SoFlo Residents Would Forgo Alcohol, Even Sex To Avoid Gridlock

MIAMI, FL -- What would you give up to escape South Florida gridlock? It turns out that some people would be willing to forgo alcohol, Netflix -- dare we say, even sex -- for a less stressful commute.

A new survey commissioned by Brightline and Lyft found that slightly less than half of the 500 South Florida adults polled would give up alcohol if it meant never having to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

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Brightline engaged DKC Analytics, a division of DKC Public Affairs and Government Relations, to conduct and compile the survey between Feb. 26 - 28.

It found that 29 percent of respondents would be willing to give up Netflix, while 22 percent said they would even go without sex. The margin of error was 4.5 percent.

"While it’s hard to imagine South Florida bypassing happy hour for easy commuting, many have reached their breaking point," said Brightline in releasing the findings this week.

Since the higher speed train service offers alcohol on all of its trains and free WiFi, Brightline customers won't have to worry about two of the three things that others would be willing to forgo.

“The survey underscores our belief that transit congestion is so much bigger than sitting in I-95 gridlock traffic,” explained Brightline's Ali Soule. “It’s about productivity and the precious minutes, even hours, that we are kept from the things that matter most."

Brightline trains now operate between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami with plans to expand to Orlando International and Tampa. The trains can reach speeds of 79-miles-per-hour between Miami and West Palm but will reach speeds of up to 125-miles-per-hour when the next stop at Orlando International Airport is added in the future.

The fastest speed will be on the stretch between Cocoa and Orlando International where Brightline plans to construct 40 miles of new grade separated track.

The survey also found:

• Roughly 70 percent of people have considered moving in order to ease their daily commute
• If they weren’t stuck in traffic, more than 60 percent of South Floridians said they would spend more time with family, while 56 percent and 54 percent of respondents would spend more time exercising or relaxing respectively.
• Instead of sitting in an additional hour of traffic, 40 percent of people would rather sit in the center seat of an airplane, while nearly 30 percent would prefer to clean their office bathroom.
• Of the 88.2 percent of respondents who drive to work, 44.3 percent say their commute made them feel annoyed, while 35.9 percent said it made them anxious.

Brightline riders who purchase their tickets at www.gobrightline.com can receive a $5 discount on their Lyft ride to or from any Brightline station. The $5 savings does not apply to tickets purchased directly at train stations or Brightline kiosks. The Lyft credit will be sent as a promotional code via email. Riders will receive one Lyft credit per online transaction regardless of how many tickets they purchase. The credits must also be used in the same quarter in which they are issued regardless of how many days are left in the quarter at the time of purchase.