Your firsthand impressions of Brightline (Miami, Orlando: insurance, transfer, bankrupt)

[beach43ofus]

I don't see how BL makes money not going to all the major airports from Miami to Olando.

They should set up free shuttle busses from the closest train stations to the major airports to increase their chances.

[DanielAvery]

Apparently someone was attempting to round Confusion Corner in Stuart on Tuesday night and drove off the pavement. They ended up nose-down in a ditch near the tracks. I'm assuming it was a rear-wheel drive car, since the rear wheels were not in contact with the ground and they could not back out. Someone had the presence of mind to call the FEC emergency number and three trains (two BL, one freight) were stopped from going through to allow the tow truck to extract the car, which would otherwise have been clipped by a passing train. Nobody got hurt, thankfully, but this was just the sort of mishap that could very easily end in tragedy for people unfamiliar with that intersection. Better nighttime lighting might help, but even in broad daylight the intersection is daunting to those unfamiliar with it.

[MiamiLIFE]

I believe Brightline offers free shuttle/car service within a 5-mile area of the Brightline station. Appears WP airport is less than 5 miles from BL station.

[wanderer34]

Originally Posted by JenaS62

My husband and I are taking a trip to Panama next June and we may need to fly out of Miami because American is cheaper than Copa out of Orlando (Orlando is closer for us) so I thought that I would check into the Brightline to see if we could drive to West Palm and take the Brightline to Miami International. I discovered that the train does not even go to the airport. You have to take a taxi or Uber from the Miami station to the airport which is really unbelievable that you would build a train that does not make it more convenient for the travelers. So we will probably just drive. So stupid.

Originally Posted by JenaS62

Unfortunately the only airport that the Brightline goes to in Orlando International. It seems to go downtown in West Palm, Ft Lauderdale and Miami. So I think it’s pretty useless for travelers trying not to drive to airports. Having to get shuttles, taxis or Ubers defeats the purpose. Very disappointing.

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I don't see how BL makes money not going to all the major airports from Miami to Olando.

They should set up free shuttle busses from the closest train stations to the major airports to increase their chances.

I'm pretty sure that Brightline has future plans to place a HSR station nearby MIA in the near, not too distant future. I've looked at Google Maps, and it looks like there's enough space to accommodate a Brightline train. There's already a train station at Miami Intermodal Station, and I believe due to the higher platforms at MIS, that the current station won't accommodate Brightline trains, so placing another HSR station specifically for Brightline should be very doable parallel to the other station and right next to the Greyhound station.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mi...l=en&entry=ttu

[JenaS62]

Well here we go. Once again, Vero Beach has been really stupid about the Brightline trains. Now because we spent millions of dollars to fight the train running through Vero, we are not in consideration for a station. All we get here is mattress stores, storage units and dollar generals. No good stores and no train. Stupid.

https://veronews.com/2023/11/11/to-n...tline-station/

[Mr. Purple 2]

Originally Posted by JenaS62

Well here we go. Once again, Vero Beach has been really stupid about the Brightline trains. Now because we spent millions of dollars to fight the train running through Vero, we are not in consideration for a station. All we get here is mattress stores, storage units and dollar generals. No good stores and no train. Stupid.

https://veronews.com/2023/11/11/to-n...tline-station/

While fighting the train in court certainly didn't build any goodwill with Brighline, Vero is too small of a market to have a station. Brightline will build only one station on the Treasure Coast and it make sense to locate the one station in either Martin or St Lucy Counties where there are larger population areas.

Vero has the same problem with attracting upscale shopping since it is a small city and a lot of residents are low to middle class. That is why you don't see a Whole Foods and Trader Joes stores in Vero. Even Aldi hasn't located a store in Vero. Demographics and the amount of population play a major reason for landing new businesses and Vero doesn't have a large or very affluent population. I still like Vero.

[beach43ofus]

Vero Beach's 32963 zip code (the island) was one of the nation's top 70 richest in 2018:

https://patch.com/florida/miamibeach...ip-code-report

The money's there, but there's no land to build much high end retail on the island, & what land is there, is too costly.

While 32963 is very wealthy, its still a small enclave of wealth...not enough rich people to support big time retailers. Very few are year rounders either...their 32963 residence is just 1 of many to them.
.
This is why 32963 appeals to me so much. Lots of retail brings crime & traffic...no thanks. I like 32963 just the way it is...but 1 microsized upscale supermarket would be okay by me.

I also think having a Briteline station there would increase crime.

[lunetunelover]

Vero had a Fresh Market for many years before St. Lucie County got one. (That's my idea of high end - better than Trader Joes IMO)

Vero has it's good and bad, and yes, I think the lawsuits put the kabosh on a train station there.

[JenaS62]

Originally Posted by Mr. Purple 2

While fighting the train in court certainly didn't build any goodwill with Brighline, Vero is too small of a market to have a station. Brightline will build only one station on the Treasure Coast and it make sense to locate the one station in either Martin or St Lucy Counties where there are larger population areas.

Vero has the same problem with attracting upscale shopping since it is a small city and a lot of residents are low to middle class. That is why you don't see a Whole Foods and Trader Joes stores in Vero. Even Aldi hasn't located a store in Vero. Demographics and the amount of population play a major reason for landing new businesses and Vero doesn't have a large or very affluent population. I still like Vero.

Don't get me wrong, I love Vero too. I've been here 23 years and raised my family here, but things like this make me crazy. More and more people move into the area and it would be nice to not have to drive to West Palm to find nice stores and I really, really want to use that stupid train to go to Orlando. My next hope is Ft. Pierce since I live near the county line between Indian River and St. Lucie County.

[DanielAvery]

I also think the past opposition to BL isn't as consequential as you might think. Many of us in Martin County were just as solid in our uneasiness if not outright opposition, but they're still looking at two prospective areas in Martin that fits BL's guidelines.

I think that site in Fort Pierce has been a front-runner for as long as BL has been around (even before it was called Brightline), so it's their game to lose. Of course it might be a moot point if the system can't generate enough profit to continue to operate.