ORLANDO, Fla. — A proposed Sunrail line stretching from Disney Springs to the Orlando International Airport would more than triple ridership, even before accounting for tourists, according to preliminary results of an FDOT study released Thursday.
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The Sunshine Corridor proposal, which would connect the main line to some of the metro’s biggest employment centers, is still in its early stages.
The study was an early way to review whether expected ridership would help justify the massive expense it’s expected to take to get the line off the ground – literally.
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Sunrail’s current ridership is about one million people per year. Just extending the train service to the airport would jump ridership to approximately 3.7 million people in the first year of service, and 5.2 million by 2040.
That stretch alone is expected to cost the service $2 billion, which leaders hope to fund through a combination of public and private dollars. Much of that expense would come from an expected decision to elevate the train tracks to avoid road crossings, which has been a key request of Brightline, which wants to use the tracks when it expands service to Tampa.
Adding service to I-drive, Universal, the Convention Center and Disney Springs could bump ridership up to 6.4 million commuters in the first year of service and 9.4 million by 2040.
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“Ridership potential in this corridor far exceeds current estimates due to tourist travel in the region,” the report summarized.
The entire line could cost as much as $4.4 billion to construct. Despite the cost, area leaders see the Sunshine Corridor as the catalyst to Orlando having a proper regional mass transit system. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has previously said night and weekend service – a top request among riders – cannot happen without an airport extension.
FDOT and Sunrail leaders will continue to study various options for the plan, including the construction of a transfer station to connect the Sunshine Corridor to the main line.
There is still many planning, environmental and design phases remaining between now and groundbreaking, should that happen.
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