Stuart Cancels $60 Million Brightline Deal
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- The future of a Brightline station on the Treasure Coast is once again uncertain.
After hours of debate and public input, Stuart leaders ultimately decided to hit the brakes on adding a Brightline stop.
During a lengthy meeting that lasted until 11 p.m. Monday night, two main issues were discussed. The first was whether to cancel the ground lease agreement with Brightline, which was decided with a 3-2 vote. The second was whether to cancel the updated agreement with Martin County, which was also decided with a 3-2 vote.
However, this doesn’t mean the idea of a Treasure Coast stop is entirely derailed.
“We’re confident that tonight’s actions don’t reflect the wishes of the majority of business owners and residents who have supported Brightline’s efforts to bring a station to Martin County. We’ll work with all cities and counties in the Treasure Coast to determine next steps for a Brightline station,” Ben Porritt, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs with Brightline, told CBS12’s Katie Bente.
The high-speed commuter train currently passes the Treasure Coast daily, with previously existing plans to soon include Stuart as one of its stops.
Following last month’s meeting, Stuart’s city commission has been having second thoughts about hosting a Brightline station, and the community is voicing its concerns.
Residents packed City Hall on Monday night, many wearing yellow in support of Brightline.
One resident expressed frustration, saying, "Without that station, the train is nothing but an inconvenience to everyone in Stuart."
Another noted, "A few months ago, we were all celebrating, high-fiving. How things change so quickly, and it really rests on five people sitting in front of me, whether or not it happens or not it's just incredible. After we kind of thought this was done and we celebrated it."
At the heart of the debate is a $60 million price tag, which was set to be shared between Stuart, Martin County, and Brightline. The first $30 million was to be paid exclusively by the city and the county.
Supporters argue that the station will be a game-changer, bringing jobs, tourism, and a much-needed boost to the downtown area.
One supporter pointed out, "The wealthiest people in American history made their money on railroads."
Another supporter added, "It would be a wonderful thing for Stuart to have a train station. It’s the one thing Stuart’s missing."
However, not everyone shares this view. Some are concerned that the costs might burden taxpayers.
One resident said, "To me, this situation wasn’t looked over thoroughly."
Another added, "We want a train, but with a proper deal and negotiations that work for your constituents."
There is concern that rescinding the lease might mean the Treasure Coast could miss out on a station entirely.
Although Stuart won the initial bid, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County have been advocating for a station at a 2.4-acre site behind the Sunrise Theatre-a proposal local officials are still considering.
Brightline is expected to be discussed at Tuesday’s Martin County Commission meeting. However, without Stuart’s involvement, it remains uncertain how much progress can be made.
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The willingness of small American towns and cities to allow progress to pass them by is astounding. No matter if the money comes from public or private, you are really choosing between keeping up and getting left behind.
No. They're saying they want the station, but not if Brightline doesn't contribute their share from the beginning as well. And why doesn't Brightline not want to spend any money from the start. That smells fishy.
@mrxman581 The state should help fund it too, but it's Florida.
No the willigness of small towns to LISTEN to their residents shows that some small towns want to remain that way, and that’s okay. Not all cities have to be the same!
@@richardbirkenwald811 ever think a place where people are mostly retirement age might care more about having a quiet, calm, laid back kind of town than economic development? Not all cities have to be the same.
@@TheMW2informerThe residents suffer from Car Brain
So the actual question is this: Which one of the council reps got a visit from the automotive lobby?
It's not just automotive, Southwest Airlines lobbied against high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston by running campaigns telling the land owners that high-speed rail would kill their livestock 😮
The republican governor hates passenger rail.
@@Westerner78 Ironic because this train is the first private high or higher speed rail line in the western hemisphere. It’s second fastest train in the Americas and the fastest in the southeastern United States. Only Acela travels at a faster speed. The Republican governor supports private companies with high speed rail.
@@mikemancini313 I thought that was true too. But the republican governor works against any passenger development . Like all republicans lies!
@@Westerner78 Oh really… So why does Brightline have intensions of expanding to the Tampa area, why are they working on new stations for Coca, Florida and potentially Stuart, Florida? Why do they have an expansion to Jacksonville also in mind. Why is the Republican governor there alright with this? Why is the Republican governor of Nevada alright with Brightline West? Why is the Republican governor alright with the plans for Texas high speed rail?
They canceled the station because somebody wasn’t gonna be making enough money to put in their freezer or overseas account
Florida so dumb.
Yep!
aleast we better rail system than your shit hole of state
why? you got $30m sitting around?
no? then STFU
And somehow we have best train in the USA.
Literally every town in Europe or Asia:
Do you want a high speed rail station?
Yes! Of course!
Meanwhile in America: ….
Brightline really isn't high speed.
i think being stupid on the matter at hand
Europe is insolvent. Who cares about them.
Europe is insolvent. Who cares about them.
America: you want a reliable rail system? Too bad here's a 16 lane highway instead.
Glad to see those yellow shirts!! Keep fighting for your station guys!!!!
Brightline: 'Let's connect connect the community with the rest of America'
City: 'Nah we got cars, people don't need no connections'
-sure Building a (new) station ain't cheap, but add a few stores into it and it will earn back the money spend (but don't go too high end, let the stores make sense -Starbucks, McD, To Go groceries* that kind of stuff
*= limited assortment like sandwiches , snacks, hand fruits and small drinks)
Then Brightline should build it. They are a private company.
@@MilwaukeeF40C Of course, the government, as in the taxpayers, use many millions, if not billions of dollars to pay for construction of highways and toll roads and to rest stations for truckers and private individuals.
Their loss.
Exactly Fort pierce is still open. I really hope brightline leaves stuart all together. and goes straight to fort pierce because they where asking for it. Stuart was always annoying
Send it up to fort pierce!
A short passenger train that is gone in seconds is an inconveneance? Errr.
I think they meant that the community won't be seeing any benefit. It's another train that passes through.
“Florida Man Cancels $60 Million Brightline Deal”.
A guy named stuart they say
🤣🤣
Do some other towns nearby want a station?
Yes, but they're not going to get one, because Stuart's city Council is more stubborn than a toddler. They're just going to pay even more next time, and thats on them.
Ft. Pierce wants it.
Yes there is. Out of the few towns, they were chosen do it will probably do a bid again to see which other town wants a station.
@@BeDoHave-so8nr i really hope for FT pierce to get it, and that stuart will be left all together by brightline. Stuart is/was a waste of time for brightline
REPLACE THAT CITY COUNCIL BOARD!!!
Build the Train Station or give it to Fort Pierce.
I'd feel safer in Stuart but Fort Pierce is just as close.
When will Americans learn that high speed rail is the future of public transportation and how far behind other developed countries we are?
You are insulting America's great airline service😂😂😂😂😂
the freedom of only having one short-distance travel option in the form of automobile is like no other 💪💪💪
Tell stuart take it or leave it. Fort Pierce would like the station
Half these people have never dealt having a RR station. They have no idea what they are missing. Go live in the Northeast for a year where trains are common. Then move back to Florida & see how behind the times this state is.
Good. Less stops on the way to Orlando.
Nah, it will just end up in Ft. Pierce - same number of stops.
@@BeDoHave-so8nrthey could still make an express service
@@roger5059 Like they currently do as not all trains stop at Boca Raton.
Brightline is neither "high speed", nor "commuter rail".
Brightline is higher speed than most of the US trains such as Amtrak but of course if you compare it to Japan or Europe, it’s not.
It’s not really a commuter rail or it would probably go a lot slower but I know many students use it in southern Florida to go from Fort Lauderdale West Palm to Miami to go to school or business people because they do sell monthly pass
It's hilarious that these people think that the people who ride the brightline would want to stop in Stuart, they just want to get to the parks
What is this like the 5th time? What's the story this month?
Somebody stole the treasure from the coast. They sure like spending the same tax dollar many times. Does the need for modern infrastructure pass over the place. Or just unwilliness to pay for it. Until next bridge collapses.
Privatize that sht.
Damn! I was looking forward to that station being built.
I think they would make the money back. I really don’t know much about the town, but with the station I would have been able to come.
Living in Clearwater, a high speed rail to Orlando makes obvious sense if you have ever driven on the "parking lot" called I4. It already runs down the coast east of Orlando to Miami. I'm looking forward to riding it in the near future. And here's a clue, California has spent billions on high speed rail for 10 years and there isn't an inch of track laid.
wrong there are billions wasted on track going no where a money pit and was cancelled but the existing track bridges are still being built on the high speed rail to no where..so here in Commifornia we have so much waste...so do share facts, which are worse then no track laid
false california statement
@@lutomson3496 Not true. Lots of progress is being made in California. There are regular updates on RUclips. People don't understand the actual track laying is one of the last steps.
You cany just slap tracks down. much like a road you have to level the ground, fight nimbys, get the lines down, fight ninmbys, put down the trackbed, fight everyone in court, lay down ballast and install infrustructure for PTC, fight rich people who think the hourly trains are worse than a highway full of cars
It is a medium speed train, not a high speed train. Put the money in grade-separated intersections instead of big expensive stations. A platform and a waiting room with a ticket machine are enough. Level crossings are death traps and decreases the speed of the train, it has to cross the roads at walking pace. Unless a crossing is close to the station, where the train already has to reduce speed to stop, it needs to keep its velocity to be competitive to cars.
Even in America, even in Florida people are becoming aware of what passenger rail service can bring to their lives and communities but officials are just too stupid and stuck in their car-centric mindset to realize that.
This seems more about the finances. Brightline not contributing their share from the beginning along with the city is NOT right.
This seems more about the finances. Brightline not contributing their share from the beginning along with the city is NOT right.
@@mrxman581 You're just ignoring my argument. So stupid.
What does it have to do with cars? Seems like your just grandstanding about how you don’t like cars.
@@TheMW2informer What it has to do with is because rail projects tend to have a lot of red tape but car-centric projects like road widening usually tend to get a green light and are fast-tracked even though they don't turn out to be beneficial in the long run.
Then it goes to fort piece, and stuart will be passed by.. choock choock 😂
Good. Melbourne should have a station before Stuart anyways. Space Coast baby 🤘
Brightline must have a station stop in Stuart! Many folks have said the highway traffic is getting worse.
Now they dont get any, it is probably going to ft pierce, wich wanted a train station since the beginning. Stuart always is/was a nuisance in regard having a train station.
With all the stops, it will take all day to get to Orlando.
trains can choose to not stop at certain stations. This is already a practice as some brightline trains do not stop in Boca Raton or Aventura
It's all about the Benjamin people. Everyone wants to be paid. Then on the flip side the property taxes going to increase. = Some people getting paid and the rest have to pay.
The comments say it all.
Is Ft Pierce coughing up 30 Million up front ????
We don't have that type of money laying around.
who has friends at exxon that got this snubbed?
I'm a lifelong railfan, museum director, and Exxon shareholder. Pipe down. Exxon is in all the big government "green" progressive pocket lining scams.
Brightline is a private corporation. Why is the city and county paying for their station? Why do cities pay for football stadiums for privately owned teams? Why is it illegal in Florida to run your house 100% on solar without paying a bill to a privately owned electric company? (The state revokes your certificate of occupancy so cops can arrest you for living in your own home if you go off grid) Its called oligarchy. We should join with Russia and China to become one big country if our government behaves like theirs. We lost the cold war to the corporations.
In theory this infrastructure could be covered by tax dollars because the city/county/state will make that money back plus more in the long run as it brings in more jobs, events, riders, etc to the local area. What if that infrastructure doesn't result in the boost of the local economy? Then tax payers have been ripped off and nobody will be held at fault. Capitalism is the problem here.
@@nickwinn It's not even about capitalism or socialism... Every country invests in infrastructure. However, our country invests inordinate amounts of money into expanding highways as is, using the national highway trust fund to essentially force states to build highways even if not necessary. Even if we were to spend a fraction of the highway money on trains, our system would be much better.
The city gets a large indirect benefit through increased travel, similar to the economic benefits of roads.
@@redpandaz5146 There would be minimal increased travel in the Stuart area. Everybody South of there will go to WPB, and those North of there will more likely just drive.
You can blame DeSatan and the rest of the repugnicans. You people voted them in, so reap what you've sown.
Taking Brightline to Orlando only makes sense for those living South of WPB, who want to avoid the traffic nightmare between Miami and WPB. Orlando is only a 2 hour drive from Stuart. Makes more sense to drive than take the train.
Maybe true now, but trains increase the potential and value of the land around it. It will spur more developments and increase the economic output. There's tons on railroad towns all over the country from the 1800s that are still productive today
Naa, even if they are equal an hour drive I would much rather kick back and relax on the train then deal with the nitwits and unexpected on the road.
@@edmundanderson657 yeah plus someone can take the train home less than sober as long as they arent tanked and making a gross pest of themselves or puking everywhere
@@ft9kop That's true. Focusing on the Stuart-Orlando section, I failed to recognize the greatest benefit will be for those going from Stuart to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.
Even if the drive is only 2 hours, the train will be useful. Your journey will be affected by traffic due to rush hour, weather, accidents, construction, or just the sheer number of cars on the road. The train will make its journey rain or shine, rush hour or not. While on the train the person can sleep, eat, drink (alcohol if they so choose), work, walk around, go use the bathroom, or just sit and take in the views as they cruise between 79-125 MPH. Upon arrival they'll be far more revived/relaxed than the person who's just sat in a cramped car for hours.
Brightline isn’t what Florida needs. It moves slower than traffic.
Brightline expects the city and county to put up tens of millions of dollars upfront. Suggests Brightline doesn't have confidence in the station and won't spend its own money. Can't fault residents for being skeptical. Not a local, but from afar looks to be a bad deal for taxpayers.
well, you can wonder about the costs; why wouldn't a platform, ticket desk and a coffee shop suffice?
I believe that’s usual business procedure trying to get other businesses or the various governments to front some of the cash. Entrepreneurs do that also sometimes.
Here in Florida they are constantly widening the lanes and adding more lanes to the toll roads costing us taxpayers millions of dollars. And not all of us can use the toll roads because of poor vision, some of us are older, etc. or some of us get too stressed with the busy toll road and just enjoy the train instead.
Man that Katie Bente is a real smoke show 😝
Brightline shouts to the heavens about how it is 'Private Enterprise' but works very hard to get public money to pay for their lines. Perhaps they should undertake to pay large amounts back to the public 'investors' as a dividend?
That’s exactly what happens when a town, city or community is served by a passenger train service: the economic and social benefits are huge. Educate yourself, dummy!
Exactly, correct.
The federal government gave Brightline West a $3 billion handout for the Las Vegas-LA line.
A private enterprise providing a public service should have no problem receiving public grants/subsidy. Where was the state/federal operated train along this route. We are LONG past the point of waiting for a "public" service to step in.
educate yourself about the PAB rule in america
The citizen's are correct to be concerned. Why is Brightline not paying for any of the station from day one? That smells very fishy. They should contribute their fare share from the beginning and not leave it to the city. That's NOT a good deal.
You clearly didn't bother watching. Brightline was sharing costs.
What did Katie Bente inject into her lips and WHY???
every mf in these comments serious except this guy haha
She wants to be like crackpot Laura Loomer.
Better for you know what
Lock Stuart out, build the station elsewhere. Then forever hold those who decided to drop the deal responsible.
But the deal is fishy. Why doesn't Brightline want to contribute their fare share from the start along with the city?
@@mrxman581 there is such things as business deals, entrepreneurs also asked different people and businesses for money. It’s a common thing.
Do you realize how many millions or billions are used in Florida each year just to widen the toll road and had new lanes? It’s all from our tax dollars.
@@mrxman581 and why do you say the deal is fishy? How do you know?
@@mrxman581 do you just not like the train and we’re afraid it’ll take away your driving. ?
@@mrxman581 not true, brightline invest in it aswell. but STUART wanted the train station, and not brightline, wich is what the problem is about. FT pierce wanted a station badly and did not get it, because stuart wanted it so bad. Well, it is stuarts loss. I hope it goes to FT pierce now as they always wanted it in the first place.
$60 million for a train station? You gotta be kidding. Train station? Sure. But at a reasonable cost, maybe without all the bells and whistles. Maybe just a platform with shelter?
It's not 1870. 🤣
It’s Stuart Florida, not Whistle Stop, Alabama.
@@davidthaler7018 So what? Does being Stuart, FL demand the expenditure of $60 million dollars? For a train station? No wonder we're in debt up to our hair lines.
@@cats0182 I agree the figure is way high, but a platform and a shelter would be damaged/destroyed in a severe storm, which means repairing/rebuilding while potentially interrupting service. How many times will that cycle have to be repeated while building costs increase? Better to do it right at the outset.
It will not bring in any new business, or tourism.
Stupidly of the tnsh
I lived in the congested, overrated city of Stuart for a few months last fall and the constant blaring of train horns all day long was crazy.
They could apply for quiet zones but they don't want to spend the money.