CORAL GABLES, FLA.– Like their Baby Boomer parents, today's Millennials – now ages 15 to 35 – are entering adulthood with a different view of the world and how to get around in it. At 95 million strong, they are already the largest generation today, and in another 10 years, will comprise most of the U.S. workforce. The question is will the transportation world be ready for them?
While raised in a car culture, Millennials seem to be driving a post-car culture by not owning a car. Compared to previous generations, more are driving less and fewer are getting their driver's license. They are also opting for car-sharing services such as Zipcar and Car2Go. The reason is partly economic – two thirds of today's college graduates are, on average, $23,000 in debt – and partly practical. This is not a group likely to grow old sitting in traffic.
A recent survey found that 50 percent of Millennials would drive less if other options were made available to them. In another poll, 66 percent of this set listed high-quality transportation as a top priority in choosing a place to live. The implications for Florida's cities hoping to appeal to car-free Millennials are enormous. In building for the future, cities will have to meet Millennials' transportation needs with effective public transit systems and intercity rail services.
Florida's growing population of seniors multiples the need for urban centers to provide better, more integrated transportation. Many of the state's more mature residents and visitors simply prefer not to drive. They have already spent too much of their lives stuck in traffic. If travel is stressful, as it often is, they would just as soon park their car and not travel. That works out to a lot of missed trips with family and friends.
With its higher-speed intercity passenger train service, All Aboard Florida will provide people of all ages with access to everything Florida's cities have to offer – from , sporting events to theme parks, and art festivals to concerts.
“All Aboard Florida will be stopping at four stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando, and passengers aboard our state-of-the-art trains will be connecting to places that matter most to them,” said Julie Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at All Aboard Florida. “It's time we fast-track Florida so people can get where they want to go.”
About All Aboard Florida
All Aboard Florida is an intercity passenger-rail project being developed by Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. (FECI), owner of Florida's premier passenger-rail corridor. The service will connect Miami to Orlando with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in less than 3 hours. It will also provide Floridians and visitors with a viable transportation alternative to congested highways and airports, and deliver a high‐quality onboard experience to passengers. All Aboard Florida will be the only privately-owned-and-operated, passenger-rail system in the United States. For more information, visit www.AllAboardFlorida.com.
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