ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Commissioners could vote next week on a study to determine whether the new transit system, called STAR, could help ease traffic congestion.
Orange County is looking at eight corridors where this new transit system could operate.
Before anything moves forward, commissioners must decide whether to study how much it would cost, where it would run and whether it could actually help reduce traffic.
“Nobody will deny we have a massive traffic problem,” Orange County Commissioner Kelly Semrad said. “We need transit solutions.”
The proposed STAR plan would bring rapid transit to eight busy corridors, including Colonial Drive, Semoran Boulevard, and Orange Blossom Trail.
The goal is to provide more frequent service, with dedicated lanes to help keep transit moving.
“Right now, Lynx riders are waiting more than an hour for a trip that should take less than 30 minutes,” Giancarlo Rodríguez, with Sunrise Movement Orlando, said.
Whether that means more buses, light rail, or heavy rail has yet to be determined. The cost of each ride is also unknown.
Commissioners could vote Tuesday to move forward with a feasibility study.
“It’ll have critical information such as demand capacity, specific routes, if it’s alleviating traffic congestion, cost of such things,” Commissioner Semrad said.
The plan also proposes using a portion of future property tax revenue from areas near the corridors to help pay for transit improvements.
Supporters said the investment could give more residents an alternative to driving, but the study would be an early step toward determining what’s possible.
The study vote is expected on Tuesday, September 29th.
Even if commissioners approve the study, there’s still no final cost, timeline or decision on which type of transit would operate along each corridor.
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