This is the best and worst of times for local public transit

This is the best of times and the worst of times for public transit in Central Florida.

First the bad news. Earlier this week (5/21) a referendum to add a penny to the sales tax in Osceola County was resoundingly defeated by voters. In addition to road projects, a portion of that money was also supposed to be used to improve SunRail and Lynx bus service.

No one loves the idea of increased taxes. Granted sales tax increases cause a special burden on people struggling to make ends meet. Improved public transit – weekend SunRail and improved bus service – also expands opportunities for those same workers.

We also know that Osceolans love and make great use of public transit. You can see that every day for yourself every weekday mornings on northbound crowded trains headed out of Osceola, and at the downtown Kissimmee intermodal station (shown in the accompanying photo) where workers board buses. It was not too long ago that there was no Lynx bus service in Osceola County.

The voters have spoken and now the burden falls on Osceola elected officials to identify other sources of money needed to keep growing public transit for residents.

The good news, however, outweighs the bad.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings last week announced plans to pursue the one-cent sales tax increase in Orange County to improve public transit. That is an important move because the reason public transit is so weak is because there is no dedicated source of funding for it. Hopefully, Mayor Demings and his supporters will take the time to understand why the initiative failed in Osceola.

As a reminder, no public transit system in the world can pay for operations solely from the fare box. Typically, a transit system can pay about 30 percent of the costs from fares. Beyond that, they need government support.

Remember, public transit is a service. The police and fire are also very expensive services paid for by the government. Unlike police and fire, transit raises some of the money needed to pay for its operating costs. Keep in mind that all transportation – from the street outside your house to the airlines – receive government subsidies.

The most exciting news came this week when Virgin Trains (formerly Brightline) announced that it started construction on tracks between West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport. This has been discussed for years and now it’s happening. We can’t wait.

The best is yet to come.

See you on The Rail!

Try downloading SunRail's new app

SunRail’s App is up and running.

We just downloaded the app today (5/13) on our iPhone and it looks pretty good. (Just go to the app store and type SunRail. We’re told it also works on Android smartphones.)

It’s just a shame that it has taken this long because many people have been clamoring for an app since SunRail’s launch. Riders on the move need an app, not the pseudo dingbat SunRail had for years.

The previous management at SunRail said an app wasn’t needed. That really made no sense since every company or organization has an app for the convenience of fans.

Credit for making the decision to create this app should rightly go to SunRail CEO Nicola Liquori who has developed a reputation for cutting through the silliness to get things done.

She was the leader who approved the text alert system to notify riders when there are service interruptions.

The debate over initiating a text message system lasted for a year and after Ms. Liquori came aboard, she moved ahead.

Sadly Ms. Liquori doesn’t have the budget or the authority to expand service to weekends and late nights, but she was the first SunRail executive to publicly admit the lack of weekend service was a major pain point for riders and would-be riders.

Now that the app is available, we would love your feedback on its functionality.

See you on The Rail.

SunRail repairs and delays may continue through Tuesday

Monday (5/6) got off to a rocky start for many SunRail riders because a downed power line damaged train signals and control systems from Sanford to Longwood.

The storm damaged some railroad crossing gates where crews had to use flags to stop the traffic and usher the trains through the crossing. The reduced speeds slowed down train traffic throughout the 49-mile SunRail system.

The morning delays were made even worse when a SunRail train hit a car that was on the tracks around 8:30 a.m. No one was hurt in that wreck.

The storm damage has proven to be the biggest problem on Monday.

A SunRail spokesman said, “Crews are working to fix the damage and resulting outages, which are fairly extensive.

“The work will last throughout the day, meaning delays will persist during off-peak times today, as well as affect the afternoon peak, half hour schedule. The repair work is likely to extend into tomorrow and possibly Wednesday, but the delays are expected to be shorter as more of the system comes back online.”

Despite the situation on Monday, SunRail has a strong record of meeting train schedules, as the accompanying chart shows a greater than 95% on-time record.

To stay informed, please check www.sunrail.com, SunRail on Twitter, or to receive SunRail text message alerts sent directly to your mobile device, text SunRail to 31996 to subscribe.

The text message system, which was requested by riders, has proven to be very helpful. This morning, the first warning regarding problems and delays was transmitted at 5:02.

Happy birthday, SunRail!

What a difference 5 years make!

We clearly remember the pre-dawn darkness of the morning of May 1, 2014 when we boarded the first regularly scheduled northbound train departing from the Sand Lake Road SunRail station.

You would have thought it was a moon launch from Cape Canaveral. The station and the train were packed with reporters, railfans and some genuine commuters seeking a less stressful way of getting to work.

The first few days of SunRail service were amazing – almost overwhelming. So many people tried SunRail during the first weeks that extra trains were added to accommodate the overflow crowds.

The excitement was understandable because local train service for the Orlando metro area – an idea that had been dreamed about and debated for decades – opened a new era for Central Florida. SunRail created a new transportation corridor along the I-4 corridor, one of the nation’s fastest growing areas.

From its first day, SunRail connected three counties and most of this region’s major employers, including downtown Orlando, Orlando Health and Advent Health (formerly Florida Hospital) downtown Orlando and the Sand Lake Road station, which has a quick bus connection to Orlando International Airport. It’s noteworthy that SunRail also attracts riders from neighboring Lake and Polk counties. They would rather ride the train that fight congestion on I-4 and other highways.

Last summer SunRail grew by 4 stations – to a total of 16 – thanks to the Southern Expansion into Osceola County (and connected a fourth county). That expansion nearly doubled SunRail’s daily ridership to the point that on many mornings and afternoons there is standing-room only at some train stations.

Looking out the train window during the past 5 years it’s easy to see how SunRail has super-charged growth in Central Florida. Take Maitland station, for example. Five years ago, there was nothing at that station. Today, there’s an attractive apartment complex next to the station. Apartment complexes have also been built at the Lake Mary, Longwood, and Lynx Central Station. More Transportation-Oriented Developments are under construction at Tupperware and Sand Lake Road. Plans are also in the works for DeBary and Kissimmee.

The billions in new construction have meant more real-estate tax money to improve the quality of life in the counties where SunRail operates.

Though SunRail was launched mainly to serve commuters, it has also developed a strong following of leisure riders heading to lunch in Winter, Sanford, and Kissimmee; the museums and theaters at Loch Haven Park, and sporting, cultural events and date nights in downtown Orlando and other destinations along the SunRail corridor.

While the launch of SunRail may not be quite as big a deal as the opening of the Magic Kingdom, it has changed Central Florida. SunRail at 5 years old shows a bright and promising future. As Central Florida leaders work to embrace the opportunities ahead, SunRail has the potential to connect the region even more.

For more information, click here.