Metro Magazine, June 2017

ists as a significant impediment to driving your car like it absolutely does in Southeast Florida thats a key driver that contributes to the success of profitable rail systems Also a key driver is when you can get to the points that youre connecting to that are approximately 250 to 300 miles apart You can get there faster by train than if you drive which generally means about a three hour window When you look around the world and you find operations that are successful and profitable they all seem to have those fundamental characteristics We are able to deliver a service that will reliably get you to your destination in a set period of time 30 minutes from Miami to Fort Lauderdale something that cannot be done if you take the chance on the highway because of the unpredictability of traffic WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING PRIVATELY FUNDED We have been able to do this in just about five years The main impetus has been that we are a private company that is privately funding this project we have not asked for supplemental investment from the public sector The first phase of the project totals about 1 billion in private investment Secondly leveraging the existing rail corridor has been a benefit for us We have invested heavily in upgrading the existing infrastructure but to have the rail corridor in place already was a significant advantage HOW WILL THE SERVICE IMPACT TRANSPORTATION IN THE REGION The rail service is spurring additional conversations about expanding existing transit systems like Tri Rail Brightline worked closely with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority the operator of Tri Rail and the local agencies in Miami Dade County to make the Tri Rail Coastal Link connection a reality Today Tri Rail terminates at the Miami International Airports Intermodal Center In early 2018 the commuter rail system will extend to downtown Miami and into MiamiCentral This is critical for the region as Tri Rail has 17 stations on its route connecting communities along the west of I 95 and through the tri county area New transit connections mean additional employment and entertainment opportunities for the millions who live work and play in our region HOW HAS THE PROJECT SPURRED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Brightline is spurring a significant amount of development around each of its station locations in South Florida and is also developing mixed use developments around each of its stations MiamiCentral is about three million square feet including 800 rental units Class A office space and about 200000 square feet of retail and food and beverage The company owns several acres of land in downtown Fort Lauderdale and is 26 mETRO mAGAZINE JUNE 2017 metro magazine com BRIGHTLINE MiamiCentral which encompasses nearly three million square feet will include retail offices residences the Brightline train service and ample parking while serving as a connector between Brightlines passengers and Miamis existing public transport systems