Fla. county loses chance to fight Brightline in front of U.S. Supreme Court
Written by RT&S Staff
Brightline will receive $25 million, which will go towards safety enhancements at grade crossings.
Brightline
Indian River County knew its chances to be heard in front of the U.S. Supreme Court was slim, but a small group thought it was better than none.
The county was in a fight with Brightline, which could have lost access to billions of dollars in tax-exempt private activity bonds. A Supreme Court decision also could have impacted construction of a passenger line from West Palm Beach to the Orlando International Airport. The case was similar to one with Martin County two years ago. In that case a settlement was reached that called for Brightline to pay for safety improvements and to build one station on the Treasure Coast.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to deny Indian River’s petition closes out the county’s repeated and baseless attempt to disrupt our efforts of connecting Florida by passenger rail,” Brightline said in a statement.
Indian River County was ready to end its battle against Brightline after losing its case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in December. However, a group of citizens led the second charge at the U.S. Supreme Court.
A separate duel in a lower court continues. There, Indian River County is trying to get Brightline to pay for railroad crossings and safety improvements.
Read more articles on passenger rail.
