SunRail is rolling out its Southern expansion. Trains will begin picking up passengers at four new stations for the Central Florida commuter rail system- at Meadow Woods, Tupperware, downtown Kissimmee and Poinciana- next week.
For more on what the expansion means for ridership on SunRail, and for the future of the system, we speak with former Central Florida congressman and chair of the house transportation committee, John Mica.
Mica says there’s no better way to move people around than rail, if you can solve the last mile problem of getting passengers to and from the stations. And he says cities and counties in Central Florida still have to figure out how to fund SunRail long term.
In a world where many media organizations are cutting back on staff, the arrival of a brand new operation is noteworthy. The Florida Phoenix launched in Tallahassee this month. We talk to editor in chief Julie Hauserman about how this start up plans to dig into the stories behind the political headlines.
And it’s shark week. The TV marathon draws big viewership for the Discovery Channel, but Florida Institute of Technology shark biologist Toby Daley Engel hopes it can spark an interest in marine biology that goes beyond the entertainment factor.