Funds to keep Tri-Rail operating appear to be in proposed Florida budget
Tri-Rail’s long road to restoring a full state subsidy to its operating budget appears to be nearing a positive end after Florida legislators included its full $60 million funding request in the forthcoming state budget, a member of the railroad’s governing agency said Tuesday.
Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher, who also is a member of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority board, said at a regular meeting of the County Commission that the money is in the budget that will be voted upon by legislators this Friday.
The money is critical for regional travelers who use the 37-year-old rail line to ride to South Florida airports, commute to and from schools and jobs, and take round trips to leisure events. Last year, the subsidy was slashed to $15 million, and Tri-Rail’s management said the railroad would run out of money by mid-2027 if the funds were not restored.