FDOT updates city, county leaders on potential SunRail extension in Polk County
HAINES CITY, Fla. - FDOT officials updated city and county leaders about the possible extension of the SunRail commuter train from Osceola into Polk County.
What we know:
During an informal meeting in Haines City on Monday afternoon, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials provided a brief update to city and county leaders on the SunRail Project Development and Environmental Study, which is examining the potential expansion of the commuter rail from Osceola County into Polk County.
READ: FDOT begins I-275 widening project in Pinellas County, adding express lanes
"This is the first instance where they're looking at the corridor and stop locations in a detailed manner, so it's important to understand the candidate stop locations, parking needs, environmental concerns, etc.," said Ryan Kordek with the Polk Transportation and Planning Organization.
The study is the first step in determining whether service could be extended to the Loughman area, Davenport and Haines City.
Dig deeper:
Some aspects county leaders are paying close attention to include the feasibility of the service, costs and ridership. As Polk County continues to grow, the state is considering alternative transportation options.
MORE: Bones, including portion of a skull, found in duffel bag at TPA: CBP
"We've got a lot of congested roads in the county, whether it's I-4, US-27, or US-92, and they're projected to get worse in terms of traffic. So this is one of the things we're looking at for the future," said Kordek.
This project has been a decade in the making in Polk County.
What's next:
The next phase in January will be the Preliminary Design and Environmental Conditions and Impact Analysis. A public workshop will be held in late summer.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Carla Bayron.