Moment is here to get Coastal Link commuter rail line up and running

South Florida soon could be closer to creation of a coastal commuter rail line. Such a service would be good for the region, the economy and our battles with transportation gridlock and climate change.

This month, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved in concept a 90- year agreement with Brightline for an access fee that would allow commuter rail service on the FEC corridor. To understand why that’s so important, you need to understand why the corridor is unique.

In most of the country, local governments own the rail corridor and grant companies an easement to use it. But Henry Flagler brought trains to South Florida before most cities were incorporated. So Florida East Coast Railway owns the roughly 350miles of track between Miami and Jacksonville. Cities and counties must get easements to cross it. So must other train companies.

Brightline secured the exclusive rights to passenger-rail service on the FEC’s freight corridor before it began running its luxury, high-speed trains between West Palm Beach and Miami almost three years ago. But until now, the company has refused to discuss what it would take to let short-hop commuter service also run on the rails.

“The door now is open,” Gregory Stuart, executive director of the Bro ward Metropolitan Planning Organization ,“and the chain isn’t on it.”

Details about who will run the commuter service have yet to be worked out, though it makes sense for that provider to be Tri-Rail, which has provided South Florida’ s existing commuter rail service since 1989.

Tri-Rail, however, has been limited to the CSX corridor, which mostly runs west of Interstate 95. The Coastal Link, by contrast, would bring commuter trains to the heart of South Florida’s downtowns.

From the line’s southern terminus at Miami Central to its northernmost Miami-Dade stop at A ventura, there’ s talk of adding six commuter stations — at 151st Street,

123rd Street, El Portal, Little Haiti, the Design District and Wynwood.

In Broward and Palm Beach counties, the map identifies 21 proposed stations, including the existing Brightline stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. It can’t happen too soon. Whenthe 10-laning of I-95 is finished into southern Palm Beach County, the highway likely will beas wide as possible. Mass transit will be the only way to prevent economy- killing gridlock. Stuart told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board that the Coastal Link would take a “phenomenal” amount of traffic off

I-95. Miami-Dade hopes to negotiate an up front payment of $50 million and annual payments of $12 million. Once that happened, Broward and Palm Beach counties could negotiate their own agreements for a regional service at least north to West Palm Beach and perhaps beyond.

Like Miami-Dade, Bro ward has a dedicated transportation tax that could finance the annual fee. Palm Beach does not. All three counties currently contribute toward Tri-Rail’s operating costs.

A successful Coastal Link would have to work in consultation with Brightline, which had planned to run as many as 32daily trains before it suspended service because of the pandemic. New infrastructure – such as a third track – might be necessary. Schedules would have to be coordinated.

Broward will be key, and not just because it would be the center of the route.

Bright line wants a station at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, which makes sense. Commuters would want an airport stop. And because the airport land is publicly owned, the Broward County Commission would have leverage to negotiate a reasonable deal for everyone.

In addition, a regional Coastal Link can’t happen without a new bridge over — or a tunnel under— the New River indowntown Fort Lauderdale. For when today’s drawbridge is lowered to let freight and passenger trains pass, it cuts off access to up-river marine businesses so essential to our economy. These businesses would be crippled if the bridge were lowered yet again every hour — more, during peak periods — to let commuter trains also cross.

A study has shown that a tunnel— which Mayor Dean T rant alis prefers—could cost as much as $3 billion. A bridge would be closer to$1 billion.

Whatever the choice, obtaining federal and state financing would depend on establishing a “public purpose” for the project. Commuter rail would be that purpose.

Fortunately, many cities in Broward and Palm Beach have identified sites for possible stations. Some have set aside land. They might want to strike deals for transit-oriented development, with the developer paying the cost of the station.

Stuart noted, with a laugh, that when he came to South Florida almost three decades ago, people were talking about coastal commuter rail service. “We have already spent millions,” hesaid, on plans and preparation.

Themoment for action is here. Wehave Brightline finally willing to allow commuterrail access, for a price. We have an existing operator— Tri-Rail— that has experience and rolling stock. We have support from politicians and business leaders. We have leverage— with publicly-owned airport land and public financing needed for a bridge— to get a reasonable price. Andwe have the obvious need. Let’s see a regional effort to seize the moment.

Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O’Hara, Dan Sweeney, Steve Bousquet and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson.