Fort Lauderdale Airport station

Fort Lauderdale Airport
The station building in 2023
General information
Location	500 Gulfstream Way Dania Beach, Florida
Coordinates	26°03′42″N 80°09′56″W
Line(s)	South Florida Rail Corridor
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Broward County Transit: 4, 6, 15, 595 Express SFEC Shuttle
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	5
History
Opened	March 10, 1989
Rebuilt	July 17, 1989; August 14, 2000
Services
Preceding station Tri-Rail Following station Sheridan Street toward Miami Airport Tri-Rail Fort Lauderdale toward Mangonia Park
Location

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport at Dania Beach station, or more commonly Fort Lauderdale Airport station, is a Tri-Rail commuter rail station in Dania Beach, Florida, located just west of Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport. The station is located at Gulfstream Way, adjacent to the interchange of I-95 and Griffin Road (SR 818). The station has two side platforms. A parking garage is located west of the southbound platform, while a small parking lot is east of the northbound platform. A pedestrian grade crossing connects between the two platforms at the north end of the station.

History

The Tri-Rail system was originally built with a Fort Lauderdale Airport station on Ravenswood Boulevard (Anglers Avenue) at SW 36th Street (Collins Road) at a cost of $806,000.[1][2] It was directly across I-95 from the airport's main runway. On January 3, 1989 – six days before the system opened on January 9 – Broward County aviation officials objected to the station being opened because it was located in the clear zone around the runway.[2] (The Federal Aviation Administration did not object, as that agency's authority extended only to regulating the height of structures near airports.[3]) County commissioners then voted not to operate connecting bus service to the station and Tri-Rail postponed opening of the station.[3] Due to internal miscommunication, some trains served the station on January 8.[4]

Florida Department of Transportation and Broward County officials clashed over which agency was responsible for the station being built in the clear zone.[2] Tri-Rail opened the station on March 10, 1989, promoting the county to vote on March 14 to withdraw support – which would have forced Tri-Rail to stop running – unless the station was closed.[5][6] Local commentators called it a political maneuver, noting that frequently-congested I-95 was even closer to the runway than the station.[6][7] The Tri-Rail board voted on March 17 to close the station on March 23.[1][8] It temporarily reopened in May 1989 when the runway was closed for resurfacing.[8][9] A replacement station opened at Tigertail Boulevard, about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to the south, on July 17, 1989, at a cost of $268,000.[10][11]

In 1996, the town of Dania Beach and Broward County swapped land to allow the county to build an access road to a new station site and the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame and Museum.[11] The new station, located about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) north of the Tigertail Road station site, opened on August 14, 2000.[12] It was formally dedicated four days later.[13] More elaborate than the earlier stations, the $3.3 million facility included octagonal pavilions, larger canopies, and a 200-space parking lot.[11] Tri-Rail opened a 400-space parking garage at the station – the first parking garage on the system – in October 2010 to ease a parking shortage.[14][15]

References

1. Pierce, Rick (March 18, 1989). "Tri-Rail will offer noon rides". South Florida Sun Sentinel. pp. 1A, 3A – via Newspapers.com.
2. Tucker, Neely (January 27, 1989). "Official: County not to blame for Tri-Rail station woes". The Miami Herald. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
3. Davis, Gerald (January 8, 1989). "Airport rail stop debate rages". The Miami Herald. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Disputed station stays open". South Florida Sun Sentinel. January 10, 1989. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Tucker, Neely (March 15, 1989). "Ultimatum to Tri-Rail: Move station". The Miami Herald. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
6. Tucker, Neely; Adams, Marilyn (March 15, 1989). "Railroad officials bow to Broward". The Miami Herald. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
7. Whited, Charles (March 16, 1989). "Station fight pins riders in cross fire". The Miami Herald. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
8. Kaplan, Lois (April 14, 1989). "Tri-Rail ridership up 36%". The Palm Beach Post. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Tr-Rail Schedule effective May 22, 1989". The Miami Herald. May 19, 1989. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Tri-Rail station to open". The Palm Beach Post. July 15, 1989. p. 18A – via Newspapers.com.
11. Turnbell, Michael (July 19, 2000). "Next stop: Airport station". South Florida Sun Sentinel. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
12. Turnbell, Michael (August 13, 2000). "Tri-Rail debuts new schedule". South Florida Sun Sentinel. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Bliss, Emily (August 18, 2000). "Hopes ride high at new train stop". The Miami Herald. p. B3. Retrieved December 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
14. Streeter, Angel (July 4, 2009). "Tri-Rail Adding Parking". South Florida Sun Sentinel. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
15. Turnbell, Michael (November 17, 2010). "Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station gets more convenient parking". South Florida Sun Sentinel. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

Media related to Fort Lauderdale Airport Station at Wikimedia Commons

• Tri-Rail – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport at Dania Beach