The Orange County Commission was told this month that there will be more to commuter rail than just getting people from here to there and back.
The commuter rail system will run 61 miles, north and south, through Central Florida.
The first phase will run from DeBary in Volusia County through Seminole County to south Orange County. It is supposed to be up and running in three years, by 2010.
Orange County government will be responsible for one of the stations on that initial leg -- Sand Lake Road. According to Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty, it is a critical station.
"To the east you've got one of the biggest and best airports in the world, with now about 35 million passengers. To the west, you've got one of the biggest and best convention centers in the world, and it's a tenant convention district, and you've got some theme parks. Yeah, some little known theme parks in the neighborhood. The opportunity to tee it off and run east-west, as well as north-south is pretty fabulous," Crotty said.
At one time the plan called for a route between the airport and the convention center That may be a dream now, but Crotty said they can certainly run buses in the meantime.
But, there is more to the story. An area around where the Sand Lake Station will go has a couple of restaurants, some office and industrial space. But planners say rail stations can generate a whole new type of development with some foresight.
The development is called Transit Oriented Development, or TOD. It can become a small scale urban center on its own with retail, residential, office space and more, all within walking distance. Pedestrian scale, say the planners, is important, and so are amenities.
It's not a panacea and it doesn't just happen. That is why planners briefed the county commission, because achieving TOD will take changes in the county's comprehensive plan.
As it turns out, Sand Lake may not be the best spot for full-blown TOD because of space limitations. Major roads already in the area create boundaries, but the idea definitely appeals to the county commission.
Some of the commissioners are already talking about possibilities at potential future stations.
There are 17 stations currently planned along the full 61 mile commuter rail route. Each station has its own distinct characteristics depending on location and already existing development.
Orange County planners said each community involved in stations is taking a different approach on how to develop them.