Brady PieperThe Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is one step closer to multimodal train service through Central Florida.
The City of Orlando, Seminole County and Universal Orlando are proposing additional public and private funding for a state-sponsored study into the SunRail expansion, seeking to connect Orlando International Airport to International Drive and Disney Springs. The study, which would be conducted by FDOT, would be necessary for the state to request federal funding for this new rail connection.
Initially, FDOT committed $2 million to the study, which was anticipated to cost $6 million over two years. However, the study was contingent upon securing additional funding from local governments and private entities to fully finance the initiative.
Orlando’s city council has approved a locally funded agreement of $500,000 to conduct the study. In tandem, Seminole County would contribute an additional $500,000. Universal Orlando would match the $2 million already committed by FDOT.
Beyond these commitments, private sponsors or other Central Florida counties must provide the remaining funding for the study, pending local considerations.
The study would evaluate SunRail extension through the FDOT’s Project Development and Environment (PD&E) process, which subjects Florida’s large projects to federal regulations, guidance and restrictions.
The study would also assess the extension’s feasibility, projected ridership, environmental impacts, track alignments, construction alternatives, maintenance and operating costs and a variety of proposed locations.
If the project were to be approved, the SunRail extension would contribute to the proposed Sunshine Corridor, a long-term vision for Central Florida that includes connecting the existing SunRail line to Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Convention Center, International Drive and eventually Disney Springs.
Construction for the entire corridor would cost more than $4 billion, according to early estimates.
FDOT anticipates the completion of this study and evaluation through the PD&E process would allow the state to apply for federal funding programs, such as the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program.
CIG grants, awarded on a discretionary basis, support transit projects nationside, such as bus rapid transit systems, streetcar systems and heavy, commuter and light rail projects.
While the initiative is gaining ground with local, state and private partners, the SunRail expansion is still years away from beginning project work or construction.
“Our traffic problems are only going to get worse if we don’t embrace transit and offer more opportunities to move through Central Florida without a car,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said about the study. “The study is needed to request funding from the FTA to make the Sunshine Corridor a reality.”
Photo Courtesy
SunRail via Wikimedia Commons
Public domain
