ORLANDO—A Florida Department of Transportation study released Thursday projects improvements necessary to build a rail link from Orlando International Airport into the Interstate 4 corridor adjacent to convention facilities and theme parks would cost $4 billion.
But the report to the board of directors for commuter rail operator SunRail’s indicates the investment would generate huge ridership increases in a region starved for speedy and affordable public transportation, according to FDOT Central Florida District Secretary John Tyler.
The Orlando Sentinel report, which may be paywalled, says Tyler met with SunRail’s board to discuss next steps and construction options. One option, solely linking SunRail’s 49-mile north-south corridor, would cost an estimated $400 million and add 2.7 million annual riders to a system that currently only operates weekdays. Constructing that connection would not involve extensive grade separations necessary to get to the I-4 corridor, where the Orange County Convention Center and attractions such as Universal Studios Orlando and Disney World are located.
But that choice would stymie Brightline’s access to a right-of-way for rails in the median of I-4 that FDOT has preserved to Tampa since high speed trains were first proposed in the 1990s.
Securing funding that would allow construction to I-4 and beyond, however, could boost SunRail ridership to 9.4 million passengers by 2040. Federal grants could potentially come from not only the Federal Transit Administration but also Federal Railroad Administration programs because Brightline is involved, but a local or state-supplied financial match would be required.
Universal and Brightline have also expressed willingness to invest in construction, but Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings reiterated that a dedicated source of funding is needed. Voters in the area have not approved an increase in the transportation sales tax and a decision to place such a referendum on the November 2024 ballot has not been made.
Tyler says he expects costs would be split equally between the state, local, private, and federal sources. Some corridor plans can be recycled from two previous Orlando-Tampa high-speed rail initiatives derailed by Florida Govs. Jeb Bush and Rick Scott, but Tyler says an additional environmental study could cost $6 million, of which FDOT is proposing to contribute $2 million.
Significantly, if this transportation investment did not involve rail, much of it could be funded from Florida’s share of “formula grants” allocated from the multi-billion-dollar Federal Highway Trust Fund.
The good news is that the $4 billion estimate is lower than the projection from an earlier study [see “Brightline, SunRail ‘Sunshine Corridor’ project could cost $6 billion …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 6, 2022].
Americans are waking up to the need for public transportation to airports —- BUT it needs to be frequent, run on weekends and holidays, and have schedules from early morning until late in the evening. I very much doubt SunRail would meet all those criteria.
Many commuter rail systems are weighted toward weekday rush-hour service, with lesser schedules at other times. That works for downtown office workers but fails for aviation.
And now they are talking about diverting the line to make a stop at the airport in Lakeland. Here’s the problem with public money: the political strings and every politico who can will pull every string within reach. As time goes on more politicos get their fingers in the pie and the likelihood of anything happening decreases to zero.
As a central FL resident, I totally agree with Mr. Jones. The connection to the airport (whuich is quite close) should have been done with the initial construction. What a dream, no more hassle at MCO. Just get the to a SunRail station, park FREE, and right to the airport for your flight or Brightline.
OK the whole cost is about $4 B, However why not at least get service from Sand Lake to MCO? Cost listed at some $ 400M +. The north side of the ROW on CSX’s Stanton spur is available for another 1 or 2 tracks from the Sun Rail tracks to near Brightline maintenance facility. Then on to MCO.
It could only take a year if the project was expedited but probably will take 2-1/2 years. There is possible some wetlands north of thepresent ROW.
Any train(s) that can relieve I-4 from Vineland-Apopka all the way to Sand Lake Road would be an unmitigated success.
With the new Epic Universe by Universal going in between Sand Lake and the OCC, it adds an even more sense of urgency for the I-Drive District to get some sort of transit in place from Kirkman (where Universal Resorts are) down to the proposed transfer terminal with Brightline at Sea World and I-Drive, where Disney traffic will be coming up from.
I hope they can make the numbers work. It will make that station just south of the OCC one of the busiest outside the airport.