All Aboard Florida is a developing railway system designed to connect all of Florida’s best metropolitan cities and tourist destinations with affordable and clean mass public transportation. With rails running from the Orlando International Airport to South Florida, combined with Central Florida’s SunRail, the project seeks to connect Florida’s Super Region of Tampa’s nightlife, Orlando’s theme parks, and Cocoa’s Space Coast with the beaches and vacation locations of West Palm and Miami – bringing with it, not only solutions to Florida’s transportation concerns, but also economic benefits and an abundance of new jobs.

Transportation

            All Aboard Florida is clearing the streets of their congestion by offering a safe and time efficient alternative for commuters and tourists alike with trains departing on the hour, making the trip from Orlando to Miami in just three hours.

There is a positive impact on the environment, as well. The trains run on diesel engines which “produce up to 25 percent less CO2 emissions than that of comparable gasoline engines, resulting in better air quality, and 30 percent better fuel economy, resulting in a smaller environmental footprint.” With less fuel used and less cars on the highways, Florida taxpayers breathe cleaner air and save money on road maintenance; but these benefits are just the beginning for the Sunshine State’s economy.

Commerce

With construction starting in 2014, the All Aboard Florida project expects to “create tens of thousands of direct, non-recurring jobs from construction, including rail infrastructure and the rail-related construction at the stations, and more than 500 permanent jobs for the rail operations.” In addition, each station will have its own attractions and establishments. This means their own workforce; wait staff, sales representatives, etc. . .

Of course, as the railway becomes operational, “All Aboard Florida can also help increase the value of properties along the route, potentially delivering as much as a 25-percent increase in funding that can be used to improve local schools, parks and other public programs supported by real estate tax revenues.” Property values increase and the money earned is fed back into the state – a nice bonus just for being on board!

– – –

All Aboard Florida is making strides to clear up Florida’s streets, help its environment, and bring jobs and commerce to the Super Region. The project even helps taxpayers save money and feeds that money back into the state’s infrastructure – and with construction beginning this year, you can hear the train a comin’. Coming ’round the bend.