Thread by @marcuscnelson

I've been meaning to talk about this, and here's a good reason to do it:

Bringing @GoBrightline to Jacksonville, a 🧵

https://twitter.com/LewTurner/status/1730633417329410546

The history, real quick: Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway historically operated rail service from Jacksonville to Miami (and at one point Key West) during the late 19th and early 20th century.

The FEC, along with several other railroads, converged in LaVilla, at the Jacksonville Terminal.

Once the largest rail station south of Washington, D.C., 20,000 passengers a day boarded long distance trains here to other Florida cities, New York, Chicago, and points west.

The mid 20th century would bring an end to that, as billions of government dollars poured into highway and airport construction. By the time @Amtrak took over most passenger rail in 1971, the FEC had already ended its services, and just three years later, the station closed.

In the 2000s, interest had arisen in reopening the train station, now the @PrimeOsbornJax, to return Amtrak from its smaller station outside downtown. But these plans would fall victim to a lack of urgency by city leaders and state opposition to passenger rail.

By 2012, All Aboard Florida proposed reintroducing intercity rail on the @fecrwy. Although Jacksonville was included on the map, the city took few steps to attract future service. Tampa would be prioritized to come after Orlando, despite Jacksonville being easier to construct to.

So what would passenger rail to Jacksonville look like?

A revitalized Union Station could be a vibrant neighborhood, with Amtrak, Brightline, and regional rail trains to Miami, Orlando, Tampa, New Orleans, Atlanta, and points beyond.

Intermediate stops on the way north from Miami could include Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, as well as a potential stop in the suburbs of Jacksonville like Avenues Walk.

And what will that take?

A @MyFDOT study this year confirmed that passenger rail to Jacksonville is a challenge because North Florida is smaller than Miami or Orlando. That means much like Brightline's Tampa expansion, it will take partnership and creativity.

The @CityofJax and @JTAFLA can start preparing for passenger trains and transit oriented development at stations. The @NorthFloridaTPO can begin studying the needs for rail service, including infrastructure like double track and the Moultrie Speedway (more on that later).

Leaders like @MayorDeegan, @JimmyPelusoCD7 & @NathanielPFord will need to fight for funding from the @USDOTFRA for passenger rail and make critical decisions on plans like a future convention center. They need to show the urgency to get these things done sooner rather than later.

The funding is there. The potential is there. The only thing missing from having Brightline in Jacksonville is the will of leaders to get it done.