Florida puts sylish twist on train travel
THE VIEWING AREA WIL
>> MORE THAN 80 PEOPLE FROM THE
TRIANGLE HAVE SPENT THE PAST
FEW DAYS IN SOUTH FLORIDA
LOOKING FOR MASS TRANSIT
SOLUTIONS. WRAL'S BRYAN MIMS IS
TRAVELING WITH THE REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE.
AND TODAY HE SHOWS US A TRAIN
SERVICE THAT'S BIG ON STYLE.
>> THIS IS DOWNTOWN WEST PALM
BEACH, THE NORTHERN TERMINUS
FOR A HIGH-SPEED RAIL LINE FROM
MIAMI. WHATEVER YOUR MISGIVINGS
ABOUT COMMUTER RAIL GIVE
BRIGHTLINE A SHOT. IT'S MAKING
TRAIN TRAVEL
RATHER TRENDING.
>> IT IS SLEEK. AND THAT'S JUST
THE TRAIN STATION. MODERN,
UPBEAT MUSIC THERE IS A BAR.
THERE ARE CAFES AND STORES
THERE OR USB PORTS BY THE LOBBY
CHAIRS. THERE ARE TESLA'S
ELECTRIC BUSES AND BIKES TO
GET YOU FROM DOOR TO DOOR.
WE ARE HOSPITALITY FOCUSED AS
SO. WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE
GUEST EXPERIENCE. THAT'S ALLI
SOUL, A SPOKESPERSON FOR
BRIGHTLINE. IT IS THE ONLY
PASSENGER CITY TO CITY TRAIN IN
THE COUNTRY THAT IS FUNDED
ENTIRELY WITH PRIVATE IT RUNS
ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST
RAILWAY, WHICH IS GOVERNMENT
OWNED BETWEEN MIAMI AND WEST
PALM BEACH, MOVING AT 79 MILES
AN HOUR. AND IT IS ONE SMOOTH,
COMFY RIDE AND OUR SEATS ARE
BIGGER THAN THAT OF A
FIRST-CLASS AIRLINE CABIN.
NOT TO MENTION. YOU CAN ALSO
GET FOOD AND BEVERAGE WHILE
YOU'RE ON BOARD. PRETTY SOON,
WEST PALM WILL BE THE END OF
THE LINE IN 2023. THE DRAIN
WILL BEGIN RUNNING ALL THE WAY
TO ORLANDO. 170 MILES NORTH
AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 125 MILES
AN HOUR. BUT A PROJECT OF THIS
MAGNITUDE IS NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT
SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SUPPORT.
AND COORDINATION, WHICH IS WHY
GOVERNMENT LEADERS FROM THE
TRIANGLE ARE IN SOUTH FLORIDA
NOW TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE
FROM WEST PALM TO FORT
LAUDERDALE TO MIAMI. THEY HAVE
LISTENED TO THE REGION'S
LEADERS AND PLANNERS TALK ABOUT
COMMUTER RAIL, RAPID BUS
TRANSIT, EVEN PREPPING FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE. DURHAM MAYOR
ELAINE O'NEAL SAYS SHE'S EAGER
TO SEE WHAT SHE CALLS A WELL
ROUNDED TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THE
TRIANGLE. I THINK THAT THERE'S
A FROZEN FIELD IN PROFIT.
>> AND THEY TRANSPARENT THE
PROCESS TO HAND TO HER WAKE
COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIR SAKE.
HUTCHINSON SAYS THE TRIANGLE
WILL INDEED HAVE COMMUTER RAIL
BY 2030, WITH HALF THE COST
PAID FOR.
>> BY FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR THOSE
DUBIOUS THAT IT WOULD ATTRACT
RIDERS. HERE'S WHAT I WOULD
OFFER. HOW IS YOUR COMMUTE TO
WORK TODAY? IT'S GOING TO GET
WORSE IF SOMEONE ELSE IS TAKING
TRANSIT, THAT'S ONE LESS PERSON
THAT YOU HAVE TO FIGHT.
>> ON YOUR COMMUTE TO WORK.
KERRY MAYOR HAROLD WIND BREAKS
AS COMMUTERS SIMPLY NEED THE
OPTIONS. SOUTH FLORIDA ALREADY
HAS OTHERWISE. IT WILL BE A
AN EXPENSIVE RETRO 6 OR FIT IN
THE FUTURES HERE IN WEST PALM.
THE GROUP ALSO SAYS ALL IDEAS
FOR DOWNTOWN AND MIXED USE
DEVELOPMENT. BUT ABOVE ALL,
THE ATTENDEES, WE HOPE TO BRING
BACK BIG, BOLD TRANSPORTATION