Altamonte Springs station is a SunRail commuter rail station in Altamonte Springs, Florida, serving SunRail, the commuter rail service of Central Florida. It is the southernmost SunRail station in Seminole County.
Altamonte Springs | |||||||||||
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| SunRail commuter rail | |||||||||||
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| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | 2741 S Ronald Reagan Blvd. Altamonte Springs, Florida | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 28°39′50″N 81°21′24″W / 28.663945°N 81.356552°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Florida Department of Transportation | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Connections |  LYNX: 436N[1] | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | At-grade | ||||||||||
| Parking | 326 spaces | ||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Fare zone | Seminole | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | May 1, 2014[2] | ||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||
| FY2024 | 46,425[3]  5.2% | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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The station is located at the intersection of Altamonte Drive (SR 436) and Ronald Reagan Boulevard (CR 427), approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the AdventHealth Altamonte Springs hospital and 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) east of Uptown Altamonte, the city's primary shopping district. The station also serves the East Altamonte/Winwood area[4] and nearby city of Casselberry.
History
editPredecessor
editThe rail corridor used by SunRail was originally constructed in 1880 by the South Florida Railroad. The SFR included a flag stop in the community of Snowville. In 1882, the Altamonte Land Hotel and Navigation Company purchased 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) of land along the nearby Lake Orienta and Lake Adelaide to build a hotel for snowbird tourists. Both Snowville and the railroad stop were renamed Altamonte Station after the company's Altamonte Hotel, and they were renamed again to Altamonte Springs in 1887.[5][6]
The SFR was purchased by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902, and it became a component of what is now dubbed the CSX A-Line.
Modern station
editAfter the SunRail project was approved in 2011, the city of Altamonte Springs held a groundbreaking ceremony for its station on January 27, 2012.[7] The city also announced plans to build a replica of a circa-1900 railroad sign for use as a station decoration.[8] Later that year, the city announced plans to purchase a former post office building near the site for future development.[9] The station opened along with SunRail on May 1, 2014.[2]
During SunRail's construction, Altamonte Springs was one of four cities (alongside Maitland, Casselberry, and Longwood) that announced plans for FlexBus, an on-demand shuttle that would link the station to other parts of the city.[10] However, due to developmental delays, the service was never successfully launched. In 2016, the project was cancelled and replaced with an Uber discount code.[11]
In 2015, the city approved construction of a 102-unit affordable housing project 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) north of the station.[12][13] The city also approved a 1-mile (1.6 km) extension of Amanda Street from Jackson Street to the station[14] and a 3+1⁄2-mile (5.6 km) pedestrian trail connecting the station to the Seminole Wekiva Trail, which would also pass by Uptown Altamonte and Altamonte Mall.[15]
In 2023, the city launched CraneRIDES, an autonomous shuttle in the Uptown Altamonte area. An extension of the shuttle route to the SunRail station has been proposed.[16]
References
edit- ^ "SunRail Connections". LYNX. Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Tracy, Dan (May 1, 2014). "Free SunRail rides start Thursday". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company.
- ^ "SunRail Monthly Ridership By Station FY 2024" (PDF). SunRail. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Comas, Martin E. (December 2, 2012). "East Altamonte residents conflicted over changes SunRail could bring". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. pp. A1 – via NewsBank.
- ^ "Altamonte Springs - Seminole County Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Robison, Jim (April 2, 2006). "Name change puts 'Springs' in Altamonte". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Tracy, Dan (January 27, 2012). "SunRail is as much about buses as trains, builders say". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company.
- ^ Freeman, Joseph (November 26, 2011). "Public art will grace platforms of SunRail stops". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company.
- ^ Comas, Martin E. (June 22, 2012). "Altamonte Springs plans dining, shopping next to SunRail station". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company.
- ^ Breen, David (May 22, 2013). "4 cities plan to offer 'FlexBus' service at SunRail stations without Lynx". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company.
- ^ Comas, Martin E. (March 5, 2016). "Need a ride? Altamonte Springs will help pay your Uber trip within its city". Orlando Sentinel. tronc.
- ^ Shanklin, Mary (May 25, 2015). "SunRail sparks more than 1,000 nearby apartment units". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ Comas, Martin E. (October 16, 2016). "East Altamonte residents look at new apartments with cautious optimism". Orlando Sentinel. tronc.
- ^ Comas, Martin E. (November 30, 2016). "Altamonte Springs plans new road to ease congestion, spur economic development". Orlando Sentinel. tronc.
- ^ Comas, Martin E. (June 10, 2017). "Altamonte Springs looks for ways to ease traffic congestion". Orlando Sentinel. tronc.
- ^ Hogan, Brandon; DeForest, Mike (July 7, 2023). "Autonomous shuttles arrive in Altamonte Springs. Here's what to expect". ClickOrlando (WKMG-TV). Graham Media Group. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
External links
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