Maitland station

Maitland
SunRail commuter rail
Maitland station platforms
General information
Location801 North Orlando Avenue
Maitland, Florida
Coordinates28°38′05″N 81°21′44″W / 28.634757°N 81.362209°W / 28.634757; -81.362209
Owned byFlorida Department of Transportation
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus interchange LYNX: 102
Lynx (Orlando) NeighborLink: 852[1]
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking125 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Other information
Fare zoneOrange
History
OpenedApril 11, 2014 (2014-04-11)[2][3]
Passengers
FY202329,020[4]Increase 15.2%
Services
Preceding station SunRail Following station
Winter Park
towards Poinciana
SunRail Altamonte Springs
towards DeLand
Location
Map

Maitland station is a SunRail commuter rail station in Maitland, Florida. The station is located on the west side of Orlando Avenue (US 17/92) along the former CSX A-Line. It is 14 mile (0.40 km) south of Maitland Boulevard (SR 414) and 12 mile (0.80 km) north of Maitland's downtown district, City Centre. It is the northernmost SunRail station in Orange County.

A transit-oriented development, The Parker at Maitland Station, is adjacent to the station and features a five-story, 293-unit luxury apartment community.[5][6]

History

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Predecessor

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Rail service to Maitland was first provided by the South Florida Railroad, which was built in 1880 and ran from Sanford to Orlando. The tracks were purchased by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902, where they became a segment of what is now known as the CSX A-Line. A depot building was constructed in 1883 near Lake Lily (approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) south of the modern station), but the structure was torn down in 1969 following tornado damage.[7]

Current station

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In 2007, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Maitland City Council selected a station site in place of a local lumberyard, Parker Lumber. This was the only location in city limits which met FDOT's design guidelines, which required 1,000 ft (300 m) of straight track for station platforms. In 2011, this restriction was reduced to 800 ft (240 m), and Maitland proposed a different site at First Presbyterian Church of Maitland, which was closer to Maitland's downtown district. However, it would require substantial changes to SunRail's federal grant application, which would result in delays to the project.[8] The proposal was rejected, and FDOT purchased Parker Lumber at the end of the year.[9]

An opening ceremony was held for Maitland station on April 11, 2014,[2][3] with SunRail service starting on May 1.

In 2015, the City of Maitland constructed a pedestrian boardwalk to Greenwood Gardens, a neighborhood adjacent to the station, in an effort to help boost ridership.[10][11] The city also made plans to build a parking garage at the station[12] and approved the construction of an apartment complex.[5][6]

Shuttle to Maitland Center

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While SunRail was being planned, four cities along its route (Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, and Longwood) announced plans for FlexBus, an on-demand shuttle that would connect SunRail stations to locations away from the route. The service would be operated by Lynx, the region's public transit agency. Maitland's route would connect its station to Maitland Center, an office park 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the station.[13]

In late 2014, following developmental delays and funding issues with FlexBus, Lynx opted to establish a traditional shuttle between the station and Maitland Center, which traveled between the two locations six times per day.[14] This shuttle is still in operation as NeighborLink 852.[15]

FlexBus development continued until 2016, when the participating cities opted to cancel the project in favor of a partnership with Uber. The partnership offered SunRail riders a 25% discount on rides between the station and any location in Maitland, including the office park.[16] The partnership ended in July 2018.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "SunRail Connections". LYNX. Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  2. ^ a b Freed, Tim (2014-03-05). "Winter Park SunRail Station celebrates grand opening". West Orange Times & Observer. Observer Media Group. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  3. ^ "SunRail Annual Ridership by Station: Fiscal Year to Date, July 2022 – June 2023" (PDF). SunRail. Florida Department of Transportation.
  4. ^ a b Lemongello, Steven (2015-04-27). "Maitland approves apartments next to SunRail station — under protest". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  5. ^ a b Fluker, Anjali (2016-02-16). "Exclusive: Construction kicks off on $47M apartment complex by SunRail". Orlando Business Journal. Advance Publications. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  6. ^ Taylor, George Lansing, Jr. "Railroading in Maitland Marker, Maitland, FL". George Lansing Taylor Collection. University of North Florida.
  7. ^ Andreasson, Jenny (2011-08-24). "Maitland wants to move SunRail station south". West Orange Times & Observer. Observer Media Group. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  8. ^ Freeman, Joseph (2011-12-10). "After 77 years, Parker Lumber in Maitland closes to make way for SunRail". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  9. ^ Wilson, Sarah (2015-06-25). "Budget balloons for Maitland boardwalk project". Winter Park/Maitland Observer. Observer Media Group.
  10. ^ "Trail by Maitland Sunrail station to cost $300,000". MyFoxOrlando (Fox 35 News). Fox Television Stations. 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
  11. ^ "Maitland wants SunRail parking garage". MyFoxOrlando (Fox 35 News). Fox Television Stations. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
  12. ^ Gonzalez, Eloisa Ruano (2011-11-26). "Orlando-area cities push for development around SunRail stations". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  13. ^ Tracy, Dan (2014-12-09). "Shuttle to serve Maitland SunRail commuters soon". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. pp. B1 – via NewsBank.
  14. ^ "NeighborLink". LYNX. Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  15. ^ Kassab, Beth (2016-05-23). "Goodbye, FlexBus and hello, Uber". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  16. ^ Allen, Jeff (2018-09-07). "Uber discounts in Central Florida cities over – at least for now". Spectrum News 13. Charter Communications. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
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