Comments on: How Does Lakeland Fit into Florida’s Strategy for High-Speed Rail?

By: Adirondacker12800

Adirondacker12800 — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:32:25 +0000

Which is why 1-4 has a 20 MPH speed limit, wouldn’t want any one falling into those sinkholes….

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:37:24 +0000

Forget 100 mph. The TGV derailed at 186 mph because of a war-era sinkhole under the tracks that opened. The train remained upright and nobody died.

By: GHOST TRAIN

GHOST TRAIN — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:01:46 +0000

This should be interesting to watch. Polk ( Lakeland ) county has serious problems with sink holes. They open without warning and swallows blocks at a time.

Imagine a train travelling 100 mph and a sinkhole opens up.

http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/wp-content/guatemala-sink-hole.gif

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:31:13 +0000

& Sunrail won’t actually connect to the Florida HSR plans. Insanity.

To be fair, Tampa seems to be making serious plans for local streetcar connections.

By: john in nh

john in nh — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:55:33 +0000

agreed with what you are saying Yonah. I have thought for a while now that unused median space could be used for highspeed rail, either elevated or lowered or at the same level as road traffic. However in thinking on this I have run into issues of downtown access, or in effect lack-ther-of or in effect crippling any system designed to be high speed. the main benefit is now gone! I concluded that with light rail connections it could be done but again its not ideal, and it severely cripples the system. I think medians with proven ROW should be used for this (also helps car drivers to see trains wooshing past them at twice their speed)

As expected we may have “high speed” but it wont be done right and if its not done right then nobody else will want to do it and then we are stuck for another 20 years with less then adequate slow rail, or ineffectual high speed rail.

hopefully I will be proven wrong, but so far, I don’t think I will be… sigh

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:02:44 +0000

Florida threw a hissy fit about being entitled to funds because it reserved space in the I-4 median. LaHood complained that the state did nothing to build connecting transit; Florida then spent a pittance on Sunrail, forcing LaHood to concede and give it the money.

By: aw

aw — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:20:57 +0000

Remind me why the FRA granted Florida this money. They are going to pony up to complete the line if further federal money is not forthcoming, right? Right???

By: OceanRailroader

OceanRailroader — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:39:17 +0000

It is very easy to follow this railroad path on google street view.

By: Rodrigo

Rodrigo — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:41:41 +0000

The Polk County station should go in Lakeland. It makes the most logical sense as this is the area of highest density in Polk County. For the Florida HSR system to be successful however, the Miami line needs to be prioritized and built ASAP, because without Miami, Orlando and Tampa are nothing.

By: Eric G.

Eric G. — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:02:56 +0000

Has anyone looked at the aerials? On Google Earth it clearly looks like FDOT left extra ROW in the I-4 median where it crosses County Rd. 700/ US 98. That would seem to be a logical place to put the station since it’s a major arterial that connects directly to the downtown Lakeland core. It also looks like there is significant redevelopment potential there.