By Mary Hladky
One year after discontinuing its commuter pass, Brightline once again is offering one to South Floridians who had used the original pass to get lower-cost fares.
But the rides now cost more, which undoubtedly displeases commuters who had relied on the old pass to afford transportation from homes in one city to jobs in another, or those who want to use the trains frequently for other reasons.
Boca Raton riders were shocked that the pass was eliminated June 1, 2024, telling City Council members this was a “declaration of war against commuters” and a “bait-and-switch.”
A reprieve seemed in the offing on Jan. 10, when Brightline announced that it expected to launch a new commuter pass in March.
But nothing happened until May 6, when the high-speed rail line unveiled new multi-ride passes. However, the 40-ride pass best suited to regular commuters was shockingly more expensive than the original one.
That pass for travel anywhere between Miami and West Palm Beach cost $899, or nearly $22.50 per one-way ride and $45 round trip. The original $399 pass cost $10 one way and $20 round trip. Riders, needless to say, did not like it.
Ten days later, Brightline announced “the return of the commuter pass.” The 40-ride option had been reduced to $599, or just under $15 per ride. There’s a caveat: “Passes are available in limited quantities, while supplies last,” the company said.
The change, Brightline said, was “based on guest feedback” and would “add even more value for our most frequent and loyal riders with deeper savings.”
Brightline officials did not respond directly to a question from The Coastal Star about whether customer complaints had prompted the change.
“We always continue to refine product offerings to try and match the needs of our guests and the demand for the offering,” spokeswoman Ashley Blasewitz said in an email.
Brightline has insisted since its inception that it is not a commuter rail line. The goal was to offer much more profitable long-haul service to and from South Florida and Orlando.
And yet, when Brightline expanded service beyond Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to build stations in Boca Raton and Aventura, it became a de facto commuter line for many riders.
Brightline de-prioritized those passengers one year ago when it eliminated the old pass and prioritized those going to and from Orlando. Since then, short-haul ridership has declined while long-distance ridership has increased substantially.
April long-distance ridership was up 20% compared to April 2024 and short-distance ridership was down 3%, according to Brightline’s April revenue and ridership report. The report mainly attributed the short-distance decline to the elimination of the original commuter pass.
Another potential problem for commuters is that train schedules are not set in stone. Brightline can eliminate certain trains but leaves open the option of adding them back to the schedule. So a rider who relies on a specific departure time might have to switch to a less convenient time.
“Our schedules change quite regularly depending on demand for certain times/availability of trains,” Blasewitz wrote.
People who have pre-purchased a ticket on a train that is eliminated or whose departure time is changed are notified.
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