POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk Transportation Planning Organization is studying potential locations for high-speed passenger rail stations along Interstate 4, with the goal of identifying opportunities to improve travel options in the county.
The Polk TPO has allocated $500,000 for the study, which will examine the feasibility and potential benefits of adding a station along the I-4 corridor.
For Kenneth Felzer, a Plant City resident who takes Amtrak to the Boca Raton area about once a month, a faster passenger rail option could make train travel more appealing.
“It’s just terrible and it really doesn’t matter the time that you travel on I-4,” Felzer said of the traffic. “We live right off of I-4 off of the County Line Road exit and we just do anything to avoid it, being going west or east.”
Felzer said he would use passenger rail more often if a high-speed service were available closer to home.
“It’s just the convenience of not driving obviously, but I would certainly increase the number of times that I do this trip,” he said.
Polk TPO Executive Director Ryan Kordek said the rail service would use the median of Interstate 4, meaning the study will focus on identifying potential locations where passengers could access the service.
“The line that would be used for the rail service would use Interstate 4, specifically the median of Interstate 4. So the question is really, where do you access the rail service then? So we’re looking at candidate location sites along the Interstate 4 corridor,” Kordek said.
The study will evaluate potential station locations, amenities, connections to other transportation options and nearby development.
Officials will also consider existing infrastructure and future development plans to determine what improvements might be needed to support a station.
“The things you have to think about, too, are what are the land uses, future land uses, proposed land uses around that site,” Kordek said. “What kind of existing infrastructure is there, or what kinds of infrastructure would you need to incorporate over time to help support a stop like that?”
The Polk TPO is inviting residents and visitors to complete an online survey about their travel needs, interest in passenger rail service and priorities for a potential station.
The survey will remain open for about another month. Feedback will help the study team understand what potential riders want from a future station.
The study is expected to be completed by late 2027.
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