Transit Briefs: Brightline, MBTA, NYMTA
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Brightline on April 20 unveiled its Orlando International Airport Station. Tickets are now on sale for service starting this summer. (Brightline Photograph)
Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, launches ticket sales for its connection to Orlando. Also, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) commuter rail ridership continues to grow; and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advances its station Re-NEW-Vation program.
Brightline on May 17 opened up ticket sales for trips between South Florida (Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach) and Orlando. While Brightline said it is finalizing its late-summer opening date for Orlando service, tickets can now be purchased for rides on Sept. 1 through Jan. 7, 2024.
The railroad last month unveiled its new station at Orlando International Airport.
Brightline said it will offer one-way SMART fares starting at $79 for adults and $39 for kids; groups of four or more will automatically save 25%. SMART service is a business-class option that includes complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi, multiple power and USB outlets, and an array of food and beverages for purchase. One-way PREMIUM or first-class fares start at $149, which include access to a dedicated PREMIUM lounge, priority boarding, checked luggage, and complimentary snacks and beverages.
Service will include 16 daily round-trips with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando. Regular service from Orlando to Miami will stop at all Brightline stations, including West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Aventura. According to Brightline, additional dedicated trains will continue to serve commuters and the South Florida region between Miami and West Palm Beach with early morning departures at 5:00 a.m. from West Palm Beach and late-night departures until 12:45 a.m. out of Miami.
MBTA commuter rail ridership is nearing 80% of pre-pandemic levels—defined as 119,354 average weekday riders—according to CommonWealth Magazine. In October 2022, it reached 78% of pre-pandemic levels and in April 2023, it hit 79%, the magazine reported May 16.
“Average weekday ridership on the commuter rail system at the start of the pandemic in May 2020 fell to a ghost-train level of 2,724 passengers,” the magazine said. “It started an upward trend a year later and started gaining significant momentum in 2022 … The numbers suggest more and more people are traveling into and out of Boston on weekdays. What’s unclear is whether the numbers will continue to grow or whether they have maxed out with hybrid work schedules.”
According to the magazine, on-time performance is one factor in the commuter rail system’s “resurgence.” It reported that several years ago, operator Keolis Commuter Services “had a very spotty record on on-time performance, defined as a train arriving at its destination within five minutes of the scheduled time.” For instance, in October 2018, overall system performance was 84.6%, with performance on individual lines “ranging as low as 79%. For the first four months of this year, on-time performance overall was 94.3%.”
The magazine also noted that weekend ridership is up, “with ridership exceeding pre-pandemic levels,” and reported that there were 168,089 total weekend riders last month.
Starting Memorial Day weekend (May 27-29), Keolis will extend its $10 fare pilot for unlimited weekend travel to include all federal holidays, according to the magazine, which noted that regular fares on commuter rail “vary by distance, but a standard one-way fare for trips to Boston from the relatively close-in Zone 2 costs $7.”
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on May 16 reported completing renovations to the Zerega Avenue 6 subway station, the 28th station of out 50 to be refurbished by the end of this year as part of New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Re-NEW-Vation program. The program, which launched last fall, takes advantage of planned weekend service outages to perform upgrades, repairs and enhanced cleaning in stations within a 55-hour window, providing riders with overhauled stations when service interruptions end on Mondays.
“Over the last weekend, while planned track work and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades took place, transit workers installed new LED fixtures to brighten darkened areas, repaired concrete tripping hazards, cleaned service and emergency lighting, remediated water damage, and scrubbed and repainted station surfaces,” MTA reported. “The station uplift also includes refurbishment of transit employee facilities within the station as customers will now be able to enjoy a cleaner, brighter and revitalized Zerega Avenue station.”
The next planned refurbishment is at Pelham Bay Park on the 6 line, according to MTA.
“Customers have said through surveys that cleanliness is key to their satisfaction while riding in public transit, so what better way to start the week off than arriving at a newly cleaned and re-New-vated station,” NYCT President Richard Davey said.
