ORLANDO, Fla. — Whether it is traveling across the country, the state or around town, travelers in Central Florida are looking at alternative types of transportation to save time and money.
What You Need To Know
Rising gas prices are prompting Central Floridians to opt for trains like Brightline and SunRail
Brightline set a record for weekend ridership in mid-March with over 40,000 passengers during spring break
Local leaders emphasize the importance of offering diverse transportation options
Byran Richardson took his first train trip on Brightline to Orlando to avoid gas expenses or a plane ticket from South Florida.
“Because the prices of gas are just going up… and the airline lines, this was the most convenient, easiest way to travel for me,” he said.
Other travelers between South Florida and Central Florida are taking the high-speed train option for similar reasons.
“I am really happy to train as an alternative. It is just way easier, particularly right now, with everything at the airports,” said Lisa Ritchey. “It is the easiest thing in the world.”
On March 16, Brightline announced it had set a record for weekend ridership, transporting more than 40,000 guests, a nearly 40 percent increase compared to the same weekend of spring break travel last year.
“It is not only economical but also very convenient,” said Jesica Jones, another Brightline rider.
SunRail has also seen people make the switch.
“These two had doctor’s appointments down at AdventHealth and it is just a lot cheaper than driving a diesel truck down there. Ut cost me a lot less,” said Lydia Williams.
Her husband is driving her car to work to save on diesel fuel, so with the diesel truck as her only option, she chose the train.
“For a gallon and a half of gasoline because it is almost $6. I can take the train down and back and it does not cost as much, so that is what we are trying to do is save money on gasoline,” Williams said.
Circumstances like this remind community leaders why it’s important to have options.
“We have to realize one size doesn’t fit all and every family and every individual doesn’t have the same needs,” said Amy Lockhart, a Seminole County commissioner. “So it is really important as a community we focus on trying to provide as many options as possible so that people can live their day to day lives with as little disruption as possible.”
Seminole County’s Scout program and LYNX buses have not seen a ridership increase due to gas prices, at least for now.
Lockhart says ticket prices on SunRail will not increase for the next fiscal year. She also said when they started Scout last year, they were focused on diversifying transportation and with the Scout fleet, there are electric vehicles, so price increases are not a concern for those riders either.