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.
"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," reports Kevin Spear.
"Brightline’s proposal for rail service between Orlando and Tampa is to follow the company’s completion of an extension to Orlando’s airport, now under construction and more than half finished, from existing service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach," adds Spear for an explanation of the scope of the project.
Brightline has been negotiating leases along the route since empowered to the job by the Florida Department of Transportation in 2019, according to Spear, and the state is now pressing the company to wrap it up.
The agreement came with a bunch of other requirements in addition to the expiration date, including the delivery of a study that would quantify the loss of toll revenues for the state and the Central Florida Expressway Authority. (The Brightline extension will require the Central Florida Expressway Authority to vacate space currently devoted to the toll-road system.)
"Both the state and the Central Florida Expressway Authority would need to be compensated for the loss of revenue that may occur from cars being removed from the road if the train service is built," according to another article by Next Miami.
FULL STORY: Florida authorities tell Brightline to lock down Orlando-Tampa passenger-train plan by mid-summer
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.
House Bill Would Provide $41 Billion for High-Speed Rail Grants
The "American High-Speed Rail Act" would provide $41 billion in grants and incentives for an additional $38 billion in funding for high-speed rail projects in the United States.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service