Is SunRail fulfilling its purpose?

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Are you disappointed by SunRail? I am. SunRail today is nothing like what was envisioned at the start. Let me share this back story:

In 1988, I was a member the Florida House of Representatives, hoping to be reappointed to the Appropriations Committee, of which I had been a member the previous eight years. But the new speaker of the House, Tom Gustafson, had a different plan.

On a flight to Tallahassee, he sketched his plan for me on the back of one of the plane’s airsickness bags. He wanted to create a framework for connecting Florida’s major airports (Miami, Orlando and Tampa) by rail. Just before landing, he asked if I would chair the House Transportation Subcommittee on Rail, Fixed Guideway and Bus Systems. I was disappointed not to be re-appointed to Appropriations, but I was also excited. I knew mass transit would be vital in shaping Florida’s future.

I envisioned many benefits for rail systems, including, a magnetically-levitated (Maglev) train taking tourists from the Orlando International Airport to theme parks and a commuter-rail system taking workers to their jobs. As subcommittee chair, I sponsored two legislative initiatives that would help turn the vision into reality. One created a Central Florida Commuter Rail Authority, and the other authorized Maglev trains to connect OIA to Walt Disney World.

The latter project was ultimately rejected, partially because of Disney’s lack of appetite for a public train station on its property. Fast-forward 10 years: Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and Orange County Chairman Mel Martinez advocated a light-rail system to connect downtown Orlando to International Drive. The plan had broad-based community support. Significantly, it was the only new rail project in the nation to be included in President Bill Clinton’s budget that year.

That plan fell apart when the swing vote on the Orange County Commission, Clarence Hoenstine, surprised everyone by voting against the project.

The federal funding that would have paid for light rail in Orlando instead went to Charlotte, N.C., to build a light-rail system. Charlotte could transport workers to their jobs via light rail; Orlando was stuck with gridlock.

Eventually, by 2014, Phase I of SunRail was realized. Instead of light rail, however, SunRail used diesel engines on 100-year-old freight tracks on a less-than-ideal route along the spine of Interstate 4 from DeBary to Sand Lake Road.

SunRail was touted as an alternative to massive construction on Interstate 4 and as an opportunity to connect workers to jobs at employers like Orlando Health and Florida Hospital.

Yet ridership statistics for SunRail’s first phase (DeBary to Sand Lake Road) have been downright disappointing. In fact, a recent report indicated the cost of ticketing exceeded collections for fares. So much for connecting housing to jobs.

Further ridership data reveal the most active stations are those farthest away from downtown Orlando — DeBary and Sand Lake. That means SunRail’s Phase II plans for expanding to Meadow Woods, Tupperware, Kissimmee and Poinciana offer an opportunity for SunRail to increase its ridership.

What about the original vision of moving visitors from Orlando International Airport to I-Drive?

This is where Phase III of SunRail comes in. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is building an intermodal terminal facility south of OIA, with a people mover from the airport to the station. This intermodal facility will also serve as a station for the Brightline higher-speed intercity rail service, which will connect Orlando’s airport to downtown Miami.

While Phase II is a step in the right direction, SunRail’s Phase III could be a leap in the right direction if extended to International Drive. Only then will the vision of providing increased access to workers and visitors be fulfilled. COMMENTARY |

SunRail has been in operation for the past 34 months. About 3,500 people per day use SunRail. Although that ridership remains in line with what similar regions have experienced in the early stages of their rail systems, it’s still a few hundred daily riders below where we hoped it would be by now.

That said, if we’re asking ourselves the question “Is SunRail fulfilling its purpose?” then we must think beyond ridership as the only metric that matters.

From the very beginning, our community had a shared vision for the mission and purpose of SunRail. First and foremost, our commuter train was designed to be the backbone of a modern public transit system, the first major piece of what will ultimately be a network of transit options to serve Central Florida’s residents. Second, SunRail was built to give commuters an alternative to Interstate 4, especially throughout the massive and lengthy overhaul of our interstate highway.

I would submit that a far more important barometer of success is whether or not SunRail is helping speed up the evolution of our region from one that is almost entirely cardependent to one that leverages the power of mass transit to benefit its residents and visitors and to make it more economically competitive with the other great cities of America and the world.

Seen through that big-picture lens, SunRail is, unequivocally, fulfilling its purpose.

Over the last 34 months, more than 2.5 million people have ridden SunRail. Every day, SunRail trains are filled with those who are choosing a different, more reliable and stress-free way to commute while, in most cases, also saving money. The system continues to deliver 99 percent on-time performance.

Next year, the system is expanding by 17 miles into Osceola County, greatly adding to the number of people it can serve. Of course, we’ve begun working toward connecting SunRail to Orlando International Airport, a project that will serve as a game changer for our entire region.

The SunRail team is also working hard to provide more leisure ridership opportunities and to engage new riders by giving them reasons to ride the train that go beyond the “nuts and bolts” benefits of commuting by train. For example, SunRail operated service to support the first Orlando City soccer game in the club’s new downtown stadium. Train cars were filled with thousands of purple-clad riders, many of whom had never been on the train before. This experience truly mirrored the big-city feel of transportation that supports major events like the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta or special events in Washington, D.C. Our arts community will use SunRail as a platform to create what will essentially be a rolling gallery for local artists. By next year, riders will be able to use a smartphone app to access a host of new features on their train.

Central Florida is one of America’s fastest-growing regions, and people are moving here by the tens of thousands every year. That means there’s going to be a future where cars and buses alone aren’t going to be able to handle our exploding population. There’s going to be a future where our employers will demand world-class transit options in order to compete. And, there’s going to be a future where getting into and out of downtown Orlando — the economic, sports and cultural hub of our region — must be made easier and more convenient.

When that future arrives, we’re not going to be able to snap our fingers and create the mass transit network we need. That’s why we’ve got to put the work in today, and put the pieces in place now, to ensure we are prepared to own that future. That’s what is happening every single day on SunRail.

If you haven’t yet seen this evolution in person, I encourage you to give a ride on SunRail a try.