Miami, FL

Is Florida’s Brightline the train of the future?

Published

1 year ago

August 12, 2023

Is Florida’s Brightline the train of the future?

Sometime this fall, a first-of-its-kind train will depart Southern Florida for a “magical” destination 236 miles north.

Known as the Brightline, this privately-built, for-profit rail company will soon cut the ribbon on a 170-mile extension connecting the likes of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach with Orlando International Airport.

Just beyond are many of America’s best-known theme parks, including Universal Studios Florida and Walt Disney World.

Nearly nine years after construction began — and just four years after work on the higher-speed section to Orlando got underway — the $6.2 billion project has the potential to not just transform transportation in Florida, but in heavily-trafficked inter-urban corridors nationwide.

At top speeds of 125 miles per hour, Brightline passengers departing Orlando will reach downtown Miami in just under three hours. It’s a faster and far more comfortable upgrade to existing transport options: A drive along the oft-congested highways between the two cities, or the five- to eight-hour trip riding Amtrak.

In just a matter of weeks, the Brightline extension between Miami and Orlando is expected to debut, the first privately-funded intercity rail system in the US.

Markus Mainka/imageBROKER/Shutterstock

And certainly more stylish: Brightline’s sleek black, white, and bright yellow trains are equipped with SpaceX Starlink Internet and leather seats; there’s even a business class-style lounge for passengers who purchase a “premium” ticket.

Brightline plans to operate 16 daily round trips between Orlando and Miami, with one-way rides starting at $79, comparable to prices on Amtrak or Spirit Airlines.

Built by Sacramento-based Siemens Mobility, the lower-emission diesel-electric locomotives have already run between Miami and West Palm Beach for several years.

The Brightline will soon connect Downtown Miami (above) with Orlando in just about three hours.

But this second-phase extension northward to Orlando will be the real test of Brightline’s change-making capacity when it opens in the coming weeks.

Once that happens, Florida leaders expect Brightline — which already carried close to 1 million passengers during the first half of this year in South Florida — to serve 4.3 million annual “long-distance” riders between Orlando and Miami, while injecting more than $6 billion into the state’s economy as it more closely links the Magic Kingdom with South Beach.

Brightline is the first privately-owned intercity rail system in the US. And its development, says CEO Mike Reininger, demonstrates the impact similar major infrastructure developments could achieve nationwide.

“Seeing is believing,” says Reininger, who notes that multiple other cities have already reached out to Brightline for potential service lines.

The Orlando station puts passengers a short drive away from Disney World (above).

In many ways, Brightline offers the first evidence that train travel in America might someday resemble the ease and efficiency of railways in Europe and Asia.

To be clear, Brightline isn’t done.

The company plans to build on its service to Orlando with a future extension to Tampa 85 miles further west.

Plus, company leaders tell The Post they’ll have shovels in the ground by year’s end on an entirely new Brightline West high-speed rail system connecting Southern California with Las Vegas.

Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, says the Brightline model for high-speed rail development may not necessarily work in every urban corridor.

And that may just be the beginning.

In an interview with The Post, Reininger teased the possibility of future, similar systems, noting the company has identified “a dozen or so” places elsewhere in the country that might be a fit.

“We really do think, for certain parts of . . . the country, we have now developed a blueprint and a theory about a way to get it done in a meaningful time frame and in a way that is economic,” he said. Exactly what is that blueprint?

For starters, Brightline’s Florida system sits in a densely populated, fast-growing state in perhaps the nation’s highest-demand tourism region.

Last year saw 72 million visitors descend upon Orlando and over 50 million to Miami.

These two cities are emblematic of the self-described “sweet spot” for rail: too close to fly, but far enough to make travelers think twice about driving; roughly 200 to 300 miles apart.

Perhaps more important, though, was Brightline’s ability to skirt the red tape and court battles that typically accompany mega transport projects by using or building tracks in strategic locations; company executives studied past, failed rail projects and found getting track space (known as a “right of way”) is often the biggest hurdle.

Brightline relied on existing tracks for large portions of its Florida line — tracks it has access to since its parent company, private equity-giant Fortress Investment Group, also owned the tracks’ original user: Florida East Coast Railway.

In other places, Brightline’s tracks run down the median of interstate highways, which were completed decades ago.

“This relieved [Brightline] of a lot of initial real-estate costs,” said rail expert Christopher P.L. Barkan, a professor who leads the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center.

The Brightline has faced it share of challenges, including a range of local protests along with more than 30 fatalities over the past five years, most from pedestrians walking along the train tracks. — Brightline has faced its share of challenges, including a range of local protests along with more than 30 fatalities over the past five years, most from pedestrians walking along the train tracks.

Using existing track also allowed Brightline to dramatically ease its battle for construction permitting, company executives tell The Post.

Brighltine avoided knocking down forests or going through the legal maneuvers required to build new tracks through private property.

Unsurprisingly, Brightline is taking a similar development approach out west, where it plans to run its trains along the Interstate 5 corridor that connects Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

To sum it up in a football metaphor, Brightline started in a good field position.

Its leaders acknowledge this. “Those starting characteristics are why we’ve been able to do what we’ve been able to do,” Reininger said of the company’s development strategies.

That success, however, hasn’t been without setbacks — some sizable.

Costs for California’s long-delayed Bullet Train have ballooned to as high as $100 billion, but the system currently has only 119 miles of rail under construction, such as this track work near Fresno.

Last year, boaters protested in Stuart, Fla., to demand more time to pass through the St. Lucie River Railway Bridge.

Far more worrisome is Brightline’s already alarming fatality rate: Since its initial debut in 2017, some 30 motorists and pediatricians have been killed by Brightline trains.

The majority have been people struck by trains while walking on tracks; Brightline has repeatedly acknowledged the situation and announced a $45 million safety plan featuring “at least 33 miles of pedestrian safety measures”…along with “crucial safety improvements” at 156 railroad crossings.”

For all Brightline’s successes, the unique circumstances around its private money/private rail development means it may not be a fit everywhere, experts caution.

“Brightline has a lot of built-in advantages that not every project . . . is going to have,” Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, pointed out. “There are places in this country where that model can — and will — work. But there’s also plenty of places where it can’t.” Potential rail projects, he explains, should to be tailored to a region’s specific circumstances rather than conform to a set corporate “blueprint.”

Like in Florida, the Brightline's California version will be built using existing real estate — in this case the Interstate 5 corridor that connects Los Angeles and Las Vegas. — Like in Florida, Brightline’s California version will be built using existing real estate — in this case, the Interstate 5 corridor that connects Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

For that reason, Mathews cautions against viewing Brightline’s rising prominence as a rebuke of Amtrak, even as the federally-funded rail system has drawn ire from lawmakers and passengers for its budget and service. Despite nearly $50 billion in federal subsidies in as many years, “Amtrak has never made a profit,” Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) remarked during a June Congressional hearing with Amtrak executives.

Such is the reality, Mathews says, for a rail company, like Amtrak, that’s required to deliver crucial service to even less profitable, hard-to-reach parts of the country on tracks that, outside its critical Northeast Corridor, are predominantly owned by (and therefore shared with) freight railroads.

“Amtrak can’t be Brightline anymore than Brightline can be like Amtrak,” he said.

A map of the Brightline network including the planned future extension onto Tampa.

Clearly, though, Brightline’s appearance on both coasts has demonstrated an appetite for alternative intercity passenger rail options, including those built with private funding.

Brightline also arrives on the precipice of even larger change for trains in America, with the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law having allocated tens of billions of dollars for rail projects nationwide.

This includes more money for Amtrak than it had previously received in its entire existence, along with a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River.

Even private companies like Brightline hope to benefit from the massive Federal money pot — the Nevada Department of Transportation has partnered with the company in applying for a reported $3.75 billion to support construction on Brightline’s western line.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says Brightline's ability to avoid public financing and land requirements helped smooth its development process. — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says Brightline’s ability to avoid public financing and land requirements helped smooth its development process.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been a vocal supporter of the Brightline. — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been a vocal supporter of Brightline.

“I think we’re going to end up seeing a mix of both private and public sector operations of passenger railroad in the future,” said Barkan, whose research team has previously studied high-speed rail service between Chicago and St. Louis.

Some of his former students have gone on to take jobs at Brightline.

Of course, despite Brightline’s success, investors eyeing future rail projects will likely consider the fate of California’s long-delayed Bullet Train that’s planned between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Brightline will serve as a far faster and more stylish alternative to outdated Amtrak service.

Since California voters first authorized a $9 billion down payment in 2008, project costs have ballooned to as high as $100 billion, but the system currently has only 119 miles of rail under construction.

It’s blunders like the Bullet Train that help put into perspective the significance of Brightline. “There’s been a lot of cooperation in terms of enabling them to get here,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told The Post, acknowledging the joint efforts between Brightline and public officials required to prevent potential regulatory derailments along the way.

“That is something that has curtailed efforts in some other parts of the country — getting tied up in litigation and not having your financing in place,” Dyer added (Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been equally supportive of Brightline).

The Brightline's yellow, white and black livery and high-end passenger cars are part of its premium product offering. — Brightline’s yellow, white, and black livery and high-end passenger cars are part of its premium product offering.

In Orlando’s case, city officials helped smooth out Brightline’s acquisition of land controlled by the Central Florida Expressway and the Orlando Airport. Dyer hopes Brightline will get the green light to operate its Orlando extension by Sept. 24, when the city’s MLS team hosts Intercity Miami and its new superstar Lionel Messi.

Brightline, meanwhile, has its eyes on another far larger sporting event: the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

By then, it hopes to have its Western system complete.

If achieved, it could make the global event one that could simultaneously showcase the prowess of American athletes and an improving US rail system.

“The main thing is to get Americans to recognize the value of getting out of their car and getting onto their train,” Mathews said. “And increasingly, they do.”

Source link

Click to comment

Miami, FL

How To Watch: No. 8 Miami’s Final Regular Season Game at Syracuse

Published

55 mins ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

How To Watch: No. 8 Miami’s Final Regular Season Game at Syracuse

It’s do-or-die now for The Miami Hurricanes. Win and they are headed to Charlotte to face the SMU Mustangs for the Chance at hold the ACC Title for the first time since joining the conference in 2004.

First, they have to defeat one of the best offenses in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Syracuse Orange led by Kyle McCord who is also on a mission of his own.

The Hurricanes have the No. 1 offense in the country but with a questionable defense, it could be hard to say what makes of the Canes and their championship asperation. One step at a time for the Hurricanes however as they look to get some players back for the final game of the season in the likes of Elijah Alston and Damari Brown.

The the additon of those two players on the defensive side of the ball, the Hurricanes could push pass the Orange and the offense that stands in their way. They will try to do it led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Cam Ward and his gunslinging arm and litany of weapons surrounding him.

Date: November 30

Time: 3:30 ET

TV: ESPN

Location: JMA Wireless Dome

Series: The Hurricanes lead the series 16-7 against the Orange.

Last Matchup: The Hurricanes dominated on defense in a 27-19 victory where Syracuse QB Eric Dungey threw four interceptions. Canes QB Malik Rosier threw for 344 yards and two TDs.

Miami, FL

Dolphins-Patriots 2024 Week 12 Five Biggest Storylines

Published

9 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Dolphins-Patriots 2024 Week 12 Five Biggest Storylines

The Miami Dolphins will look to move their record to 5-6 when they face the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

The Dolphins are coming consecutive victories against the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots are 3-8 and coming off a Week 11 home loss against the Rams.

The Dolphins are looking for a second consecutive season sweep of the Patriots after winning at Gillette Stadium, 15-10, in Week 5.

Here are the five biggest storylines for this year’s Week 12 matchup.

The biggest difference in this matchup from Week 5 is at quarterback where Tua Tagovailoa and Drake Maye have replaced Tyler “Snoop” Huntley and Jacoby Brissett. The Dolphins offense has been humming with Tagovailoa back in the lineup, and a big reason is the quarterback is playing the best football of his career. There’s no reason to think that run can’t continue against the Patriots.

The third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Maye was put into the starting lineup the week after the Dolphins played at Gillette Stadium, and he has shown enough to have everybody in Patriots land excited about the future. While they got only two sacks, the Dolphins harassed Brissett throughout the Week 5 game, but now Maye has the mobility to turns those pressure into positive gains. At the very least, this should be a tougher matchup for the Dolphins defense.

The Dolphins were able to pull out a victory in that Week 5 game despite getting a late scare, but also because their running game kept producing. It hasn’t been great the past two weeks, but fullback Alec Ingold will be back in the lineup after sitting out with a calf injury and that could make a difference and bring back another performance like we saw in Week 5.

In the Patriots offense, the player to watch (besides Maye, obviously) is tight end Hunter Henry, particularly in light of the problems the Dolphins had with Brock Bowers last Sunday. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has promised to do whatever it takes to keep Henry in check, and that certainly could include putting Jalen Ramsey on him if needed.

One reason the Dolphins almost lost the Week 5 matchup despite keeping the Patriots offense in check was a brutal performance by the special teams that included a blocked punt, missed field goal and botched snap on another field goal attempt. That they were able to survive those mistakes and still win was pretty remarkable, and the Dolphins shouldn’t tempt fate again.

Source link

Miami, FL

Design Miami 2024 is alive with possibility: here are 13 things to see

Published

18 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Design Miami 2024 is alive with possibility: here are 13 things to see

As 2024 hurtles towards a close, the final major design event of the year is almost upon us. Design Miami will open the doors to its 20th edition from 4-8 December with a preview day on 3 December. What started as a modest gathering in 2005 during Art Basel Miami Beach has grown into a leading global fair with annual editions in Miami, Basel, Paris and, for the first time this year, Los Angeles.

The Miami iteration has helped to revitalise the city’s design district and continues to attract designers, collectors, and curators from around the world, all in search of high design with a side of winter sun.

What to see: Design Miami 2024 highlights

Curated by American curator and author Glenn Adamson, this year’s fair is centred around the theme Blue Sky, exploring bold and imaginative design that exceeds expectations. ‘Design is inherently a speculative venture,’ says Adamson, ‘and also a collective one – a shared framework of reference at a time of global interconnection. The theme presents an opportunity to celebrate Design Miami’s role as a platform for the 21st-century avant-garde – showcasing the very best in contemporary and historic design for two decades.’

Among the names in this year’s line-up are Design Miami stalwarts like bi-coastal US gallery The Future Perfect, alongside debutants such as London’s Lamb Gallery. Exhibited works run the gamut in terms of scale and origin, from bold sculptures that resemble oversized Ndebele jewellery to intricate Werregue side tables from Colombia. Here are the exhibitors on our hit list.

1. The Future Perfect

‘Song of the Forest’ sconce, by Vikram Goyal for The Future Perfect

(Image credit: Courtesy The Future Perfect)

In its largest booth to date, The Future Perfect will present nearly 100 new works from more than 20 emerging and established artists, including Chris Wolston, Lindsey Adelman (both among 50 top American creatives photographed by Inez & Vinoodh for Wallpaper* earlier in 2024), and Cody Hoyt. The exhibition also features six new artists making their Design Miami debut, including Anina Major, Laurids Gallée, and Olivia Cognet. Additionally, Indian designer Vikram Goyal will showcase his intricate metalwork for the first time in the US, bringing India’s rich artisanal history to South Beach.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

2. The 2024 Annual Design Commission: Nicole Nomsa Moyo

Nicole Moyo in red, beside giant colourful sculpture in white space — Nicole Moyo with work for *Pearl Jam*

The Miami Design District, in collaboration with the Design Miami Curatorial Lab, has announced Nicole Nomsa Moyo as the recipient of the 2024 Design Commission. Moyo’s vibrant installation, Pearl Jam, is inspired by the intricate patterns of South Africa’s Ndebele tribe and will include interactive sculptures throughout the neighbourhood, including oversized pearls, deconstructable necklaces, and radiant earrings. The installation also honours the craftsmanship of Ndebele women who will handcraft over 1,000 ‘earrings’ using locally sourced materials.

Dates: 1-9 December 2024
Location: Miami Design District

3. Lasvit: ‘Herbarium’

Suspended cluster of blue glass chandelier pieces, with glass etched like plant fronds — Detail of Lasvit’s ‘Herbarium’

Made from hundreds of suspended glass droplets, each featuring the form of a delicate plant, Herbarium is an immersive lighting installation by Czech glass company Lasvit, which will provide a little theatre at the fair. It is made from a new type of glass that incorporates repurposed waste, and users can adjust the colour of the light to create an ever-changing experience. Additionally, Lasvit will pay homage to postmodernist designer Borek Sipek, featuring pieces inspired by his legacy, alongside a mirror inspired by Miami’s sand.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

4. Ralph Pucci: ‘Primal Mysteries’

Ralph Pucci lamp with black sculptural base and brown shade — From Ralph Pucci’s ‘Primal Mysteries’ collection
Advertisement

Last year saw Ralph Pucci open a 10,000 sq ft gallery in Miami’s Wynwood. This year, he follows up with ‘Primal Mysteries’, his eponymous gallery’s first in-house collection in over a decade. The collection, which includes new lighting and tables, is inspired by figures from sculpture and painting, including Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brâncuși, and is handcrafted from clay and plaster at Ralph Pucci’s Manhattan studio. The gallery will also showcase Marjorie Salvaterra’s surreal photographic work Sheila in Technicolor and new pieces by longtime collaborator, French designer Patrick Naggar.

Dates: 3-9 December 2024
Location: Ralph Pucci (Miami), 550 NW 28th St Miami, FL 33127

5. Southern Guild

Red sculpture resembling a cockerel — Andile Dyalvane, ‘iThwasa’, 2024

Southern Guild will showcase the work of 12 leading African ceramic artists, presenting an exploration of the medium’s historical roots and its modern resurgence. The works on display include sculptures, vessels, and furniture by artists such as Andile Dyalvane, Michal Korycki, and Jabulile Nala, among others. These pieces highlight the intersection of tradition, technique, and symbolism within African culture and provide a compelling narrative on the evolving nature of ceramics in contemporary art.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Convention Centre Drive and 19th Street, Miami Beach, Booth G28

6. Lexus and Crafting Plastics: ‘Liminal Cycles’

Colourful material samples — Material experiments and samples from Crafting Plastics’ project with Lexus

Located in the sculpture garden at Miami’s Institute of Contemporary Art, Liminal Cycles is an interactive installation by Lexus in collaboration with design and research studio Crafting Plastics. At its heart, are four environmentally responsive bioplastic sculptures that engage with viewers through sight, sound, smell, and touch, including a central sculpture inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC concept car that changes colour in response to UV levels. To accompany the installation, Lexus will debut a capsule collection of 26 limited-edition collectible design objects developed in collaboration with clean fragrance brand dilo.

Dates: 3-8 December, 2024
Location: ICA Miami Sculpture Garden, 61 NE 41st Street, Miami, Florida 33137

7. æquõ

Valeriane Lazard Daybed Design Miami — Daybed by Valeriane Lazard for æquo

Following its 2023 debut, India’s collectible design gallery æquõ returns to Design Miami with a curated collection that merges traditional Indian craftsmanship with contemporary design. Featuring designers like Mumbai-based Chamar Studio and Belgian Linde Freya Tangelder, æquo’s pieces embody the concept of balance, where designer and artisan are given equal status. This year’s show places particular focus on practices from Maharashtra, where materials are as much a part of the story as the design itself.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

8. Sarah Myerscough Gallery: ‘Rest and Reflection’

Twisted terracotta vase — ‘Twisted Pair, Natural (Large)’, 2023, by Gareth Neal for Sarah Myerscough Gallery
Advertisement

The intimate relationship between humans and their bedrooms will be explored in Sarah Myerscough Gallery’s presentation at Design Miami. Featuring new works by Marc Fish, Tadeas Podracky, and others, the collection demonstrates how the design of personal spaces can foster emotional wellbeing and invites visitors to reconsider the role of the bedroom as a sanctuary for rest and solitude.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

9. Theoreme Editions

White, curved sofas and green stone side tables — ‘Achille Sistema’, by Pool for Theoreme Editions

Making its Design Miami debut, French gallery Theoreme Editions will showcase a collection that meditates on the emotive power of colour and material. Featuring works crafted from alluring and tactile materials, such as onyx, mohair, and translucent blue resin, the pieces examine how colour and texture can elicit emotional responses that transcend visual aesthetics.

Dates: December 3-8, 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

10. Lamb Gallery: ‘Magnetic Midnight Maison’

Colourful chess and backgammon tables from above — Chess and backgammon tables, 2023, part of ‘Magnetic Midnight Maison’ by Lucía Echavarría for Lamb Gallery

Part of Curios – a platform dedicated to immersive exhibitions – London’s Lamb Gallery makes its Design Miami debut with ‘Magnetic Midnight Maison’, a collection of work by French Colombian designer Lucía Echavarría that blends Colombian artistry with Miami’s art deco palette.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

11. Meritalia: Le Edizioni del Pesce

Half ball vases by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia at Design Miami 2024 — ‘Half Ball’ vases by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia

Meritalia returns to Design Miami with ‘Le Edizioni del Pesce’, a tribute to the late and great Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, who died earlier in 2024 at the age of 84. Displayed as part of the fair’s Curio platform, Meritalia’s selection will include everything from umbrella racks and coat hangers, to mirrors and lamps that showcase Pesce’s unmistakable sculptural style and inventive approach to materials.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

12. Mindy Soloman Gallery: Jaime Hayon, ‘Bestial’

Turquoise sculpture of mouse-like creature on roller skates — Jaime Hayon, ‘Lost’, 2024

Spanish designer Jaime Hayon will reveal a previously unseen aspect of his oeuvre at Mindy Soloman Gallery – a series of fantastical large-scale paintings and sculptures. Featuring surreal creatures and strange flora realised in fibreglass, acrylic on canvas and Murano glass, the works explore the complex relationship between humankind and nature. ‘Bestial is an exploration of the wild side in all of us,’ says Hayon. ‘Each creature I’ve crafted is a piece of that raw, untamed spirit within us.’

Dates: 30 November 2024 – 18 January 2025
Location: Mindy Solomon Gallery, 848 NW 22nd Street, Miami, Florida

13. Alcova Miami

marble tables from above — ‘XC Objects’ by Parasite 2.0 x Bianco67
Advertisement

Alcova Miami returns for its second edition taking over the city’s pastel-hued River Inn hotel. Among the venue’s palms and vegetation, visitors will discover work by a host of international designers and collectives. Highlights include ‘Something Last’, an immersive show of monochromatic pieces, including handcrafted wood furniture, porcelain lighting, architectural ceramics and metal fixtures, curated by Los Angeles designer Jialun Xiong. LcD Textile will present ‘Metallic Ocean’, a textile installation crafted from semi-precious metal mesh handmade in Belgium, while Ukrainian brand Furn Object will showcase nature-inspired furniture and objects.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: River Inn, 118 SW South River Drive, Miami, Florida 33130

designmiami.com

Source link