Brightline, Floridas new high-speed rail system, set to open this month

[brooklynite]

Curbed:

High-speed rail has traditionally been a slow-moving infrastructure project in the United States, with various proposals, construction projects, and funding packages, inching along.

The soon-to-open Brightline, a private rail line beginning partial service between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach later this month, may showcase a new way to get track laid, and move high-speed transit forward. Aiming to eventually create a fast, convenient connection from Miami to Orlando, the system may offer a new model for other cities and states considering similar systems.

To be accurate, the Brightline isn’t technically high-speed, offering a top speed of 120 miles per hour and expected operating average of 80 mph, especially, compared to European and Asian systems. It bills itself as a “privately funded express inter-city passenger rail service.“ But as a rare rail construction success story at a time when other American high-speed systems remain mostly proposals and pipe dreams, it aims to prove that this kind of private infrastructure project can work.

[genxlib]

1. I am a big fan of public transportation

And we desperately need to modernize our offerings

However, I have serious concerns about the economic viability of this project. I just don't see how it is going to generate enough use to survive.

I have never thought that downtown to downtown is a viable route. What am I going to do, commute to one downtown location just so I can ride to another. As a commuter service, it is dead in the water.

In reality, it isn't supposed to be a commuter service and is billed as more of an intercity express. Phase 2 that includes Orlando might generate some traffic for those tourists who want to do Disney and South Beach but it doesn't seem to be enough.

Besides that, I live near the corridor so I am looking at getting stopped more often. But I promise that isn't the reason for the negativity.

I hope it thrives but I don't see how.

[onethatcares]

2. I think we tried something like this

and prick scott shot it down. It was to be from Tampa to Orlando and use the median of I-4 creating thousands of jobs along with the ancillarairy goods and services.

As an aside, CTX owns all the tracks in the state, they don't own any responsibility for crashes, derailments, mess ups,or plain stupidity that causes accidents. The great state of Floriduh granted them that.

Looks to me like another "charter school" fleecing of the public under a nice name.

[RandiFan1290]

3. High speed?

[flotsam]

4. Because "Judge Jeanine Speed" just sounds silly...N/T