SunRail screwed Volusia out of DeLand train station

SunRail is running off the tracks.

Volusia County Council (county commission) members are ready to pull the plug on SunRail unless the promised DeLand SunRail train station gets built.

Who can blame them?

Mythical DeLand SunRail station

Nine years ago Volusia signed on to SunRail because they were promised a train station in DeLand – Volusia’s county seat.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) currently operates SunRail. Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Osceola counties and the city of Orlando are supposed to take over the financial responsibility and operations of SunRail in 5 years when FDOT leaves the project.

Three new stations are currently being built in Osceola County – with the help of a special federal grant. A new spur is being planned to connect SunRail tracks to Orlando International Airport. But nothing is going on with the DeLand station.

Last year SunRail’s FDOT masters applied for a special federal grant to extend the SunRail tracks to DeLand. The grant was denied. This spring FDOT was preparing another application for the federal grant. In a surprise move, at the last moment, FDOT chose not submit the grant application to extend tracks to DeLand.

Volusia County deserves more than sweet words from FDOT. The county was promised a SunRail DeLand station. FDOT needs to deliver.

Currently SunRail tracks only go as far as the Volusia County city of DeBary – one of the busiest stations in SunRail.

We’re passionate supporters of SunRail. We’re also deeply disappointed in the defective SunRail product FDOT delivered. The train service is limited to weekdays. There are service gaps of up to 2 ½ hours. No late-night service. There’s no trains to DeLand, even though that service was promised.

No surprise SunRail is used by fewer than 2,000 daily because its schedule is so inconvenient. SunRail’s potential is tremendous. There are at least 10,000 people on the SunRail track corridor who could be use the train daily.

SunRail was pitched as a vital element in the I-4 transportation network. Unless our leaders wake up, SunRail will run off the tracks in 2021 when FDOT departs. We’re furious because FDOT’s poor leadership, poor planning, poor attitude and indifference to customer satisfaction are responsible for SunRail’s failures.

Please get this railroad back on the tracks.

Take Xerox to the woodshed for screwed-up SunRail ticket machines

SunRail says it’s too late to fire Xerox for the lousy job that company has been doing with the ticketing system it was paid to install.

But it’s not too late to get tough with the technology giant. Last Friday – when 9,000 people rode SunRail – the machines were terrible Even a top Florida Department of Transportation official agreed that the machines performance was unacceptable.

And the way to get tough is to insist that top Xerox executives attend this Friday’s meeting of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission – the body that oversees SunRail -- to give a progress report on the ticket-vending system. Yeah, we know they’ll say they’ve been solving some of the problems. Listen carefully, that’s the sound of us playing the world’s smallest violin.

As all riders know, the ticketing system is terrible. Riders have missed the train trying to get tickets from these blasted machines. We’re pissed off. It’s time for the rail commission – elected officials – to give it to Xerox with both barrels.

At every rail commission meeting the SunRail staff is stuck with the job of explaining why the ticketing system breaks down so often and fails with simple transactions – such as handling transfers between the buses and the train.

SunRail staff members are not ticket-vending machine technicians. That’s why Xerox was hired. The corporation has more than 100 years of technology experience. This is a multi-million dollar contract. Opening-day glitches are understandable, but problems persist since last May – eight months! Even on a good day the machines are incredibly slow.

We’re sick of it. And it’s time for Xerox to face the heat for their own failure.

Yeah, we know it’s kind of the last minute to demand Xerox officials attend Friday’s meeting, but what the heck, tell them to hop on their corporate plane and jet down here. They’re lucky they don’t have to buy a ticket from one of their balky machines.

SunRail's ticketing system sucks

Enough’s enough with SunRail’s unreliable ticket-vending machine system.

Xerox is the vendor with the contract to install and maintain the machines. Quite frankly, the ticketing system hasn't worked since Day 1.

It’s not as though SunRail just launched the other day. SunRail has been running revenue operations since mid-May 2014 when riders were required to buy tickets. We’ve been in SunRail stations where 3 of the 4 vending machines were out of order. In addition, the ticketing problems have fouled up back-office operations that make it difficult for SunRail to accurately count and analyze ridership trends.

On Friday, Jan. 2, the machines had all kinds of problems when riders surged into stations to ride SunRail at the end of the Christmas holiday season. In some cases SunRail trains left stations while people were still in line trying to buy tickets.

Rube Goldberg contraption

Even when the machines actually work, they’re incredibly slow. Who designed these machines? Rube Goldberg? (Millennials, please Google)

Xerox has a million excuses and says they’ve sent squads of techs to resolve the issues. That’s too little, too late. If Xerox can’t deliver, then they shouldn’t have bid on the job.

The ticket-vending machine problems leave many SunRail riders -- and would-be-riders -- with a bad taste in their mouths. Those riders don’t complain about Xerox. They complain about SunRail. 

We think Xerox's top executives should attend the Jan. 9 meeting of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission to take heat directly from our elected officials.

It’s time to cut the crap.

SunRail says it’s withholding payment to Xerox, and certainly lawsuits are probably in order. But none of that helps the riders who have been inconvenienced by the ticket-machine problems.

Fortunately, we’ve got a solution. Every time a rider tries to buy a ticket and the machine is too slow, or it won’t work, the rider should board the train without a ticket and tell the conductor what happened. The conductor should record the number of riders who couldn’t buy a ticket. Then Xerox should be charged $7.50 -- the full price of a round trip ticket from DeBary to Sand Lake Road.

Will some scamsters game the system? We’re sure they will. But you know whose problem that will be? Xerox. Get the ticket-vending machine system fixed and Xerox won’t have to pay the fares anymore.

The ticket-vending machine problems aren’t an inconvenience. They’re an embarrassment. We’re tired of it.

See you on The Rail.

Volusia officials seem to suffer from SunRail buyers' remorse

We can’t believe the Volusia County Council is whining about plans to extend SunRail service to DeLand.

This is not a new topic. This has been discussed and discussed. State engineers have done their work, now it’s time for Volusia to pony up.

In a way we’re not surprised about this recent outburst of buyers’ remorse. It would be unfair to call Volusia County Council Chair Jason Davis -- who serves on the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission -- a SunRail hater, but considering some private comments we’ve heard him make, he’s no friend.

While the Volusia County Council is whining about whether to pay their share for expanding service to DeLand, Volusia County residents have demonstrated they’re huge SunRail fans. Even though SunRail only has one station in Volusia County, that station is one of the busiest in the SunRail system. The parking lot at the DeBary SunRail station is running out of spaces.

Hopefully the SunRail commission won’t spend too much time dickering with Volusia. If they don’t want to extend the train service to DeLand; fine. Let’s not extend it. Five years from now Volusia officials will wish they grabbed the opportunity when they had it.

Regardless of what Volusia does, we’re eager to see SunRail service extended down to Osceola County. Unlike Volusia Commissioner Davis, Osceola’s representative on the commuter train commission is a strong proponent for mass transit.

Newly elected Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer, who has just joined the rail commission, grew up in New York City and she rode the bus and train to work and school. Many of her constituents rely on public transportation. She understands the importance of reliable, affordable mass transportation. We’re excited to have Ms. Janer join the rail commission.

Next SunRail commission meeting will be BIG!

Mark down Jan. 9 on your calendar.

That’s the date when the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission will hold its next meeting. 

Commission members in November

That commission of locally elected government officials oversees the management of SunRail. The commission’s members include Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Seminole County Commissioner Carlton Henley, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Volusia County Council Chairman Jason Davis and Osceola Commissioner Viviana Janer.

In our opinion the upcoming meeting will be the most important one that has been held since SunRail began operations last May.

Four hot topics that are sure to be discussed include:

1.    The SunRail #NightTrain. This new late-night train, which we have campaigned for since July, wasn’t even on the agenda the last time the rail commission met in November. You can be sure commission members will pay close attention to ridership of the train that begins its last southbound run in DeBary at 9:05 p.m., and its last northbound trip from Sand Lake Road at 10:20 p.m.

#NightTrain in Winter Park

Up to this point the #NightTrain is an experiment. If it gets strong ridership it will help us make a stronger argument to expand SunRail service to the weekends. That’s why it’s absolutely critical for each and every one of us use  #NightTrain during the next two weeks to explore and enjoy Central Florida in the evenings during the holidays and after work hours. Don’t procrastinate, ride this week.

2.    Extension of SunRail service to DeLand in Volusia County. State engineers have finished 30 percent of the plans for that extension. However, Volusia County Council members are starting to whine about paying the county’s share of the costs. The money is due on Jan. 3, but county council members are scheduled to discuss this matter on Jan. 8 – the day before the rail commission meets. SunRail is scheduled to start serving DeLand in 2016 – if the money comes through.

3.    Preparations for the I-4 Ultimate project. SunRail was launched to provide commuters with a transportation alternative during the massive 21-mile construction project that will begin in late January 2015 and continue through 2021. Everyone is expecting that construction will prompt more commuters to jump on SunRail. We’re eager to hear about the preparations.

4.    Passenger advisory council selection. Orlando and Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties are expected to name their representatives to this group at the next meeting. Osceola County will name its representatives in 2016 when the train service is expanded down through Kissimmee to Poinciana in 2016. We’re excited that this council is being established to serve as a voice for SunRail riders. If you want to serve, click the name of your local government's representative on the rail commission.

As far as we’re concerned, when it comes to SunRail, the best is yet to come.

See you on The Rail.

Weekend and late-night SunRail service is (almost) on the way

They heard you.

The petition signing and riding SunRail on Black Friday to demand SunRail service be expanded to the weekends and later at night has made a big impression.

This (Wednesday) afternoon at a meeting of the SunRail Technical Advisory Committee Florida Department of Transportation bosses agreed that they were impressed by the turnout for #RideBlkFri and they openly suggested what expanded SunRail service might look like.

They’re talking about adding four trains (that means 4 round trips between Sand Lake Road and DeBary) on weekdays, and 9 roundtrips on Saturday and Sundays. Yup, real weekend service!

Don’t do a victory dance yet. The real devil is in the details, and as you might imagine getting that service expansion boils down to politics and money.

First, a quick history lesson. SunRail operations are being overseen at this time by the Florida Department of Transportation because this rail system was built to alleviate the huge traffic jams that are expected when the massive Interstate 4 construction project begins this coming February. In 2021 (that’s no typo) after the construction is complete, the financial responsibility for SunRail will go to the city of Orlando and Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties.

So before FDOT commits to expanding the SunRail service the state needs to get assurance that those local governments are willing to pick up the tab when the time comes. Here’s another little factoid to keep in mind, there is almost no public transit system anywhere in the world that pays all of its expenses from the fare box. That’s why local government money is needed.

How much is all of this going to cost? SunRail is currently tallying the estimate and plans to release a “white paper” in a few weeks that will get into all the gory details.

If all the stars are in alignment and those local governments agree, we could have weekend and late-night SunRail service in six months.

Sure, that’s a little frustrating, but we remember when no one really wanted to discuss expanded SunRail service? Now SunRail bosses are openly discussing the idea and even suggesting what that expanded service might look like.

You are responsible for pushing the expanded service idea this far. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.

What issues should be addressed at this week's big SunRail meeting?

The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission will hold its quarter meeting this Wednesday morning, Nov. 12. That commission oversees the SunRail commuter train system.  What issues do you want to see them address and resolve at the meeting?

The commission members are: Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Seminole County Commissioner Carlton Henley, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Volusia County Council Chairman Jason P. Davis and Osceola County Commissioner Frank Attkisson. Ms. Jacobs chairs the commission; Mr. Henley serves as vice chair and Mr. Dyer is secretary.

Want to run SunRail?

How would you like to run a railroad?

Well, we exaggerate a bit, but SunRail is looking for riders to serve on a rider advisory board (officially called the “Customer Service Advisory Committee”).

We’re really happy that this committee is being established because SunRail is lacking when it comes to customer service, as we pointed out in last week’s SunRailRiders blog.

The main requirement is that committee members must ride SunRail at least three times every week.

Each of SunRail’s funding partners gets two appointments to the advisory committee. Those partners are: Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties and the city of Orlando. Volusia has already picked two representatives for the committee. As of last Wednesday the others partners had not named their representatives.

Typically pals of politicians get picked to serve on committees like this one. But we don’t need a bunch of “yes” people and cronies on this committee. We need representatives who can be counted on to truthfully share and discuss concerns of fellow riders and to tirelessly push to make SunRail the best commuter train system in this U.S.

Are you willing to serve?

If so, we suggest that you send an email to local elected officials who serve on the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission – the group that oversees SunRail.

·        Those officials include:

·         Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs Mayor@ocfl.net.net

·         Seminole County Commissioner Carlton Henley gvenn@seminolecountyfl.gov

·         Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Buddy.Dyer@cityoforlando.net

·         Osceola County Commissioner Frank Attkisson Frank.attkisson@osceola.org

·         Volusia County Commissioner Jason Davis

Remember Volusia has already appointed its commissioners, but riders willing to serve should send an emails to the other officials to volunteer. We suggest that you type SunRail Customer Service Advisory Committee in the subject space of the email. Provide the officials with your name, address, phone number. Tell them where you get on and off SunRail, as well as what days you ride. Include a sentence of two explaining why you want to serve.

We hope SunRail will make it easy to serve. With advisory committee members spread from DeBary to Pine Castle, where and what time would the committee meet? Our suggestion would be hold virtual meetings via computer, with services such as Google HangOuts. Those computer tools make it easy for the general public to “attend” and participate.

Enough talk. Let’s get busy.