Your firsthand impressions of Brightline (Orlando: how much, live, prices)

[City Guy997S]

It seems to have daily accidents!

My personal thought: Its going to be a huge failure. Tri-Rail is significantly cheaper in the tri-county area and Miami to Orlando for $79 each way is too much/ kids 39.

Tri-Rail weekends is $5 a person each way from West Palm to Miami Airport. Brighline is $24/57 premium AND you have to pay for parking. Tri-Rail is free parking.

[jaxrivers]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

It seems to have daily accidents!

My personal thought: Its going to be a huge failure. Tri-Rail is significantly cheaper in the tri-county area and Miami to Orlando for $79 each way is too much/ kids 39.

Tri-Rail weekends is $5 a person each way from West Palm to Miami Airport. Brighline is $24/57 premium AND you have to pay for parking. Tri-Rail is free parking.

Nothing to do with the Treasure Coast.

All the "accidents" are due to idiots trying to beat the train and suicide.

After 57 deaths, Brightline in Florida pleads with people to stop dangerous crossings

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florid...ous-crossings/

Sept. 22, Delray Beach
A Brightline train fatally struck a pedestrian shortly before the first Brightline train left Miami for Orlando International Airport, the railway's long-planned extension into Central Florida.

DELRAY BEACH, CRACKHEAD CENTRAL.

Have you driven on I95? It's worse.

[jaxrivers]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I chose to move to Venice FL instead of to Vero, partially due to the announcement of BL ~6 yrs ago

Now that they are a reality, I'm very interested in how it impacts residents.


Are the crossing horn on the engine of the train (i.e. train whistle) ,or affixed to a post at each crossing?

Do the horns scare Dogs?

Can the horns be heard from the barrier island of Vero Beach (32963)?


I'll do a search of "Briteline horn sounding" & check it out.


So, the sound of the trains are not bad, just the horns?

Have you ever BEEN here?

YEAH all the zillionaires and rich tourists on the barrier island are tortured all day and night with train horns.

All dogs are howling and panicking and have to be drugged all over the county.

The information on Brightline's HORNS drama going on for YEARS is public knowledge FOR YEARS and I'm tired of providing PUBLIC INFORMATION to people who REFUSE TO JUST LOOK IT UP and also refuse to "believe" it. NOTHING is even in place yet but HEY let's JUMP THE GUN and troll Vero Beach.

The GREATER issue is Martin County's bridge.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

It seems to have daily accidents!

My personal thought: Its going to be a huge failure. Tri-Rail is significantly cheaper in the tri-county area and Miami to Orlando for $79 each way is too much/ kids 39.

Tri-Rail weekends is $5 a person each way from West Palm to Miami Airport. Brighline is $24/57 premium AND you have to pay for parking. Tri-Rail is free parking.

I agree, when I looked at it tickets were even more. I was considering driving to Orlando and taking the train yo Miami, but not if it costs $300 for 3 people.

[bgrasser]

Originally Posted by HarryWhom

You would have had to really turn up your hearing aid to hear them in Fellsmere... But I guess you're referring to Sebastian.

I was living in Sebastion when BL was proposed.

[DanielAvery]

I'm sure there will be a lot of people "testing it out" at first, just for the experience of riding a route that few have seen up to now. The test will be once the "new" wears off and people have made personal determinations on whether the juice is worth the squeeze. There are plusses and minuses for using BL and for using their cars that are unique to each person's situation. If BL really wants a proper gauge of whether this is going to work long-term, they ought to track how many repeat bookings they get.

The minute they determine that ridership "has fallen below expectations" you can bet they will use that as a pretext to back out of building a station on the Treasure Coast. I've always suspected they never intended to build it anyway, and only made the promise to get the lawsuits/vocal opposition to go away.

[Thundarr457]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I predict it won't be profitable, and will transition into being a "joint public-private venture" so taxpayers will wind up footing most of the cost. The private entity will eventually file for bankrupcy, & it will become 100% taxpayer funded...I'm guessing 5 years from now...maybe sooner. I hope I turn out to be wrong.

I lived in Atlanta, & saw MARTA there lose Billions, close restrooms at most station's due to crime, and I saw the number of MARTA police shrink down to almost none. They lack proper police protection to guard the stations/restrooms, & the MARTA train station parking areas became crime ridden too. When it gets cold, homeless live on the trains. The MARTA busses that feed the trains don't run on time, so ridership plummeted. Now, its a Billion dollar boondoggle, they want to expand...insane.

MARTA is more of a regional system whereas Brightline takes people from Miami to Orlando and the extremely popular theme parks. I wouldn't write it off so quickly. The planned Tampa expansion should help as well.

[Mr. Purple 2]

Originally Posted by jaxrivers

Have you ever BEEN here?

YEAH all the zillionaires and rich tourists on the barrier island are tortured all day and night with train horns.

All dogs are howling and panicking and have to be drugged all over the county.

The information on Brightline's HORNS drama going on for YEARS is public knowledge FOR YEARS and I'm tired of providing PUBLIC INFORMATION to people who REFUSE TO JUST LOOK IT UP and also refuse to "believe" it. NOTHING is even in place yet but HEY let's JUMP THE GUN and troll Vero Beach.

The GREATER issue is Martin County's bridge.

Since you don't live in Vero here is my first encounter.


I came over from the island today and was waiting at the intersection of FL 60 about two blocks away. I looked up and saw the BL moving across Route 60. I had the top down on the car and the radio off, I didn't hear any train or crossing sounds. If I hadn't looked up I would never had know the train passing through Vero. Very surprising.



Let me know your impressions if you ever visit VB.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by jaxrivers

Have you ever BEEN here?

YEAH all the zillionaires and rich tourists on the barrier island are tortured all day and night with train horns.

All dogs are howling and panicking and have to be drugged all over the county.

The information on Brightline's HORNS drama going on for YEARS is public knowledge FOR YEARS and I'm tired of providing PUBLIC INFORMATION to people who REFUSE TO JUST LOOK IT UP and also refuse to "believe" it. NOTHING is even in place yet but HEY let's JUMP THE GUN and troll Vero Beach.

The GREATER issue is Martin County's bridge.

I've been to Vero Beach a lot, because I have family that lived there for years. They recently returned to St. Lucie West, in the PGA village.

I considered moving there ~6 yrs ago, so did extensive research, & rented airbnb's by the month twice. That is when I learned about BR.

One month, I rented a condo along Indian River Blvd, ~1/2 mile from the RR tracks, & the freight train whistle's woke me nightly.

After that experience, I ditched the idea of the mainland for the barrier island.

The next year, I rented a place for a month on the island along A1A across from Jaycee Park. I fell in love with the island, & heard no trains out there...very quiet...but no grocery store...just a very expensive gourmet food store.

I'm still considering the island...love Marbrisa, River Club, & I just discovered the new homes in "Seaglass" near the Wabasso bridge.

Due to my time there, family there, & continued interest in the area, I doubt I'd be considered as a troll by most. I'm sorry my posts offend you...feel free to ignore them.

Thanks to the others here who have offered firsthand accounts to what they are seeing & hearing about the new regional rail service. I appreciate your sharing.

[lunetunelover]

My office is a couple hundred feet away from the tracks.

The freight trains are worse. I feel the vibration in my chair and see it in my monitors.

I barely noticed the BL trains. When I'm outside they are quieter and the horns seem to be a higher pitch. Of course they are faster too. I laugh with some of the freight trains moving about 5 mph through downtown.

I predict it will not be of use/value for most people along the TC. It will help tourists flying into Miami to go to Orlando. And vice versa for tourists flying into Orlando. But for everyday folks? Nope...it will cost too much and take too long.