Without better conservation, Florida could lose nearly a fifth of its rural lands in 50 years (via @jenstaletovich)

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Lyons: Brightline as a tool to bring other companies into the region.

Lynch: hard to estimate atm how much profit Brightline could turn.

Elefteriadou: trade off between speed and access. Brightline should be looked at as one part of the overall transporation system.

Lyons: management was somewhat surprised that they'd drawn a number of business travelers and commuters.

Elefteriadou: this is a great alt to people who are not able to drive. Tourists from other regions of the world may not be interested in navigating local traffic, and are used to riding trains.

Elefteriadou: transportation is so important to people's jobs, education, community participation.

Lynch: if you talk to a lot of local leaders, they talk about the many jobs created, and new ways to connect businesses and commuters.

Joining us now:. Professor Lily Elefteriadou, the Director of the University of Florida’s Transportation Institute. Ryan Lynch, reporter at the Orlando Business Journal. South Florida Sun Sentinel business writer David Lyons.

And now, the rail extension connecting Miami to Orlando is ready to begin operations … though exactly when service will be remains unclear.

Florida received $2.4 billion from the Federal Government to build that rail line. But the project was canceled after then-Governor Rick Scott rejected the funding – which was projected to cover some 90 percent of the construction costs.

And then there was the Florida High Speed Corridor. That service would have run between the cities of Tampa and Orlando, with plans to then extend service to Miami.

Voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2000 that mandated that a high-speed rail be constructed. That amendment was repealed in 2004.

Brightline – then known as All Aboard Florida – first announced plans for a train service between Miami and the Magic City in 2012. But, that wasn’t the first passenger train that Floridains were promised.