Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersDecember 13, 2018

Brightline expects to start construction this winter on its planned, privately owned, higher-speed passenger railroad connecting South Florida to Orlando and envisions the first trains to start rolling into Orlando International Airport as soon as late 2021. Patrick Goddard, president and chief executive officer of Virgin Trains USA, also known as Brightline and formerly known as […]

Scott PowersAugust 29, 2018

All Aboard Florida received state approval Wednesday to sell $1.75 billion in federal private equity bonds to extend its private, high-speed, Brightline passenger train system from South Florida to Orlando. Meeting in Orlando, the Florida Development Finance Corp. board voted unanimously to grant state permission for the financing after more than three hours of public […]

Scott PowersJuly 19, 2018

Martin and Indian River counties and Citizens Against Rail Expansion Florida are asking a federal judge to vacate the federal approval that would allow All Aboard Florida to sell $1.15 billion in private activity bonds to finance the railway expansion to send higher-speed Brightline passenger trains between Souh Florida and Orlando. In a federal case […]

Ryan NicolJune 4, 2018

Democratic candidate for governor Gwen Graham has announced another endorsement, earning support from Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “As we mark the beginning of Pride Month, I’m excited to announce my endorsement of Gwen Graham, a champion for LGBTQ rights and equality,” he said. Trantalis became the first openly gay mayor ever elected in Fort Lauderdale […]

Scott PowersJune 4, 2018

The next few months could go a long ways toward determining whether the privately-run, higher-speed passenger train Brightline will travel between South Florida and Orlando by 2021. With a seven-month extension granted Thursday by the federal government, All Aboard Florida now has until the end of the year to sell $1.15 billion in tax-exempt private […]

Scott PowersMay 31, 2018

The federal government has granted a seven-month extension for All Aboard Florida to sell the $1.15 billion in private equity bonds it intends to use to finance the proposed higher-speed rail expansion that could roll private Brightline passenger trains between South Florida and Orlando. The extension comes in the nick of time, as the company’s […]

Scott PowersApril 24, 2018

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday joined his congressional colleagues U.S. Republican Reps. Brian Mast and Bill Posey in questioning whether All Aboard Florida should have received $1.75 billion in federally authorized, tax-exempt private activity bonds to build its private, higher-speed railroad from South Florida to Orlando. Mast, of Palm City, and Posey, of Rockledge, led a […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2018

With the derailment of bills seeking state regulation of the private Brightline passenger train system, state Sen. Debbie Mayfield has gotten language inserted into the Senate budget plan that would authorize a safety study of the train. The budget proposal includes new language that would authorize a transportation research center at the University of South […]

Scott PowersJanuary 11, 2018

The Brightline train is about to leave the station. Florida’s first privately-owned and -operated passenger train company in generations announced its debut will occur Saturday, running between its first two stations, in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, on a line that’s envisioned to soon connect to Miami and one day connect to Orlando. Introductory […]

Scott PowersDecember 15, 2017

All Aboard Florida received its final federal approval Friday to build and operate a private, high-speed passenger train system connecting Orlando and South Florida, U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Mario Diaz-Balart announced. The announcement was quickly followed announcements from All Aboard Florida and the Federal Railroad Administration. The administration’s Record of Decision, released Friday after […]

Tag: Fort Lauderdale
Image via AP.

Brightline expects trains to roll into Orlando as soon as 2021

Brightline gets state approval to sell construction bonds

Martin, Indian River counties ask federal judge to stop Brightline’s bonds

Fort Lauderdale mayor endorses Gwen Graham for governor

Brightline’s Orlando line could be settled in next few months

Feds approve seven-month extension for Brightline train bonds

Marco Rubio joins calls questioning federal financing behind Brightline

With train bills dead, safety study language appears in Senate budget offer

Brightline sets maiden train run between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale

Feds approve All Aboard Florida route linking Orlando, South Florida