Brightline recently appealed to the State of Florida and Gov. Rick Scott for the right to run higher
speed passenger-rail service between metropolitan hubs Orlando and Tampa. The proposal
would create a service similar to Brightline’s West Palm Beach to Miami route, where concerns
of fast-moving trains near densely populated communities have resulted in numerous deaths.

Eight people have been killed by Brightline since it began its introductory service last July, in
part due to the new passenger trains that run along the West Palm Beach to Miami corridor can
reach maximum speeds of 79 mph. A potential danger for this area of Florida, as it is home to
the three most populous counties in with more than 6 million people living along its Gold Coast.

Brightline’s introduction to South Florida has been fraught with problems as safety upgrades at
the many railroad crossings failed to keep up with both the increase in train traffic, and the
speed at which these cars approach intersections. Currently, there are approximately 22 trains a
day moving passengers between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale and about 11 round
trip runs between WPB and Miami.

The newly-proposed Brightline route would lease land along Interstate 4 from the Florida
Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX),
which owns the right of way.

Hopefully Gov. Scott considers such issues when deciding whether to approve this new route,
as Brightline’s proposal would be carving out higher-speed passenger rail service between cities
with expected population increases that are some of the highest in the nation. Central Florida is
projected to experience growth in excess of 100 percent in some urban areas. It is repeatedly
eighth in the country for projected expansion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Tampa’s
population will increase from 3 million to 3.5 million by 2023. Already, it is the largest
metropolitan area in the state.

Fast-moving passenger trains, crowded communities, and busy intersections are a hazardous
web for any state, much less Florida, where residents have already paid the deadly price of this
ill thought out service. It seems to us, and the driving public, Brightline should resolve its issues
with safety within its east coast route before launching new initiatives.