west palm beach magazine
S
outh Florida is ready to get a whole new way to get around,
as All Aboard Florida is developing Brightline, an express,
intercity train service arriving 2017. They are tapping into
history by leveraging a 100-year-old infrastructure train track
backbone built by West Palm Beach founder Henry Flagler. The
ambitious project marks the beginning of a new era in Florida’s
rich rail history, one that will connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale
and West Palm Beach to each other and north to Orlando.
“While we continue adding new places for visitors to stay and
visit, what we really need is a way to bring them here in greater
numbers. That’s where All Aboard Florida comes in - perhaps
the most noteworthy game-changer for our destination and
the region. With the ability to easily and conveniently transport
more visitors than ever before, the positive impact on local
business and tourism overall will be tremendous,” says Jorge
Pesquera, President and Chief Executive Officer of Discover
Palm Beach County.
Until now, Tri-Rail is the only way to get to all three counties and not to Orlando - and those existing lines are inconveniently
located, with the West Palm line starting at 45th Street and
ending west of downtown Miami in Hialeah. Buses and taxis
had to be used to get to the major parts of the cities. The major
new station being built in West Palm Beach along Dixie Highway is hard to miss – a multi-story station with a large plaza in
front.
All Aboard Florida plans to send over 32 trains daily from
Miami to Orlando, with stops in Fort Lauderdale and Palm
Beach. Brightline is the higher-speed rail system All Aboard
Florida will operate. These trains will cover the distance between Orlando and Miami. Brightline is the first privately owned
company in the U.S. to develop and operate an express
passenger rail system in over 100 years.
Of course, a rail expansion will always have a significant and
negative impact on the communities. Julie Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of Brightline answered some of the concerns to
WPB Magazine in regards to the biggest misconception about
All Aboard Florida and Brightline.
“Our biggest challenge is ensuring that everyone living, working and visiting South Florida is aware of our service and understands the unique benefits of riding with us”, says Edwards. “We
are going to make it much easier and more convenient to travel
between the three major cities in South Florida and in essence
we are making everyone’s backyard bigger. For example, someone in the West Palm Beach area may have never attended a
Miami Heat game because they didn’t want to fight the traffic
to and from Miami. With Brightline, that person will be able
to enjoy a game without that hassle and in the comfort of a
beautiful new train complete with food and beverages, as well
as complimentary Wi-Fi. Overall, we are confident that Brightline will ease the stress of traffic and provide a simple, seamless
experience from door to destination and foster new opportunities to explore more of South Florida”.
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“Brightline will bring a total of 4
million square feet of new transit
oriented development around the
South Florida stations”
Julie Edwards explained that with the introduction of Brightline, All Aboard Florida will reinvent what traveling by train can
mean in Florida, making it a smarter alternative to congested
roads and highways. Brightline is built to be a transportation
option aligned with the emerging preferences of our customers
for mass transit solutions that provide quick and convenient
access to the key metropolitan hubs in South Florida for business travelers, residents and visitors alike. We are blending
train travel and hospitality, creating a new and innovative
travel experience focused on providing customer service that
extends well beyond the trains and stations. With easy to book
options on mobile devices, monthly travel passes and frequent
departures, traveling in south Florida will change for the better
next summer.
At this time, All Aboard Florida does not have any definitive
art installations planned for the stations. However, they have
worked with local artists in South Florida. Earlier this year,