Getting There: A look at how transportation is changing in Central Florida

and we want to be *** world class community. This is one of those areas that we have got to improve. However, you get around central florida, getting there is getting worse because the transportation is *** problem for me is the busses don't always run on the schedule that they're supposed to, they shouldn't make it more convenient, which is not now *** plan is coming together to reshape the way we all get around central florida, more busses, more trains, better roads tonight we dig into the push for *** penny more on your future purchases to fund *** transportation transformation. And speaking of roads. So what do you think about the new robe? I love it. I really love it. If you like the toll now, are you going to like it when it changes is the new I four the ultimate and congestion relief. We ride along with drivers to see what the six years of road rehab got right. The issues still lingering and if all that construction is really over plus taking *** train to catch *** plane. So what is standing in the way of bringing Sunrail here? I think what's standing in the way this is west to chronicle getting there. Here's Jim Payne Wherever you need to go in central Florida getting there is getting more congested, our region's modes of transportation, automobile, bus, train and even plane are more in demand than ever before. More than four million people live in central Florida. Nearly 20 times that amount visit here every year. So getting there wherever there is for you isn't getting any easier and that's why we're seeing *** major push to revamp how people move from point *** to point B. Tonight we're taking you inside the projects, working to bring new transit options to the area and create *** connection between them from the air to the rails to the roads. We begin with the backbone of our region's transportation network. Interstate four, the largest reconstruction of I force into the 132 mile highway. It was first built in 1958, Finished up just *** few months ago. It includes the first toll lanes on I four Greg Fox takes us on *** road trip with drivers to see what they think about the new lanes safety and if getting there on I four is any better. This congestion is just, it can be very nerve wracking, especially when you're on *** deadline. I mean I have to get him to school but also I'm trying to make it to work and be there so I can be there for my patients as well. Piana cry Jessica is an eye for warrior on overdrive. The infectious disease nurse and mother of two drives her son William. 37 miles from their cassini home baby to his special needs school in Apopka. Then 27 miles to her job at Orlando health dr phillips every monday through friday. My leaving friday I get up at five a.m. And then we are always out the door by 6 30 every morning I stopped and I have to get my coffee. I don't condone. It's, if I don't, it is *** hard day. You need that coffee to get through the crazy congestion. My 14 year old will vouch for that. I'm not the one driving so it doesn't affect me. But if it helps my mom then I'm happy. If she's happy, I'm happy. Tianna is happy since the $2.4 billion four ultimate was finished. She says the general use or free lanes. We're great when they opened last year. But when they express toll lanes between Kirkman road and state road 4 34 opened in february. She was on it. The cost to drive all 21 miles is between $3.03 dollars and 50 cents now. But the state will later this year begin charging more when traffic is heavier as we sped past *** traffic jam and the free lanes. I asked about the looming price increase. What about when it goes up? We've already prepared for that. We know that's the thing. If it saves us time so that we can be more efficient in our day. It's, it's absolutely worth it. So what do you think about the new robe? I love it. I really love it. Nicotine jean Baptiste says he's okay with the tolls. All right martin common. When you're done with those people. Okay. His business depends on it. He owns convoy labs, which provides mobile blood collection services for people in their homes. Time is not just money. Time is health. Um, you know, the money is there, but I mean we're more focused on the patient's health. You know, *** lot of our patients, they may be immuno compromised. And so therefore the physician needs to get the results right away. So when we go out and collect the samples, we need to be able to get to the laboratory right away. And for now the introductory toll rate makes the time sensitive decision to get samples to labs. An easy one. You like the toll now, are you going to like it when it changes? I know it may be, you know, it may raise the prices, but to us, like I said, it's, it's still benefits our patients And that's what's important. At least in the state of florida lead to Orlando. The area is located in the very heart of the Sunshine State. Yes, that's right for drivers to understand exactly why the state believed Orlando needed the most expensive highway project in florida history. You have to go back mm hmm. 2 1958 when I four construction began for you and I were flying. It was vital to the space program. Lord Disney and other attractions. It's stunning. Yes, it's great. But by the early eighties 1000 people *** day were moving to the Sunshine state. I four was mostly two lanes in each direction, traffic swelled widening. Couldn't keep up driving it for 20 years. I don't think it's going to help at all. The new century saw enough money to replace the ST johns river bridge, but not much else. In 2003, *** plan called mobility 2020 to pass *** half cent sales tax to pay for *** rebuild was rejected by voters. By 2012 I four wasn't just jammed spots like the notorious Fairbanks curve proved I four was *** killer. *** study by the road safety firm tell attract Naaman shows that between 2011 and 2015 I four was the most dangerous highway in the U. S. With 165 deaths 19 in Orlando 123. Breaking ground in february 2015. The I four ultimate began the previous year. The stretch between state road 4 34 and Kirkman road handled between 150,000 and 218,000 vehicles daily on between six and eight lanes. Now with eight free lanes and four toll lanes. The road is designed to handle projected traffic in 2032 up between 623,000 vehicles daily. Okay. Mhm Ramona Gray, *** convertible loving employee at Emerald plumbing remembers how clogged it used to be. It was *** parking lot. You're just shut down and loves the new smoother free lanes. I love that part of it. I really, really love that part of it. I definitely feel because of all the work they've done. The lanes are in much better shape, but don't talk to her about paying tolls for the express lanes. It's just not worth it to me. The state claims it needed to put express toll lanes in to cover half the project cost to provide the free lanes, but she thinks taxpayers got *** raw deal. I feel like we're being charged twice. Um, florida. Taxpayers paid for this and now the constituents of florida are paying for it again, but I'm just not going to give them the satisfaction of taking more money out of my pocket to use *** road that should be free for everybody to use one troubling byproduct of the new express lanes is the temptation for some drivers who feel the need for speed. This driver was clocked at 131 miles an hour. Just days after the express lanes open that landed the driver *** $1000 fine check out the speeder on the left, pulled for doing 129 miles an hour, the one on the right, 101 no road. Should anybody ever be doing that fast. Lieutenant kim Montes of the florida Highway patrol says that speeding can lead to crashes and that raises another concern about the express lanes, the width of the emergency lanes on the right, it's pretty consistently wide enough for you to pull over in the event of *** crash, flat tire or medical issue, but on the left, it can be as narrow as *** couple of feet. Would you call this *** design flaw? You know, there's only so much roadway that they can work with because there are *** lot of areas on that left shoulder where it's not adequate for *** car to be stopped, they would be in the travel lane, therefore causing an issue for the drivers that are traveling and *** potential crash. It could be cause of potential crash. Absolutely. We never want somebody stopping in *** traveling drivers tell us the biggest challenge for them is getting to and from the express lanes. Tianna was gripping the steering wheel when she had to merge across four lanes of traffic in less than *** mile. How hard was that? It is tough and it's my biggest exit every morning because if I don't make it, I'm screwed. I'm stuck in this traffic right here on the way to work. Um, it involves *** lot of maneuvering. I gotta be quick and get in there where I can, because these people will not let you over. You have to like jump in there. Like Tianna Nick and Ramona, we're all getting used to the new I four *** year behind schedule $125 million dollars over budget, but now open for business. Mhm. Just in case you thought I for construction was over. It's not the Department of Transportation is already working on interchanges for I four beyond the ultimate which will take the interstate 20 miles west from Kirkman road past Disney to polk county and 20 miles east to Volusia County at *** cost of $4 billion. This initiative is about taking care of Orange County residents now and in the future, jerry Demings wants to change the way we all get around central florida. His ambitious plan to transform all of public transportation and why *** penny is at the center of it all. And later we're getting our first look at the new terminal inside Orlando International Airport. The features meant to make the travel experience so much better. Mm hmm. While I four traffic might dominate *** lot of communing conversations, interest in other ways of getting around is growing but expanding alternate means of transit means finding the money for it. That's why Orange County mayor jerry Demings is proposing the most ambitious undertaking of his political career *** penny tax to answer the growing demand for better bus train and surface road travel that penny could fundamentally change. Getting there in central florida. If the mayor can get voters on board, it's sunrise in Orange County and soon the roads will be filled with commuters on their way to work and school. Who doesn't want an easier trip out the door in the morning or home at night. How many of you believe that we have *** problem with traffic congestion. That's what Orange County is banking on as it tries to sell residents on long needed and wanted upgrades to bus train and road transportation across central florida's largest county. I know that when I look around the world at the most attractive communities, the most urban and metropolitan communities, they all have *** true multi modal mass transit system with options and we do not and if we want to be *** world class community, this is one of those areas that we have got to improve. The county is hoping voters will back changing our transportation landscape by approving *** one cent hike in the local sales tax. The proposal raises Orange County sales tax from 6.5 to 7.5%. That would make it equal to surrounding counties tax rates and generate nearly $600 million dollars per year for public transit improvements. But what does that mean for your wallet? Here's the breakdown. If your lunch costs you $5 at *** restaurant, the tax on it is currently 33 cents with the proposed tax increase that $5 lunch now totals 38 cents in tax, the more you spend, the more transportation tax you'll pay. If you're making *** big ticket purchase, the max you'll be taxed on is $5000 and just like sales tax Now you will not be taxed on essential purchases like groceries and medicine. So now that you know what you could be paying, let's talk about what you're paying for. The money generated that $600 million *** year will be split into three categories 45% for lynx busses and Sunrail, 45% for dealing with existing traffic on local roads, bicycle and pedestrian lanes and the last 10% will go to cities in Orange County to deal with the roads they manage. The proposed improvements to that first category would allow Sunrail to grow farther east and west with service to Orlando International Airport and the big one expanding service two nights and weekends with trains running much more frequently. The new tax money also more than doubles the lynx bus fleet From the current 300 busses to 700 with shorter routes running more often more regional express lines, more stops and stations. The second category of funds would pay for expansion and maintenance of clogged roads. The plan to make it better at designated bus lanes and pay for high tech monitoring and traffic control systems like smart stoplights. Part of this pool money includes bike lanes and ways for walkers to be safer along local roads, biking is not just used for leisure. There are people like myself who would like to commute to save money and to save time, I'm part of *** community that would like to see *** better bike infrastructure in the central Florida and Orange County area. The last piece of the pie that 10% will be divvied up amongst the 13 cities in Orange County and help them pay for their portion of road improvement projects. If you pay this extra penny of 1%,, That's $600 million dollars is going to be reinvested back into the community. We are asking our residents to step up to the plate and put some skin in the game. Since 2000, Oranges County's population has grown by half *** million people and there are no signs it's slowing, but it's also the top tourist destination in North America, one of the busiest in the world and the world's largest theme parks pre pandemic. Those theme parks entice nearly 76 million visitors every year, All of them buying and spending and paying local taxes, which brings us to some more math, 51%, half of all tax revenue generated from the new tax would come from tourists having that stable source of revenue has *** bonus boosting the county's ability to win matching dollars from the state and federal government. But first, the Orange County Commission has to sign off on the plan, which if they do, would then go to voters on the november ballot, there are going to be others who are going to oppose this simply because they are anti any type of tax increase, but we simply cannot do everything that needs to be done with the current revenue streams that we have in order to adequately address these issues. It takes *** new dedicated funding sources. When I sat down with the mayor, he brought it back to central florida's future. We are losing talent from our community to other metropolitan communities, especially our young adults, because they tell me one of the things we don't have here is *** transportation system where they don't have to depend on an automobile and those young adults and other newcomers have some very specific wants and needs. We need the surround any transit investments we make with dense, affordable housing to support transit ridership passing this initiative though would be an optimistic step forward, fully funding biking and walking and mass transit infrastructure and beginning to heal this injustice. Why this, why now and why you The real question is why not now? Our goal is to make sure that all of the information that mayor Demings has made over 250 appearances to convince voters to support the transportation tax, he's done it alone. No other political leaders have joined him up front. This is my home. I was born and raised here And I've dedicated the last 41 years to improve this community. I am here to not just accept the status quo, but to be an innovative, disruptive to kind of change the trajectory of our community in order to do that. You have to be bold sometimes and take some risk and I'm okay with assuming some political risks to try to improve my own community deming says the transportation tax will free up close to $100 million in the current budget, More money to tackle other tough problems like affordable housing, mental illness and mental health, substance abuse disorders, homelessness. If not us, then who if not now then when. So we have some serious decisions to make in this community by what kind of community we're going to be. If we do this right, there will be this intersection with improving housing, affordability, improving the overall quality of health. So this is something that can totally improve the overall quality of life for the majority of people in our community, Not everybody drive, not everybody up next. *** mass transit makeover how Orange County's transit sales tax would overhaul busses and trains to make getting around so much smoother when west to chronicle getting there, comes back mhm. Welcome back to chronicle. *** lot of work has gone into transforming Orange County from *** community dominated by citrus groves and cattle to *** world class destination for visitors, businesses and people who call central florida home, but where we differ from other major metropolitan meccas is in our mass transit, our busses and trains just don't compare. But they could, if the transit tax becomes reality Christina Watkins walks us through the plan to fund radical changes for Sunrail and Lynx. Mm hmm. There's no secret about it. Central florida's roads are packed thanks to not only tourists but also the hundreds of people moving here every day. Like brian Giddens and you don't have really the roads to accommodate all these vehicles. He came to Orlando from new york about three years ago and says he is not driving. I don't want to hear nobody in florida telling me about new york traffic. Nobody, It's worse down here than in new york florida traffic is worse than new york. Yes, Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. You really feel that way. You don't have this many accidents in new york. Yeah. So Giddens uses public transit first, getting on the bus, uh, links transportation back and forth to work every day and then the train, he's one of the thousands who could be in for *** big change if Orange County's penny sales tax to overhaul links and Sunrail actually becomes *** reality. Well, I think it certainly has the potential to be *** transformational opportunity for transit in the community. And this is *** community that very much needs that transformation. The penny sales tax is set to raise $600 million 45% of that. $270 million dollars to be exact is earmarked to remake bus and commuter train travel. How would you all plan to improve your busses with that funding. What we're looking at here is essentially doubling the size of the bus fleet in, in central Florida here. Right now, there's about 240, busses that are dedicated to Orange County. We need twice that to accomplish the frequency goals that we are looking for under the county proposal, the links fleet would more than double to about 700. Busses. More busses means links can tackle riders biggest complaint, the number of bus routes and the frequency of service. It could also help eliminate those long wait times riders told us about and, and the bus takes an hour, sometimes an hour and *** half going everywhere. They shouldn't be, it shouldn't take an hour to get to your destiny. It should be area like half an hour run every 30 minutes Run every 30 minutes and you people do not run on Sundays, Sundays is important. People have to go to work have to come from work. Why the bus don't run on *** sunday, That's not good. About 7% of our fleet is 15 minutes or less, 93% is uh, more than that. About half of our frequency right now is an hour or more. What we would look at and making the difference is to really turn that ratio on its head. Where the vast majority of our routes, the vast majority Of those links are running at that 10 or 15 minute frequency. But how does links plan to do all of this? One of the goals is to make it so that folks no longer have to come downtown for uh, to, to get their transportation across the county. There will be trans transfer centers. What we refer to as transfer centers placed around the county on essentially *** grid system that will allow people to, if they do need to take *** transfer that will allow them to make that transfer much closer to their home or their destination. Another item on links, writers wish list is getting them closer to where they're going. Once you get off *** bus, it will take like maybe possibly 20 minutes or 30 minutes of *** walk. So if those busses can reach that route, then it would be nice. Something else. Part of this transit overhaul plan, convenience on Sunrail. If passed this long awaited expansion of service hours. Tonight's and weekends is on the top of Sunrail's to do list. That's something Rollins college student Sergio Varela says he would welcome right now this semester and just taking on Wednesday because it's the only day I can take it the other days I'm out of school like at nine p.m. So I thought our train is not working anymore from the winter park station right now. Sunrail runs monday through friday stopping at 16 stations across 49 miles. Evolution, seminal Orange and Osceola counties, but with the transit sales tax proposal, Sunrail service wouldn't just expand hours of operation. It would also expand locations going to places like Apopka in northwest Orange County and also the intermodal station at Orlando International Airport. It's always been *** very important component of Sunrail to have *** route to have *** linkage to the airport. And this plan does include *** direct link from Sunrail to the airport, ditching the drive to oh I *** and that bumper car fiasco you see outside arrivals and departures. That is the stuff travel dreams are made of for people like Varela like it will be perfect to just go to the poinciana train station and they just go straight to the airport because every time is I have to deal with that. You know, I have to ask people to take me to the airport. Like it's just the whole thing, it's kind of far the traffic so if extends to the airport, that would be perfect. I asked him Harrison about all of the transformations in the plan for Sunrail and lynx, which one could we see first. The very first thing to do because it's the quickest and easiest to do is to add that evening and weekend service and to run the trains more frequently during the day. The connection to the airport is *** high priority has always been *** high priority for this region and it's one that we would certainly focus on and get done as quickly as we could. And Harrison also reminds this is *** multi year project, there are things that can be done very quickly, you know, just in the first, the first several months, the first year or so, such as building new shelters, adding some new busses and things like that. Some of the other things like *** new track train track construction or something like that obviously takes *** bit longer taking time and money dollars, which would come from this Orange County penny sales tax if it ends up on the november ballot and passes. Do you think the money that's put set aside in this proposal is that enough to get all of this done? That's always the challenge. But I do think that this amount of funding has the capacity to be completely transformational for transit in the region. It's important to point out that another significant chunk of the money to be raised by the proposed tax tackles another lingering problem about getting there in central florida, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The Orlando metro area ranks as the most deadly place in the U. S. For people walking. And it's almost as bad for folks who ride bicycles and with the economic makeup of our region, two ft or two wheels is how *** lot of people get around the proposed trans attacks sets aside $270 million *** year to build and maintain designated bicycle lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks and streetlights. The goal being *** safer, more walkable community, definitely *** couple of years we would be using this to go too early and then go to the amusement parks excitement is building for *** different train to pull into Orlando. We're hopping aboard Bright Line to see what the new private rail line has to offer. But first we're checking out the spot. Bright line will call home in central florida the new intermodal facility at Orlando International Airport. How it will be the gateway to *** brand new experience at Oi *** that's next. Mm hmm. Imagine ditching your car and taking *** train to catch *** plane. It's the way metropolitan communities like new york Baltimore Washington D. C. To name *** few, navigate land to air travel. If Mayor Demings, transit sales tax becomes reality. Sunrail to Orlando International Airport could hit the fast track. But either way, big things are happening at oh *** including the opening of *** brand new terminal. Michele Imperato walks us through trains to planes and how flying to and from Orlando is being transformed. It's been talked about for years. The possibility of Sunrail pulling into the intermodal facility at Orlando International Airport. So what is standing in the way of bringing Sunrail here? I think what's standing in the way is really the people just get, you know, everyone's working together and figure out what is it going to take, what is the price, you know to do so and then who should be the partners working to get that to make it happen and if it did happen, the greater Orlando aviation authorities, new ceo kevin Tebo says that rail connection could be life changing for locals who are limited in where they work and travel because of *** lack of transportation. It could also ease traffic if travelers can hop on *** train to the airport instead of drive like *** month ago, I picked up my daughter here and the traffic was really backed up and uh was, she had to wait for me forever to get to her and then um and then and then coming in for this flight when I was flying out it was, I was *** nervous wreck that I was going to miss my flight because they were saying the parking garages are awful. Some real talks are in the very early stages and there's no timeline for the project because funding to make it happen is currently tied to the approval of Orange County's transportation sales tax proposal. Right now, the automated people mover is the only rail operating at OI is inter modal shuttling passengers between the north terminal and the new south parking garage but it can accommodate two more rail lines, 2023 is happening. One bright spot for locals has been bright line. The promise of *** high speed rail at Oi *** because anyone who's tried to take *** road trip to Miami knows *** quick weekend getaway could be delayed by hours of traffic. I'm *** pilot as well. So sometimes I find myself, but I've also driven it, which is not *** fun trip work on the extension from south florida began in 2019 and finally there's *** light at the end of this tunnel. So I'm really looking forward to seeing that that service down to south florida next year Bright line will move into the intermodal facility offering tourists and locals *** quick traffic free hassle free way to get to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami and maybe eventually Tampa bringing Orlando up to speed with the rest of the world. There are many foreign markets, international markets, the european market, the asian market, they're used to arriving at their airports and having *** rail connection to get to their next stop. It's, it really is going to change and pivot this whole region connecting and providing multimodal access to *** whole bunch of different residents as well as visitors that come to the States. So when we look at that south terminal complex, it's really going to propel this region to the next level. If it's easier to get to florida's tourist destinations. The hope is more people will make the trips visit Orlando's Ceo cassandra monty says tourism is *** $75 billion *** year industry and this type of transportation will only help it grow the fact that Bright line is going to connect Miami to Orlando I think is *** huge success. We're going to see, you know, huge wins, not only getting visitors here, but also businesses here also expected to draw people to our area. Another major project in Oi, *** south complex and it's on track to open this september the highly anticipated Terminal C This has been planned for many, many years, many years, more than 14 million man hours and nearly $2.8 billion later. What exactly are we getting? Phase one has 15 gates that can accommodate up to 20 aircraft and an additional 10 to 12 million passengers every year, which both the airport and visit. Orlando agreed we need because of the influx of new residents and tourists In 2019. Orlando was the most visited destination in the country with 75 million visitors were seeing amazing numbers and in fact, you know, air capacity is over pre pandemic times. So, you know, we're seeing that there's going to be *** demand and *** need for this new terminal as well as other transportation opportunities, but terminal C is not just about capacity. Airport officials say it's an experience. The Orlando experience. We got *** sneak peek at the project, which is just *** few months from completion, sunlight pours in through the ceiling and walls of windows. Palm trees provide that tropical feeling to levels of restaurants and stores line the terminal and interactive digital technology takes it all to the next level. The goal to make it *** place you wouldn't mind spending time Devin Ramadi senior Director of Engineering and construction has overseen almost every aspect of this project. It's *** big sense of pride just to get this done. Tamaki says they learned *** lot from the original terminals and designed Terminal C. To be more energy efficient, easier to navigate and more convenient from the moment you get on the grounds. As soon as you parker get dropped off, you go see an agent, drop your bag, go to the T. S. ***. Checkpoints, automated screening lanes which helps without quickness through the T. S. ***. Checkpoints. And then you literally walk into the airside concourse. That's right. No more going up and down between levels when you get to the airport or taking *** shuttle to your gate. Tamaki says check in kiosks, automated T. S. *** screening lanes and facial recognition for international travelers will all get you to your gate faster and the advanced baggage handling system will get you on your way home faster. It gets bags off the plane in just minutes regardless of weather holds or ground stops and it will track them to, it helps out with reliability because 100% R. F. I. D. Track so we don't have to lose bags when Terminal C. Opens in all its glory. JetBlue will be ready for takeoff. International carriers like Lufthansa aer lingus and even Hawaiian airlines, Tebo says will likely follow and eventually so we'll phase one X four more gates that already have foundations. We actually have an application in place right now. We're up in Washington to be able to draw down some of the infrastructure money that was in the recent jobs act to be able to finish that expansion. And if you can believe it, even more phases and more gates are planned after that. We have master planned terminal C for 60 gates Terminal de in the future for another 60 gates And then we can build some more. Now we have four runways, we don't need any new runways. We can handle anywhere between 80 to 100 million passengers *** year. So we have plenty of room for growth growth that's expected. And almost certain as more people come to the sunshine state to live and play, I really think it's about the experience. You know, we don't just think about getting people from *** to B. It's not just about the commodity of transportation, it's about the experience that we create around it. Leisure train travel is trying to take on the convenience of your car can kicking back with cocktails and comfy seats, lure you off the interstate. We're checking out what bright line has to offer as it gets ready to pull into central florida when west to chronicle getting there continues. Mm hmm. Private investment in mass transit outside of air travel is not the American way. While mass transit has dominated how the rest of the world is getting their cars have driven our landscape since the highway system took hold 70 years ago. But now billions of private dollars are being laid out to put train travel on track to compete with cars here in florida scott, Heidler takes us to south florida where Bright line is making tracks to get us riding the rails instead of the roads. Mm hmm. It's been repeatedly billed as *** new age for travel in the state, high speed rail link connecting central florida to south florida. After several faltered attempts, the train is almost ready to leave the station. Bright Line trains has been spending billions connecting cities in south florida and next year we'll be pulling into the intermodal facility at Orlando International Airport. I think it's very critical that they succeed. The service that's being implemented as long what we do, high speed rail is about jobs in florida. We've had several false starts if you will over the last three decades. Miami West palm Orlando Tampa. It's almost *** no brainer in terms of the need for the service, nationally renowned transportation industry engineer and consultant frank. T martin has worked in both private and public sectors over the last 40 years and *** good chunk of that with regional rail systems. He called central florida home. The number one challenge would be just, you know, the resistance of doing something new and different. You've been used to getting in your car when you want to to go from Point *** to point B on board. Welcome to Fort Lauderdale. Thanks for writing Bright Line. Four years ago, Bright Line trains started just that something different, high tech, high speed, experienced focused rail line connecting West Palm Beach for Lauderdale and Miami top speed at 120 miles an hour, it's only 30 minutes travel time between each city. I really think it's about the experience. You know, we don't just think about getting people from *** to B. It's not just about the commodity of transportation, it's about the experience that we create around it. Bright lines. President Patrick Goddard comes from *** hospitality industry that was by design. This service is all about the experience from the moment you pull into the station's sleek check encounters, even the added hotel lobby touch of *** special scent and music pumped in. No chance of confusing this with Amtrak or sunrise. We joined Patrick on the hour journey from West Palm Beach. Too Bright lines, purpose built station complex called Miami Central. We're really trying to think about it from the lens of the consumer, from the lens of the guest and we refer to our passengers as guests on Bright line because that's how we think about their experience. They're *** guest with us. That experience comes at *** different price point to this is not commuter rail trips start at $15.01 way and price up depending on demand, but with deals in monthly pass discounts as the system grows and because of Covid, some are using Bright line to commute one passenger. We spoke with lives in Fort Lauderdale but works in Miami commutes every day on bright line. I get to work, I'm not stressed out. I get home and I don't yell at anybody. What did you do before? I thought the traffic on I-95 Yeah, it wasn't fun but from jupiter Natasha Truesdale uses the line for business this time. She's out for *** family day trip, definitely *** couple of years. We would be using this to go too early and they'll go to the amusement parks. You don't have to get at the train station very early. You know, it's not like going to the airport two hours early. You gave her 10 minutes early and get on and it's timely, there's not *** lot of delays. Bright Line is the first privately owned and operated intercity rail system in over 100 years owned by florida East coast industries. That relationship gives bright line priority when running on the track shared with freight trains. The segment from Miami north of brevard County where new tracks to Orlando are now being laid. So there's an incredible opportunity in the United States right now we're about 50 years behind europe and Asia, as I said, in terms of intercity passenger rail being behind the times brings growing pains just like when Sunrail was introduced in orange Seminole evolution counties, there have been accidents involving Bright Line trains earlier in the year, there were three and four days along the tracks in Palm Beach County. One deadly. The public drivers and pedestrians not used to new trains and frequency or not heeding the warnings, we see people making intentional acts versus accidents. Like we're not seeing accidents. People aren't accidentally driving around *** great crossing. They aren't accidentally walking in front of the train. That's not what's happening here. Bright Line reminds everyone drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to always be safe around the rails. Bright Line is investing in public information outreach programs, warning of rail crossings. The company also says it has and will continue to invest billions in upgrading infrastructure of the line and the crossings, including high tech like drones to patrol the tracks. Like any good company. Bright Line has its sights trained beyond Orlando and 2023 service. The company hopes to continue laying tracks to Disney and then Tampa and they're not riding up options for future stops along the Orlando corridor. So we are looking at potentially, you know, one or two more stations in the state of florida. You know, potentially something in the Treasure Coast something around in the brevard area. Those are active discussions that we've been having, but before more expansion can happen. Bright Line needs to see success in its move into central florida. There are about 400 million trips between central florida, South florida annually. So like about *** million trips *** day by car. That's *** lot of trips. Um, and really what we're trying to do is we're trying to offer people an alternate way to take those trips. Patrick uses the 20% month on month growth so far this year on the south florida route as proof of concept for the line. And he's banking bright lines, success on pulling 10% of drivers between central florida and south florida off the highways and onto his trains for us. You know, to make florida work. I talked *** little bit of go about 400 million trips. We need to capture about 10% of those in order to make this rail line viable and we think we're gonna far exceed that. Right? I mean, the congestion is gonna get worse. Population's gonna grow, congestion is gonna get worth, There's gonna be more urbanization around the downtowns. When we actually start to connect south florida. Central florida, we think it's *** game changer. Can they convince 40 million Floridians to leave their car at home? I think that's *** doable first goal. 10%. I think so. I mean, I see no reason why it wouldn't be. Um, I'm sure the marketing is going to be great in terms of, of the preliminary information going out to the community try this system, but it has to be *** starting point. So that's probably *** good starting point. There's *** time tested saying in the hotel business, Patrick's former industry, it's always about getting heads in beds here. It's trading the freedom of an automobile for the ease of getting there whatever mode of transit you use now or hope to use in the future, it takes investment, either public or private or both to keep the wheels turning for bright line. It's convincing drivers to become riders. And in Orange County it's about convincing voters that no matter how you plan on getting their car, bus, train or plane, investing in all modes of transportation, keeps our community moving forward for more details on Orange County's transit tax and plan to visit the Chronicle page at dot com for the entire Chronicle team. Thanks for watching. Mm hmm hmm, mm hmm.