Drew Wilson
Brightline had a banner year in 2019.
The passenger rail said it transported more than 1 million riders during the calendar year, and it closed the year on a high note — November and December were back-to-back record months, with more than 100,000 riders apiece.
According to the company, the rail service steadily gained steam throughout the year after posting nearly 250,000 rides through the end of the first quarter. According to the company, a strong mix of business commuters as well as leisure travelers were reflected in its first six-figure month.
In all, the 2019 tally represents a near doubling of Brightline’s 2018 ridership numbers, though the operation didn’t ramp up until after the Miami station opened in May 2018 and the full service schedule began in August 2018.
Other positive trends in the ridership announcement: Commuter passes more than doubled in 2019, business travel is at an all-time high, and repeat ridership numbers are rising.
Hitting the 1 million passenger mark in 2019 keeps Brightline is on track with their projection for their first full year carting passengers around South Florida.
It also puts the rail company in position to meet or exceed its goal of 3 million riders by the end of 2021, its third full year of operation.
That goal will be helped along by some new agreements for stations in Aventura, Boca Raton and at PortMiami, which the company said will boost its ridership potential by about 2 million.
