If it were easy...

It wouldn't be worth it....

Let's face it, commuter rail isn't easy. It's always a difficult sell in the first few years, and the cost of rail can be pretty daunting. Recently several negative incidents have started to create a few rough waves in the future of Sunrail. Are these legitimate problems, or the same old harping and cheapshots that any public works project runs into?

It depends...

1. Not enough ridership...

Currently just over 2000 people a day are using Sunrail on average. The low ridership has caused some to feel that rail might not work in this area, the ease of access to I-4 they argue, and the car culture is so deeply ingrained so as to make rail projects of any size problematic at best. These critics have a point, but it's not as simple as their arguments make it seem. Many things affect ridership, station location, and pricing, economy etc... 

Solution? Time... and advertising.

ALL ABOARD!

Sunrail is still less then a year old since operations began, judging long term growth on less then a year is shortsighted, and doesn't allow for changes in peoples travel dynamics. Also advertising is minimal. There have been almost no commercials run for Sunrail save the odd negative news story (accidents, train delays, ticket problems. more on this later) With more/better advertising, and patience with a fledgling service, ridership can and will increase.


2. No weekend/night service...

Want to do a pub crawl on Saturday night? No such luck... how bout come home late from a club, or Concert? Nope.

This is a legitimate problem, as Sunrail was meant initially for day workers, not for events and partying. This was a strategic blunder. Travel should be for everybody, not just 9-5 folks.

Solution? ... We'll have to wait and see if demand and ridership are enough to expand train service.... They have begun to change, adding trains for special occasions, and free service to special events, but these have thier own problems (not enough trains, overcrowding, bad scheduling). 

3. Stations not close enough to urban/suburban areas. 

Deland's planned station is under fire for not being close enough to downtown. Sanford and Debary are also at issue. Lack of population density worries those who believe ridership from these stops are too low.

Solution? Relocate the Deland station closer to the city. Patience with the other stops.

Deland has several tracks that could be utilized to bring a station closer to the city. One set of tracks even ends close to Stetson University. Planners need to be flexible, and adjust to local concerns. Sunrail cannot be tunnel visioned, and moving station closer to downtown while expensive would go a long way to show the commitment of Sunrail, FDOT and the various controlling entities to make the system work. The other stops are already built and already construction on apartments has begun near them, so additional potential riders are coming.
 
4. Bad press...

Sunrail hits car! Sunrail Train delayed! New Sunrail link won't be built!?

This is the worst. Wether by design or accident, the Sunrail system has been consistently getting bad press. First off, there doesn't appear to be any spokesperson to represent Sunrail for people to turn to when things go wrong. "Sunrail officials say" is the only refrain when people hear in response. 

We'll be changing things as of today...

Solution? There needs to be a more visible and vocal pushback from Sunrail, a better public face to calm fears and squash rumors. An articulate spokesperson, and straight forward facts will go a long way to improve the image of Sunrail.It doesn't matter how quickly you move to fix and correct a problem, if there is no one telling the public directly whats being done, and apologizing for the mistake in the first place. Perception is 90% of the reality in these high-stakes times of social media.


Final judgment-
Sunrail has a lot of growing to do. It will take patience, political will and commitment to public transportation that will make Sunrail success. Lack of any of these in sufficient amounts will lead to Sunrail being a bust. But if it's flexible and willing to adjust to the needs of the community, Sunrail will be a success.

Good Fences Make for More Privacy...

Nice to find a little place on-line to get more details about each station, along with a schedule. The local Orlando Sentinel has a small section on their website they've just opened up.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/sunrail/

Much Todo About a Fence

In other news, a local homeowner has a little problem with the Sunrail double decked train. Apparently the train is tall enough to see over a 8 foot privacy fence, and they're worried that they're losing their privacy.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/sanford-residents-upset-say-sunrail-invading-their/nfc32/

Now, fences may give the illusion of privacy but most people know that fences don't provide 100% privacy. If you want to live in an exclusive 'your-eyes-only' resort, then your going to need to move to a private island, or at least your own compound in Ocala. I'm sympathetic that they didn't know the full height of the train, but I find the sudden outrage a bit late to the party. These trains have been tested almost nightly and daily for almost 6 months now, so feigning outrage at two weeks until opening day is a bit much.


There is simply no guarantee of privacy when you purchase a property, and the fact that there are railroad tracks directly behind your house is something you might want to think about before buying.


"Our privacy is being invaded by this train and I need to call Channel 9."

The constructed fence was obviously done without Sunrail in mind. With that said, there are a few things that can be done to make everyone happy. These trains aren't going anywhere, so we need to find a compromise.

• Add an addition to the fence. 

• This could be financed by Sunrail, or the HOA of the local subdivision.A taller fence, or just a small addition to the old fence with a privacy screen would solve the whole issue

• Add light shields to any direct light sources
• A secondary expense that may not be needed if step one solves it.

• Add Fence along Sunail Corridor
• A bit expensive, and undoubtedly not in the budget. 

There's no need for a hyperbolic argument, or any sort of public relations nightmare. A little courtesy, and respect for the homeowners plight would go a long way to show that Sunrail isn't a giant corporation bent on crushing everything before it.

In Search of a Bike...

I'm in, I'm commited, I'm ready...
Maybe.

If you're going to take on the challenge of adopting to the new mass transit future your going to need a few realizations.

- Sunrail will only get you close to your destination.
- You're going to need alternative transportation to finish the journey.

- Weather can and will ruin your day.

My Sunrail journey will drop me within about a mile and a half from my job in Sanford, FL. More then likely I'll need a bike to get to and from the station, as I doubt any of my coworkers will want to stop and pick me up. Now there are ride share programs for some of the bigger companies, rented vans with some corporations, and even rental cars for some of the stops downtown are planned. But for little old Sanford such plans aren't in the works.

Here are the few of the options available to most commuters:

• Road Bike

• Bike's run between 100 for the cheapest and over $1000 dollars for some of the high end models.


• A simple solution, an elegant mode of transportation for a more civilized time. 
• Need a good smooth path like pavement, and preferably a straight route to avoid time delays.
• Run between 9-15 mph's on average. So be sure to calculate your timing and schedule accordingly. 

• Bus

• Slower on average because of the many stops, and there is no guarantee that a bus will be waiting to whisk you away to your intended stop because of scheduling conflicts.
• Good for longer distances, and downtown if you don't want to bike.

• Taxi
• Fast and reliable if called ahead of time.
• Expensive, but not an issue for well monied travelers.  

So biking it is. I guess this also means I'll need a helmet. Also I need to watch the weather channel more often in the morning. Or maybe a good weather app for my phone.

About that Ad...

Okay we've all seen it... the new Sunrail ad airing on local stations.

Watch it here...

It's great, and terrible. It's good press... it's bad press. It's both for different reasons.


Let's break it down shall we?

The Good

1. It let's people know Sunrail is coming: There is a startlingly high rate of misinformation and simple ignorance regarding what Sunrail is and and what it isn't. This ad lets people know where to get the info, and inspires them check out the website.
2. It shows the spacious cabins and tables, the wifi, and the ample chair space.
3. The annoying girl gets peoples attention...

The Bad

1.  Cheese sticks? Really? Not funny in the slightest. Was this ad written in 2011? (insert G6 song reference here.)
2. It gives little practical information, like the cities it goes through, and the exact dates or times of when everything will actually be running. 
3. The annoying girl might make some people worry about noise intrusion into their own private spaces while riding.

Let's hope the advertising firm does better with their second ad. The message should be simple... here is an alternative from the UK, granted its a high speed train but the principals are the same.

Right here...

See that's how you do it, contrast, subtlety, nice music... no cheese sticks. Come on guys get it together.

And the Schedule is....

A lot has been made about how Sunrail didn't have a schedule yet... All that changed on Friday.
Here is the semi-official time table for Sunrail.

http://www.sunrail.com/?home/train_hours.htm

Now the schedule is subject to change, and were still a few months away. But now I know just how early I need to wake up to catch the train.

We Try...We Build...We Ride

An attempt at Suburban - Urban rail is being made in Central Florida. About hundred years after car companies and their dummy corporations removed Light Rail systems from the state. Central Florida has once again looked back to trains to facilitate a growing population. It's intent is noble, if a bit arrogant, and it's possibilities are enormous, yet limited by it's budget.
It was the source of derision by some, a curiosity by others, and a source of hope for hundreds of thousands of commuters tired of having only one option to travel in their traffic addled city.

Sunrail began in the late 1990's, when FDOT sponsored local schools, and entertained ideas on the way the area would change in the coming decade. As a child I visited family in New York, and was amazed out how people there were able to live and work and play, without ever seeing a car. As a Floridian, this puzzled me. Friends told me, "Florida will never have that sort of system," or "Florida doesn't need trains". Yet the question remained, why did it work so well up there, and why wouldn't it work here?

Years later, I heard about Sunrail. Unlike the vast majority of Central Floridian's, I followed the development month after month. I watched silently, wondering, if it would ever come to pass. Back and forth it went, legal battle after jurisdictional struggle. Through two governors, contentious elections, and adversarial lobbying groups, the train kept coming.

Now it's a few months away, and the time has come for the reality, and with it the inspiration of this blog.

This blog will be about one commuters journey with Sunrail, documenting what works, what fails, and hopefully what it all means.

-I'll do this through pictures, light news posts, and personal experiences.


-I'll also delve into the historical, and personal aspects of mass transit.

-This blog is about the future, about where we go from here, and whether or not we really are ready.

-JayT