Hey Lakeland, Kaylee here. I generally avoid traveling I-4 because let’s be honest, it’s essentially glorified spaghetti. But the ease and speed of a train — assuming the cost isn’t prohibitive — is definitely attractive to me.
Choo Choo Omg | Giph via Giphy
Why is this method of commuting on my mind? Last week, we asked you to send us your questions on Lakeland’s traffic + infrastructure. You blew us away by blowing up our inbox + social feeds with 70+ responses.
Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest questions you hit us with was on the potential of a high-speed rail coming to LAL. Specifically: “Is Lakeland ever going to get a train or high-speed rail like Brightline or any train connection from Tampa to Orlando or Orlando to Miami?”
Pet Train | Giph via Giphy
In an effort to find the answer, we sent this question to City leaders. Here’s what we found out. ⬇️
Q: Is getting a high-speed rail in town a priority for City leaders?
A: Short answer: Yes. Anyone that has traveled to Tampa or Orlando can see that I-4 cannot handle current traffic, much less additional traffic generated by our population growth and increase in visitors to Central Florida. For 25+ years, the City and its partners have worked to get a high-speed rail stop in Lakeland.
Q: If a high-speed rail did come to Lakeland, where could it potentially be located?
A: Either in the downtown area or on I-4. Since a high-speed rail line would operate with speeds of 120 mph+, I-4 has been considered the most appropriate corridor and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has dedicated an envelope within the median for future service.
Q: Have we tried to get a high-speed rail in Lakeland before?
A: Yes, we have been on the doorstep of getting high-speed rail a few times in the past, with the last proposal lacking state acceptance of federal funding back in 2011. At that time, stops were studied in the U.S. 98/Kathleen Rd., County Line Rd., and Florida Polytechnic University areas.
Q: What’s currently happening in FL regarding high-speed rails?
A: Brightline/Virgin Trains is being extended from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport (MCO) via the Beachline Expressway, with the potential for an extension to Tampa in the next five years. Construction is actually underway and a station is being integrated into the new terminal at MCO.
Girls | Giph via Giphy
Q: How could Lakelanders help get a high-speed rail in town?
A: Since Brightline/Virgin Trains is a private transportation and real estate initiative, the community needs to demonstrate its support for stations in Lakeland and help communicate that support to the company and FDOT, which controls the median of I-4.
Q: What does this mean for our landscape + future?
A: A stop in the vicinity of U.S. 98 would immediately connect to the heart of Citrus Connection’s system and major employers in our medical corridor. FDOT is studying the option of a dedicated busway on U.S. 98 between downtown and I-4, and the City has policies and programs to encourage transit-oriented development that support “U.S. 98 Bus Rapid Transit” and high-speed rail. The area around Florida Polytechnic University creates great future opportunities for businesses that are in the research + development of new transportation technologies (similar to the SunTrax test track), as well as a location for a station area.
Trains | Giph via Giphy
Q: What challenges do we face in this endeavor?
A: As for an intercity/commuter rail service on the rail line through downtown, our biggest challenge is that this line carries a significant amount of freight traffic from the new Winter Haven rail terminal to Jacksonville. Railroads typically don’t want to mix freight and passenger traffic, and it is our understanding that CSX Transportation has this concern.
Q: What do studies by different transportation departments say on the topic?
A: Polk Transportation Planning Organization has conducted a SunRail Extension feasibility study, which showed a demand for extensions from Poinciana (where SunRail stops today) to Lakeland. A regional coalition of transportation organizations in the Orlando area (Central Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Alliance) further demonstrated that Lakeland is estimated to be the no. 2-ranked activity center for person-trips in Central Florida in 2015, 2040, and 2060 (see table at the bottom of this conversation) — the demand exists.
Q: Where are we now on the process?
A: FDOT has identified potential new rail alignments around Lakeland, but funding doesn’t currently exist for more detailed alignment studies, design, etc. Working with the City and its partners, FDOT has recently studied a new transportation hub that can house a new Citrus Connection terminal, Greyhound bus operations, a new AMTRAK Station, and a parking garage, with sufficient capacity to support a future commuter rail station.
Q: So, could getting a high-speed rail actually happen?
A: At this time, the Tampa Bay area is focused more on regional bus service and less on passenger rail options to Lakeland or Orlando. While the demand exists for high-speed and commuter rail services, and plans are being developed to support these travel options, we need corporations such as Brightline/Virgin Trains and CSX to partner with the City to make them a reality.
