A new survey wants to know if the Tampa area is ready to host a Brightline stop.
Brightline is a private rail company with tracks between Orlando and Miami. Right now, it has six stops, but Tampa could be the seventh.
The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization wants to know if people would use the service.
It also wants to see how a new Brightline station would fit into downtown Tampa, and how travelers would connect with it, such as walking, biking, driving, or using rideshare or other transit systems to get there.
The survey is open through May 31 to everyone — whether they live, work, visit or even drive through Tampa. It's also available in Spanish.
Sarah Caper, executive planner at Hillsborough agency, said the survey is part of a larger study into how Brightline could better connect Tampa and other parts of the state.
"What we’re thinking about with this study is who might be using Brightline service, looking at what the demand might be, and where people would be coming and going from, and thinking about what improvements are needed to support that," Caper said.
While a location has not been announced for a Tampa stop, Mayor Jane Castor said it would be in Ybor City after she and other transportation leaders rode Brightline between Orlando and Miami in November 2023.
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Last month, the Hillsborough TPO completed a study of Brightline stations across Florida, looking at their best features and challenges.
Overall, it was found that the biggest issue was congestion, as well as problems with the location of the building entrances.
Caper said that while most decisions surrounding a possible Tampa station will be mainly up to Brightline, her agency will look at the other stations as a guideline.
"They all look a little different, but how do they connect to transit? What kind of parking do they have? What kind of facilities are in walking distance? That helps us understand what we might be looking for as well," Caper said.
Brightline's six stops include Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm and Orlando. Another station is planned on the Space Coast.
Other than Tampa, locations under consideration include the Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie region), Disney/International Drive and Lakeland. An Orlando-Tampa route would run along the Interstate 4 corridor.
The Hillsborough study started in February, and officials are hoping to have it completed by December.
