Mount Dora Train Petition

                                                                          14May22

 

ATTN: City Manager,  Mayor and city council of cities of Mount Dora, Tavares and Eustis.

This is  a Petition to support restoring the Tourist train to the City of Mount Dora and reduce cost of potential bike trail by sharing right of way with the existing railroad tracks.

 

The Tourist train in Mount Dora  brought  in 80K to 100K+ tourists per year to the cities of Mount Dora, Tavares and Eustis, as well as Lake County between  2016 and 2019, based on known ticket receipts.

This is more than a bike trail alone will.

It will serve as a family friendly attraction that will help support restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream shops and other businesses in each town where it operates.

The Train will be able to provide service as a parking shuttle during large events and could potentially provide service between the towns.

Eventual commuter service to connect with Sunrail can also be possible.

 

Keeping the tracks will also allow for reducing the cost involved in building a bike trail.

Most of the right of way is about 60 feet in width, a bike trail can be placed next to the track in many places with little difficulty, such a trail can be 10 feet in width on average.

The cost of buying the tracks as a railroad is substantially less than the cost of abandoning the line, then buying the  right of way.

The cost of trail construction will be substantially reduced by not having to remove the track.

The cost of trail construction will be further reduced by only needing to build a slightly smaller trail on less right of way space with less need for surface preparation, such as leveling, clearing, etc.

The cost of maintaining the trail can be much reduced by making a deal with the railroad to share or contract out maintenance and landscaping, etc.

 

Our plan is to buy the track and reopen the Tourist train, which will guaranteed bring in 50,000-100,000

Tourists, families, etc  per year, within 5 years or less.

We will negotiate an offer to share right of way with a reasonable bike trail, leasing the space for that trail for a term of 99 years at a rate lower than the current trail plan cost.

Cost savings can be as much as 50% over the current govt plan.

Our concept for right of way sharing is based on similar successful operations in other states, such as:

Northern Central RR, in  New freedom PA, which has a similar Tourist railroad operation with a Bike trail next to the track, with minimal separation between the track and trail.