In the Tampa Bay and Orlando area, the agency includes up to $15,875,000 for the Tampa to Orlando High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Project and Brightline Trains Florida, LLC.
“The proposed project will advance preliminary engineering activities to support Phase III of the Brightline system, a 67-mile extension from Orlando to Tampa mostly within the right-of-way of I-4 in Central Florida. Brightline currently operates from Miami to West Palm Beach (Phase I) and the West Palm Beach to Orlando segment (Phase II) is currently under construction,” according to a synopsis.
“The full build-out of the Phase III extension would provide an alternative for travelers on an overburdened state highway system and is projected to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled along I-4…Brightline, a privately-owned intercity passenger service provider, will provide a 50 percent match.”