Maitland station is a
SunRail commuter rail station in
Maitland, Florida
Maitland is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Orlando area. The population was 19,543 at the 2020 census. The area's history is exhibited at the Maitland Historical Museum; the city also hosts the Mai ...
. The station is located on the west side of Orlando Avenue (
US 17/92
U.S. Route 17 (US 17) in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from the Punta Gorda, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area northeast to the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area.
As is the case with all Florida roads ...
) along the former
CSX A-Line
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
. It is south of Maitland Boulevard (
SR 414) and north of Maitland's downtown district, City Centre. It is the northernmost SunRail station in
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
.
A
transit-oriented development, The Parker at Maitland Station, is adjacent to the station and features a five-story, 293-unit luxury apartment community.
History
Predecessor
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
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
. A depot building was constructed in 1883 near Lake Lily (approximately south of the modern station), but the structure was torn down in 1969 following tornado damage.
Current station
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 of straight track for station platforms. In 2011, this restriction was reduced to , 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. The proposal was rejected, and FDOT purchased Parker Lumber at the end of the year.
An opening ceremony was held for Maitland station on April 11, 2014,
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. The city also made plans to build a parking garage at the station and approved the construction of an apartment complex.
Shuttle to Maitland Center
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
A lynx is a type of wild cat.
Lynx may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Lynx (constellation)
* Lynx (Chinese astronomy)
* Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory
Places Canada
* Lynx, Ontar ...
, the region's public transit agency. Maitland's route would connect its station to Maitland Center, an office park west of the station.
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. This shuttle is still in operation as
NeighborLink 852.
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. The partnership ended in July 2018.
References
External links
Maitland – SunRail
Railway stations in the United States opened in 2014
SunRail stations
Transportation buildings and structures in Orange County, Florida
2014 establishments in Florida
{{Florida-railstation-stub