People who decide on SunRail don't ride the train

Check out the accompanying photo. These are the local elected officials who serve on the SunRail Commission that oversees the local passenger rail service.

When is the last time you’ve seen any them waiting with you on the platform for the SunRail train to arrive?

Usually, the only time you see them on SunRail is when they’re posing for a publicity photo.

At least two of those officials are chauffeured around by a police detail. During the January rail commission meeting, Volusia County Council Member Ed Kelley freely admitted to the audience that instead of taking the train to the meeting, he chose to ride in a car with another county official.

So, you may wonder, if they don’t ride the train on a regular basis, then how are they qualified to make decisions on the train service that the rest of us receive? (This the same problem with the board that oversees Lynx bus system.)

For decades Central Florida public transit has been largely ignored (and drastically underfunded) because the local officials who vote on the budgets and policies don’t use public transit.

We think the lack of rider representation on the rail commission is a big part of the problem with SunRail – especially its weekday schedule and lack of weekend service.

The train exists to serve riders, so riders should play a direct role in setting the policy for local transit. The advisory boards for SunRail and Lynx are not enough. What those advisory boards have to say is just that – advice. Advice is easily pushed to the side.

Riders need voting representatives on the boards that oversee SunRail and Lynx. That’s the only way that the public can be assured that the real-world concerns of riders will be addressed seriously.

Why we need Transit Equity Day

Monday (Feb. 4) is Transit Equity Day.

No, there won’t be any parades and you don’t get the day off from work.

Transit Equity Day is a national observance that was created to call attention to the importance of public transit. This date was selected because it was the birthday of Rosa Parks, who is credited with launching the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955 to 1956) to end racial segregation on public buses.

We share the belief of Mrs. Parks, and the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that access to public transit is a civil right. (If you don’t have a car and can’t afford one, then how do you get to work, the doctor, or shopping for groceries?)

The goal is of Transit Equity Day is to recognize the importance of public transit to everyone because it:

·        Helps reduce traffic congestion

·        Improves our local economy and create more jobs

·        Protects the environment from toxic emissions, which helps to counter the catastrophic danger of global warming.

What can you do to observe Transit Equity Day?

·        If you already use Lynx, SunRail or Votran, click here to create a poster for a selfie to share on your social media to show you’re a supporter.

·        Call and email local, state and federal elected officials and tell them we need more money invested Lynx, SunRail and Votran for more buses and trains to improve the service and make them easier and more convenient to use.

·        At your daily work team meeting, mention today is Transit Equity Day and tell your colleagues why you use the train or bus.

·        If you usually drive, but want to include public transit in your work journey, click here to visit our friends at rethink Your Commute.

·        Plan to have your next work team off-site meeting on SunRail to get a taste of what public transit is like. We have heard that many businesses have done off-sites on the train.

Happy Transit Equity Day!

Local officials have no idea of how they will run SunRail in 2 years

Central Florida governments have no plan for how they will run SunRail when the Florida Department of Transportation steps away from that responsibility in 2 years.

Under the agreement that launched SunRail, FDOT is managing and financing the railroad until 2021. Then management of SunRail becomes the job of the local funding partners – Orange, Volusia, Seminole and Osceola counties and the city of Orlando.

Mind you, SunRail was approved in 2011. Everyone knew this day was coming, yet the SunRail Commission – local-elected officials who represent the funding partners – have spent years fiddle-faddling around.

2021 is right around the corner and there doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency. Consider, for example, the SunRail Commission meets on a quarterly basis – the next meeting is this Thursday (Jan. 31).

Can the commission really afford to meet only 4 times a year when there is so much that needs to be accomplished, such as figuring out how the local governments will pay to operate and grow SunRail?

The commission also needs to figure out how to provide the level of service residents have been clamoring for – weekend and late-night trains and rail connections to DeLand and Orlando International Airport.

It costs roughly $40 million a year to operate SunRail. Last year SunRail collected roughly $8 million through the fare box, federal grants, and fees paid by Amtrak and other railroads that use SunRail tracks.

The local governments need to agree on a reliable dedicated funding source to fill the funding gap.

In addition, SunRail and Lynx need to be merged into a single public transit agency for the sake of improved service and efficiency. Consolidating SunRail and Lynx into a single agency likely requires state legislation – and nothing in Tallahassee happens quickly.

About a year ago, the SunRail Commission approved a working group that hired consultants to study the future management of SunRail, but everything is moving in slow motion. Time to stop studying and start doing.

If you ride SunRail and you care about its future, you should be worried. SunRail and the calendar wait for no one.

Forget about taking SunRail to the Pro Bowl

Hey sports fans, were you looking forward to avoiding traffic congestion and exorbitant parking fees on Sunday (1/27) by riding SunRail to downtown Orlando for the Pro Bowl?

Well, you’re out of luck.

Here’s the scoop from a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation that manages SunRail:

“SunRail is not running a train for this year’s Pro Bowl. The cost for last year’s initiative was covered by Bombardier (the contractor that operates the train).

“Ridership last year was 1,877. This year, the SunRail team is working with Bombardier on longer-term opportunities such as the special southern train at 10:30 p.m. on Magic game nights, extending into April. We are also looking at other opportunities as well.

“Also, Saturday or Sunday service, like the Pro Bowl, requires special funding from private or public partners and/or venues.”

Kissimmee SunRail riders get a boost

Starting Monday (1/28) public transit in Kissimmee will get a big boost.

That’s when Lynx’s Kissimmee Circulator -- also known as Link 709 -- begins service at the Kissimmee SunRail station.

This mini-bus was launched to make it easier for people to get to popular destinations in Kissimmee’s downtown core.

The service, which will run from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, will link the intermodal transit station with the Osceola County Courthouse and administrative center with Kissimmee City Hall, Osceola Regional Medical Center, Florida Hospital Kissimmee.

Until now, it’s been a pretty good hike between the intermodal station – which serves passengers from SunRail, Lynx, Amtrak, and Greyhound -- and the county courthouse.

The Kissimmee Connector will travel on Dakin Street, Lakeview Drive, Emmett Street, Church Street, Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Oak Street, Central Avenue, and Main Street.

For the first 6 months of service, people will be able to ride the 12-passenger mini-bus for free.

See you on The Connector.

Ride SunRail for a night on the town!

Sometimes you just have to ride SunRail for fun.

Thursday, Jan. 31, is one of those days.

On that evening, Florida Daycations and Events is hosting an Art Along Broadway event in Kissimmee. For tickets and more information on that event, CLICK HERE.

SunRailRiders is collaborating with Florida Daycations and Events to encourage people to use SunRail to enjoy destinations along the SunRail corridor that connects Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties.

Florida Vacations and Events, led by Brenda Cioe, packages a variety of fun activities throughout Central Florida.

What Florida Daycations and Events is doing aligns with our goals at SunRailRiders. Longtime fans know that we frequently post videos highlighting various points of interest and activities you can reach with the SunRail train.

Granted, we’re all frustrated that SunRail doesn’t run on the weekends or late at night. But you will be delighted to see some of the Daycations that Brenda will be rolling out over the next few months.

Some of those events will be during the day, which is perfect for stay-at-home moms, retirees, snowbirds, tourists and people who have days off during the week, such as hospital caregivers; public safety officers/firefighters and airline professionals.

Others, such as the event on Jan. 31, will be held in the evening. These are ideal for folks who work a regular 9 to 5 to come out after quitting time to have some fun and then ride SunRail back to their home station.

On the evening of Jan. 31, the event will be held in Kissimmee and includes shows, music, food and fun and a display of Art Along Broadway. As the event organizer, Brenda has packaged the entire experience for $23- per-person (excluding the SunRail Ticket as many of you are departing from various stations).

This is a great opportunity for many people who say they have never had an opportunity to ride SunRail.

Come on, you know that every now and then it’s fun to stay out late on a school night!

See you on The Rail.

Why is there such a disconnect between Lynx and SunRail?

We just saw a glaring example of the disconnect between the Lynx bus and SunRail on Martin Luther King Day (1/21).

We watched Lynx buses continue to stop at the Sand Lake Road SunRail station on Monday even though SunRail was shut down for the MLK holiday.

It would be easy to gig Lynx and say: How come they didn’t tell their drivers not to stop at SunRail stations on the holiday? This time we must give Lynx a pass.

The real question is: Why wasn't SunRail running on MLK Day?

Don’t give us that jazz about: It’s a federal holiday and everybody has the day off.

Everyone is not off from work. Many people who work in the service/hospitality industry are not off on federal holidays.

Let’s not forget all the people who work at area hospitals and Orlando International Airport. They use SunRail. Many of them are not off on MLK Day, on other holidays, or weekends. They have told us that when SunRail isn’t running their travel time to and from work increases by an hour or more.

SunRail is public transit. Put an emphasis on “public”.

SunRail should not be a “boutique” train only serving the schedule of “suits” riding in from the suburbs to work in downtown Orlando’s glass towers.

SunRail needs to be a full-service train that runs 365-days a year. Nothing less is acceptable.

SunRail needs to take a lesson from Lynx and step up its game.