There is no money to build a high-speed rail in Jacksonville, no plan for where it would go, and no station designated where people would be dropped off and picked up.

But Florida's top rail official said Tuesday that high-speed rail is coming, and Jacksonville needs to be prepared.

"The future of high-speed rail in Florida," said Kevin Thibault, executive director of Florida Rail Enterprise, "is Jacksonville and Southeast Florida."

The present is Central Florida along the Interstate 4 corridor. The state has secured $1.25 billion in federal stimulus funds to build a high-speed rail from Tampa to Orlando. That line is expected to be open in late 2015.

Thibault spoke at a Tuesday luncheon at the Jacksonville office of the Florida Department of Transportation, which runs the Florida Rail Enterprise.

The state plans to extend high-speed rail from Orlando to Miami. A Jacksonville connection would be next.

"From Jacksonville we can establish links out of the state to somewhere like Atlanta," Thibault said. "And we really can't connect out of state unless we go through Jacksonville."

The two most likely routes would parallel the CSX tracks from Orlando or have the system run next to the Florida East Coast rail tracks from Miami, Thibault said.

An environmental impact statement will determine the best route to Miami and Jacksonville; it's also a prerequisite to getting federal money. There is no timetable or estimated cost for these routes.

But even though high-speed rail is at least a decade away, Thibault said the city should start thinking about where the Jacksonville station will go, and what it will look like.

Orlando, Tampa and Miami all have planned multi-modal stations that will offer bus service, car rentals and access to current or future commuter rail lines, and Jacksonville needs to do something similar, he said.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's plans turn the Prime Osborn Convention Center into a bus and rail hub that could serve high-speed rail, along with bus service and commuter rail. JTA has yet to get the money for it.

Jeff Sheffield, executive director of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, which does long-term transportation planning for the area, said the convention center isn't essential because Jacksonville International Airport is another option.

"I think there needs to be a connection to the airport for this to work," Sheffield said, pointing out that the multi-modal hubs in Orlando and Miami will be at the airports. (Tampa's station will be in the downtown area, not far from its airport.)

Government spending is expected to decrease, partially because of criticism of the stimulus program. But Thibault expressed confidence that high-speed rail would continue to get money.

Politicians recognize the need to get people out of cars, and the popularity of the Tampa to Orlando route will make the public want more, he said.

The state estimates 2.3 million trips will be taken the first year the route is open.

larry.hannan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4470

link: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-10-19/story/jacksonville-to...