ORLANDO, Fla. – The SunRail board is expected to take a key step Wednesday that could shape the future of Central Florida transit.
Members will vote on protecting a right-of-way corridor needed for a potential extension connecting the commuter rail line to Orlando International Airport.
The move would not launch construction on the long-discussed airport link, but it would secure the land required to make the project possible in the years ahead.
[WATCH BELOW: Orlando International Airport, Kissimmee Gateway Airport get $33M in infrastructure funding]
Riders at the downtown Orlando station told News 6 the expansion feels long overdue.
“Overdue doesn’t even describe the word clearly enough. It’s so big of a necessity,” commuter Thomas Halloway said. “It’s kind of like a running gag among people that visit the U.S. in general that we have such bad public transportation.”
Others said the extension could help ease the region’s mounting congestion.
“Dealing with the congestion that we have on the highways, it’s a beautiful idea,” rider KC Herbert said.
Commuters also pointed to heavy traffic between the airport, theme parks and the tourism corridor as a major reason the project is needed.
“Whenever you have a lot of people all going to the same place, I wouldn’t doubt that a bunch of people are going from the airport to Disney or from the airport to the tourism corridor,” Herbert said, adding that a rail connection could pull thousands of cars off the roads.
[WATCH BELOW: Altamonte plans to expand autonomous shuttle service to SunRail station]
Wednesday’s agenda includes a vote to reaffirm SunRail’s commitment to preserving the right-of-way for the proposed Sunshine Corridor, the route that would eventually connect SunRail to Orlando International Airport, the Orange County Convention Center and International Drive.
Transportation leaders say protecting the corridor now ensures the land is not developed before the project secures federal funding. They call the move a crucial step to prevent the airport link from becoming “just another idea on the shelf.”
While the vote will not immediately bring rail service to the airport, it would safeguard the pathway needed to make the expansion possible.
News 6 will continue to follow the board meeting and any next steps.
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