transit

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs say infrastructure spending is near the top of what's being spent in the U.S. as the region expands its commuter rail line, adds to Interstate 4, makes its airport bigger and builds a high-speed rail line to connect the city's airport with Miami. Infrastructure is the platform for attracting more businesses to the region, incubating startups and creating a high quality of life for its' citizens.

Before Sunrail officially opens May 1, you can catch a ride for free April 15-25 on its 32 miles of track. Where exactly can you ride it to? The stops include Debary, Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Winter Park, Florida Hospital Health Village, Lynx Central, Church Street, Orlando Health/Amtrak, Sand Lake Road

The City of Orlando notified the two companies who bid to set up and manage a bike share program in the city that CycleHop (Website), who recently purchased Orlando based SunCycles, ranked the highest. The City will now work to establish a contract with CycleHop and get final City Council approval. CycleHop’s proposal included a setup where users will pay a monthly, weekly or daily membership fee to rent the bikes. Members would then get one hour of free bike rental each day. After that they would pay a small fee.

Lynx has won $3.5 million in federal grants to come up with the software and a plan to put the buses on the road by November 2013. The idea is to have the system running before the SunRail commuter train starts operations in 2014.

"You want it to be [working] pretty seamlessly before SunRail," Brock said.

FlexBus could help SunRail riders get to their final destination, as well as target "choice riders," or people who have access to cars but might be persuaded to ride a bus or train.

Central Florida is a step closer to getting its proposed northwest rail system — the 36-mile, $55 million Orange Blossom Express.

the route, which would run from Eustis to downtown Orlando and tie into Central Florida’s $1.3 billion, 61-mile SunRail commuter rail.