4 hours ago - Transit

Fort Lauderdale-Aventura commuter rail gets $164M federal funding

Naomi Feinstein

Illustration of a multi-colored train moving fast towards the viewer. — Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

The U.S. Department of Transportation has pledged $164 million to a commuter rail service connecting Fort Lauderdale to Aventura.

Why it matters: The 10.5-mile rail line will provide Broward County commuters with an alternative to Tri-Rail or Brightline — a major milestone for public transit in Broward.

The latest: The $712 million project now enters the engineering phase to continue project design and finish other pre-construction activities.

Zoom out: Broward Commuter Rail South is part of the Coastal Link project, a 85-mile regional commuter rail network that would connect Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties along the Florida East Coast Railway.

Miami-Dade would implement the Northeast Corridor to connect downtown Miami to Aventura with seven local stops.
The Florida Department of Transportation reinstated $200 million for the Northeast Corridor, making it fully-funded for construction.

Zoom in: Three new stations are planned in Broward, including south Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Hollywood.

By the numbers: Riders could save up to 50 minutes compared with driving on I-95, according to the county.

What's next: The county estimates construction will begin in early 2019 with service starting in December 2032.

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Fort Lauderdale-Aventura commuter rail gets $164M federal funding

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