Brightline has launched its revised Bridge Schedule App and website to provide mariners with real-time information about the FEC Railway/Brightline rail bridge openings and closures along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The revised app and website are more user friendly and provide more accurate information that is based on train GPS data, making the bridge opening and closure information more reliable.
“Our partnership with the Broward marine community is important, and we worked diligently and collaboratively to develop an app and website that will meet their needs on the waterway,” said Michael Lefevre, vice president of operations at Brightline. “We have already heard great feedback that this revamped app and website provide the information needed, so both marine and rail industries can operate efficiently.”
Brightline has been working with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida since the company’s inception in 2012. One of the top requests from marine users has been greater predictability of the railway bridge’s operations. The app and website provide forecasts, as well as real-time updates for the FEC Railway/Brightline bridge, so users can plan their trip along the waterway, knowing when the bridge will be open and closed. As mariners are traversing the waterway, they can log onto the app or website and check the status of the bridge and see the most current forecast for future bridge movements.
“The Brightline service and the Marine Industry both rely heavily on schedules to provide a safe and reliable product to their customers,” said Phil Purcell, CEO and president of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. “Communication is key, and this app provides an up-to-date bridge status in real time to commuters, commercial marine businesses and the recreational boater.”
In addition to the app and website, Brightline introduced other mitigation measures to help mariners plan their trip. Brightline reinstated a bridge monitor and countdown clock at the FEC Railway/Brightline New River bridge, which has also been helpful for mariners.
“The Bridge App is a great addition with aiding Water Taxi and the City Water Trolley in daily operations, scheduling and accurate timing for our guests,” said Bill Walker, CEO and president of Water Taxi.
The bridge app and website will be expanded in 2023 to publish the same real-time information for the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter and St. Lucie River in Stuart as Brightline’s service to Orlando sets to open next year. Mariners and recreational boaters in those communities will also be able to use real-time information regarding the railway bridges to plan their trips along the respective waterways.
