Passenger Trains > Brightline to Tampa Plan Deadline

Florida authorities tell Brightline to lock down Orlando-Tampa passenger-train plan by mid-summer


Florida transportation authorities on Monday gave Brightline what appears to be a final deadline of mid-summer to iron out agreements with local and state governments for the extension of passenger rail service from Orlando’s airport to Tampa.
 
In late 2019, the state Department of Transportation first awarded the South Florida-based company rights to negotiate for securing leases along a route that is slated to include a station at Disney Springs.
 
“The Department is amenable to one final extension of the negotiations,” said Brad Thoburn, an assistant secretary of the transportation department, in a March 1 letter to Brightline that outlines terms for an extension of negotiations.
 
Brightline’s president and chief executive officer, Patrick Goddard, signed the agreement late Monday.
 
The corridor preferred by Brightline has come with multiple, overlapping issues. Those include the need for cooperation with Central Florida’s SunRail commuter system, for an agreement with the Central Florida Expressway Authority, or CFX, for use of space along its toll-road system, affirmation from the authority governing Orlando International Airport and approval from Orlando Utilities Commission for use of coal-train rail spur near the airport.

“All parties agree that the corridor contemplated for the construction and operation of the intercity rail between Orlando and Tampa is unique and complex,” Thoburn said. “Therefore, we anticipate revisions to the proposed lease to address those complexities.”
 
 
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/transportation/os-ne-brightline-tampa-deal-deadline-20210302-2ioldmcrtzcgbbhtq5xu23jkla-story.html
 
 

Thanks for posting.

I hope Brightline can get it worked out. I do not know who else would attempt to build a Orlando-Tampa line.

Besides building a financial risky line which the state government should be happy to see, BL has this cost thrown on:

"Topping the list is a requirement that Brightline conduct a study on train ridership and the amount of toll revenue expected to be lost by the state and Central Florida Expressway Authority when passenger rail becomes operational.A privately owned and funded company, Brightline must also agree to a method for compensating the state and the authority for lost toll revenues."

Seems like Florida state government should be happy to have less pressure in the future for adding to the highway capacity but I guess that is not the case.

I believe the BrightLine had to deliver a similar loss of revenue calculation for their alignment along the 528 expressway.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> I believe the BrightLine had to deliver a similar
> loss of revenue calculation for their alignment
> along the 528 expressway.

I think you are right. I'd be surprised if it amounted to much though. Wouldn't most people drive the Florida Turnpike between Orlando and the Atlantic Coast below Stuart?

Yes.

I suspect somebody wanted a CYA to prove the authority wasn't destroying its own cash flow.

Posted from Android

Highway interest does not want the train, but I am in California, removed from the facts.

mundo Wrote:
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> Highway interest does not want the train, but I am
> in California, removed from the facts.

You're right, mundo.  There are a number of separate, sometimes competing toll road agencies in Florida. They spend a good deal of time trying to expand their fiefdoms.  Just getting them to use the SunPass toll transponder counted as a victory.

wouldn't the HUGE amount of people "bailing out" of other states into florida bode well for brightline?

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