Lynx Central Station

LYNX Central Station is an intermodal transit station in Orlando, Florida. The station serves the SunRail commuter rail line, and it is also the main transfer center for LYNX, Orlando's public bus system. It is located near the interchange between Interstate 4 and Colonial Drive (SR 50).

LYNX Central
SunRail commuter rail
Buses at station platform with LYNX offices in background
General information
Location	455 North Garland Avenue Orlando, Florida
Coordinates	28.5485°N 81.3809°W / 28.5485; -81.3809
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Bus routes	LYNX: 3, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 28, 29, 36, 38, 40, 48, 49, 51, 54, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 125, 300, 350[1] FastLink: 441[1] LYMMO: Lime, Orange,[1] SWAN (off-peak only)[2]
Bus stands	27[3]
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	Orange
History
Opened	November 14, 2004 (bus)[4] April 30, 2014 (rail)[5]
Passengers
FY2023	107,919 (SunRail)[6]  14%
Services
Preceding station SunRail Following station Church Street towards Poinciana SunRail AdventHealth towards DeLand
Location

LYNX Central Station is one of two SunRail stations located in Downtown Orlando, the other being Church Street Station. In addition to serving as a transfer center, LYNX Central serves the northern end of Downtown Orlando, including the Creative Village neighborhood, the Orange County Courthouse, the Middle District of Florida courthouse, the FAMU College of Law,^[7] UCF Downtown, and the Bob Carr Theater.

Terminal

The station was built for quick transfer between the bus bays and SunRail platforms

LYNX Central Station is the main hub of the LYNX system, servicing 32 of LYNX's 79 routes.^[1] The 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m²) bus terminal has 26 bus bays,^[3] a customer service counter, 2,400 square feet (220 m²) of retail space,^[8] and an air-conditioned waiting area.^[4][9]

SunRail trains board on a pair of side platforms on the eastern end of the terminal, while buses for LYMMO, a free circulator route serving Downtown Orlando, board from a street stop on the south side of the terminal.^[3]

The terminal's distinctive wave-shaped canopies are 60 feet (18 m) tall and are accented with colored lights at night.^[3] The canopies were designed to prevent buildup of diesel exhaust fumes in the station by naturally cycling in fresher air.^[10]

History

Opening

LYNX Central Station was opened on November 14, 2004, replacing a smaller transit facility on Central Street. The station was built at a cost of $30 million, most of which was provided through federal and state grants. The project included a 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m²) office building attached to the station, which holds LYNX's administrative offices.^[4]

Completed SunRail platform with bus terminal in background

SunRail

The station was constructed along the former CSX A-Line corridor, which was first built in 1882 by the South Florida Railroad. The corridor had been studied for commuter rail and/or light rail usage since the 1990s,^[11] and LYNX Central Station was constructed next to the line for the purposes of allowing future rail connections.^[4]

Construction on the rail corridor began in 2011.^[12] SunRail held a soft opening for the LYNX Central platforms on April 4, 2014 and a grand opening ceremony at all Orlando stations on April 30, 2014.^[5]

Development

A $200 million transit-oriented development adjacent to the station was announced shortly after SunRail construction commenced.^[13] The primary component of the project is Central Station on Orange (formerly Crescent Central Station), which consists of a 280-unit apartment complex and 14,600 square feet (1,360 m²) of retail space.^[14]

References

1. "Brochure L: Lynx Central Station" (PDF). LYNX. Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
2. "SWAN Shuttle". LYNX. Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
3. "LYNX Central Station Terminal Bay Map" (PDF). LYNX. Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. April 21, 2024.
4. Powers, Scott (October 31, 2004). "Attention-Getter". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company.
5. "Orlando releases SunRail station schedule". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. April 2, 2014. pp. O11 – via NewsBank.
6. "SunRail Annual Ridership by Station: Fiscal Year to Date, July 2022 – June 2023" (PDF). SunRail. Florida Department of Transportation.
7. "Lynx Central". SunRail Corporate. Florida Department of Transportation. October 9, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
8. "Lynx starts on new bus station". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. April 5, 2003. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
9. Henthorn, Dawn (April 29, 2010). "Downtown Orlando: Lynx Central Station". About.com Florida Travel. About Group. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
10. Spear, Kevin (September 14, 2023). "Lynx's 50-year use of diesel buses is nearing an end". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
11. Roy, Roger (January 31, 1992). "Light rail plans lack money". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. pp. B4 – via NewsBank.
12. Tracy, Dan (July 18, 2011). "After years of wrangling, time to dig into SunRail". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. pp. A1 – via NewsBank.
13. Schuleb, Mark (October 24, 2011). "SunRail draws $200M project - Downtown development would be built in 2 phases". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. pp. A1 – via NewsBank.
14. Hoyle, Amanda Jones (October 31, 2014). "Downtown Orlando's Crescent Central Station part of $700 million sale". Orlando Business Journal. Advance Publications. Retrieved May 15, 2015.

External links

• Media related to LYNX Central Station at Wikimedia Commons
• LYNX Central – SunRail
• LYNX Central – SunRail Corporate