The future of Tri-Rail may be in jeopardy unless South Florida counties pay up — and the amount of money could be in the tens of millions of dollars, says a top regional transportation official.
David Dech, executive director of South Florida Regional Transportation Authority — which operates Tri-Rail — met last week with leaders of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to update them on the future of the commuter rail. His message was blunt: Without big changes in funding, the rail could cease to operate.
“ We have some reserves, but it's time to have that conversation,” he told them.
Dech’s remarks were made during a presentation to a joint meeting of the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils.
The Transportation Authority will meet later this month with South Florida counties and state Department of Transportation officials to discuss potential funding alternatives.
The funding shortfall, said Dech, stems from the soon-to-expire federal COVID-19 relief dollars — which previously helped bolster Tri-Rail’s budget.
“ That will be a very heavy lift and a big stretch."Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero.
What’s more, he said, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is looking to cut its funding next year and eventually stop funding Tri-Rail altogether. Last year, FDOT contributed roughly $60 million. This year, Dech said, their goal is to contribute $42 million. The current operating agreement between SFRTA and FDOT is expiring in less than two years.
That difference has to be made up by the counties. Next year, according to Dech, that figure would be an additional $30 million, $10 million from each of the three counties. Currently, each county contributes $4.2 million per year. Tri-Rail’s annual operating budget is roughly $150 million.
Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker expressed sticker shock at the cost, saying: “I don’t know how we're gonna handle that.”
Her sentiments were echoed by her counterparts in Broward and Miami Dade. “ That will be a very heavy lift and a big stretch,” said Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero.
While officials gawked at the price, they agreed that the service Tri-Rail provides is vital.
“ The transit service that they provide is critical and essential, and when we embrace it, it's a benefit to the area and the region,” said Cepero.
READ MORE: Tri-Rail ridership hits pre-pandemic levels with 4.4 million riders in 2024
Dech said that SFRTA has explored other creative funding options. That includes transit-oriented development on SFRTA-owned property. He highlighted an upcoming project, The Colony at Boca Raton, a mixed use development that includes 334 residents and 30,000 square feet of retail space. Groundbreaking is expected later this year.
Dech also said that all trains will be wrapped with a new design that allows for advertisements to be sold and be placed on the train.
”Somebody could wake up tomorrow and say, 'We don't need Tri-Rail…' We'd obviously like to keep running it, but we need to figure out a way that we can do it effectively, efficiently and really have that funding in place,” said Dech.
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority reported that Tri-Rail served 4.4 million riders last year, noting it was the first time since 2019 that ridership had exceeded 4 million in a single year. It reported an average of 14,000 weekday and 7,000 weekend rides.
The commuter rail line, which serves all three South Florida counties, first opened in 1989.
