jupiter and Miami (state, FEC tracks, proposed).

5. FEC service between Jupiter and Miami with north-to-south and possibly east-to-west service on newly-built tracks (state, FEC tracks, proposed).

And…

6. All local mass-transit outfits, such as Palm Tran, Treasure Coast Connector, Martin County Public Transit, Miami-Dade Transit, etc. (all currently in operation).

Bringing a “Florida Transit Nexus” into fruition would solve a problem that Tri-Rail cannot: the growing need for commuter and passenger rail service between our region’s downtown urban cores (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Stuart, etc.). Tri-Rail was originally intended as a temporary solution to shuttle commuters between Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties as the completion of the last segment of Interstate 95 in northern Palm Beach county commenced. Since then it has grown in popularity and ridership amid rises in gas prices and a severe national economic recession that began in 2008 and left massive unemployment and rampant home foreclosures in its wake.

Recently, Tri-Rail has proposed a project called Tri-Rail Coastal Service to address commuter service needs east of I-95 and north of Mangonia Park. The addition of other commuter and passenger projects on FEC tracks will compliment and expand Tri-rail’s existing, built-in regional ridership.