ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The future of transportation is the topic for community leaders once again, as the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission met this week to discuss expanding SunRail services. 

What You Need To Know

  • SunRail operations are expected to expand linking commuters to DeLand

  • Future plans like the Sunshine Corridor would also create an East and West link, making stops from Orlando International Airport down through I-Drive, and eventually Disney

  • The Sunshine Corridor project will cost anywhere from $3.1 to $4.4 million

  • According to FDOT, ridership on the SunRail was up in March, with 5,000 daily riders

County leaders recently shared plans to focus on smaller transit projects with $100 million worth of funds from current taxes through a program called the Accelerated Transportation Safety Program. When the funding was announced, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said county leaders would look into SunRail operations for potential improvements in the fall, while focusing on the Lynx bus system right now.

But according to the Florida Department of Transportation, SunRail ridership was up last month and officials are hoping to keep that momentum.

In Thursday’s commuter rail commission meeting, officials discussed how extending operations would ultimately help people get to major areas of Orlando, and not just tourists, but mainly the people who live and work around Central Florida.

According to Luis Nieves-Ruiz, chairman of the Customer Advisory Committee for SunRail, about 30% of Orlando’s workforce already uses the SunRail, and that’s with services that only run north and south right now. However, Nieves-Ruiz said if the areas serviced were expanded east and west, he is confident that would jump to at least 40%.

“SunRail was a great addition,” said Nieves-Ruiz. “But SunRail only connects from Volusia down to Osceola County. That’s a north and south connection. With the idea that we’re trying to do now with the Sunshine Corridor. Well, that’s an east and west connection that we don’t have,” he said.

These expansions include extending SunRail services to DeLand and then finalizing plans for the Sunshine Corridor, which would create a direct link from Orlando International Airport to the Orange County Convention Center and along International Drive.

Officials hope to increase the 5,000 daily ridership from last month as services continue to grow.

The commission will hold another meeting on May 23 at the Lynx Central Station.