Batman'sParents
Active Member
The 417 route would cost less but also is chalk full of things that could slow down the project. Brightline would need to work with FDOT over using the 417 alignment and back in 2021, the HOA representing Hunters Creek had expressed opposition to the alignment.If money were no object, I would agree it would be unfair to take a route that skips the convention center.
But do you really want tax payers in Volusia County to be on the hook for train service to the convention center? (Not necessarily saying they will be. But the funding structure of SunRail would need to be changed pretty significantly for Volusia County to not be a major contributor to the Sunshine Corridor.) The route that skips the convention center is very likely to cost half as much and require fewer agencies and governments to need to play ball to make happen.
If you want something to happen in government, the worst thing you could do is have more people at the table. More partners = more veto points. More veto points = greater chance of delay or failure.

Hunter's Creek community fighting planned Brightline route
A high-speed train could soon be yards from Hunter's Creek homes. Tracks are planned to run along State Road 417 near the Orange County community. According to an attorney representing the Hunter’s Creek Community Association and Hunter’s Creek Town Center Property Owner Association, it...