Depending on your interest and perspective, the lede might be buried here.
Virgin Trains USA is staging construction for an expansion of its high-speed rail route in Florida. The line currently runs from Miami and West Palm Beach, with a stop in Fort Lauderdale. The expansion will push into Central Florida, first with a stop in Central Florida.
"The entire $4.1 billion Virgin Trains project is to run between Miami and Orlando by late 2022," according to an article by Joshua Solomon.
It takes a little reading in the article to get to this paragraph, however:
Ridership has flatlined for Virgin: about 239,000 in the fourth quarter of 2018; 244,000 in the first quarter of 2019; and 237,000 in the second quarter of 2019, according to self-reported figures, released earlier this month.
Virgin Trains is touting the ridership figures as greater than ridership on Amtrak's Acela in the Northeast in its first year. But, Virgin had projected the line would have about 2.3 million riders in 2019, Solomon writes, "according to figures the company presented to investors when it sought to sell $1.75 billion in tax-free private-activity bonds."
FULL STORY: Virgin Trains readying for first construction on Treasure Coast, staging in Fort Pierce
Brightline Opening to Central Florida Delayed
The high-speed rail connection between West Palm Beach and Orlando will not open on time for the holiday weekend as originally planned.
Brightline Completes Higher-Speed Rail Construction in Florida
Florida will soon be home to 170 miles of higher-speed, intercity rail service.
Deadline for Brightline Plan Comes With Strings Attached
Officials from Brightline recently signed an agreement that dictates terms for the study of an extension of the private rail system between Orlando and Tampa.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Museum of Public Housing Opens in Chicago
The museum highlights the history of public housing in the United States using displays intimately woven with family artifacts.
HUD Ordered to Release Grant Funds After Anti-DEI Clawback
A federal judge ruled in favor of fair housing groups after the Trump administration tried to rescind housing grants.
Drop in Veteran Homelessness Offers Lessons
Bipartisan support, robust funding, and access to comprehensive data are keys to the success of programs that assist unhoused veterans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland