Continuous Quiet Zone between City of Hallandale and Downtown West Palm Beach created with Significant Cost Savings
Coral Gables, FL (August 13, 2014) – All Aboard Florida, the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization announced today that funding has been secured to create a continuous quiet zone between the City of Hallandale Beach and downtown West Palm Beach along the Florida East Coast Railway.
A quiet zone, which is designated by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is an uninterrupted section of railroad where additional safety measures have been installed at at-grade crossings to eliminate the need for train horns when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings. Train horns may still be used in emergency situations.
As stated by federal regulations, quiet zones can only be requested by local municipalities or authorities that have jurisdiction over the roadway. However, the significant investment being made by All Aboard Florida for safety improvements at each grade crossing will drastically reduce the cost of improvements otherwise associated with the introduction of quiet zones.
“All Aboard Florida represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize the benefit of quiet zones at the lowest possible cost, in the quickest possible time frame and the easiest possible process,” said P. Michael Reininger, President and Chief Development Officer of All Aboard Florida. “We are committed to working together with local governments along the planned route to realize quiet zones, as well as assist with needed engineering and construction management to streamline these improvements.”
Before quiet zones go into effect, local governments must apply with the FRA. Quiet zones will be in place when All Aboard Florida begins operations between the City of Hallandale Beach and downtown West Palm Beach by the end of 2016.
“Quiet zones have been long-desired by the communities along the rail corridor, with the mitigation of both safety and noise being the utmost importance to members of the community,” said City of Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie and Chair of the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization. “By capitalizing on All Aboard Florida's investment and working regionally with our partners to the south, we are able to create a safer and quieter railway for the benefit of our residents and at a significantly reduced cost savings.”
“This is an exciting day for Broward and Palm Beach counties. For the past year, we've been working closely with All Aboard Florida and continuing to plan for our long-term transportation development,” said Hollywood City Commissioner Richard Blattner and Chair of the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization. “Quiet zones along this corridor would not be financially possible without All Aboard Florida stepping up to the plate and picking up the lion's share of the costs of making these needed safety improvements.”
As construction begins over the next several months, All Aboard Florida will invest more than $60 million to relocate and/or replace the grade crossing warning devices at every crossing between downtown Miami and West Palm Beach. The two MPOs have allocated $10.8 million that will be used for additional improvements needed to meet quiet zones safety standards required by the FRA.
All Aboard Florida is also investing in three key elements required for quiet zones, including predictor units to establish a more consistent warning time before trains arrive at crossings, power-off indicators to alert train crew of a crossing malfunction, and event recorders to log the activation of warning devices. Wayside horns are no longer necessary and will not be installed at any location.
All Aboard Florida continues working with the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization as it plans to create a quiet zone between downtown Miami and the City of Aventura.
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 – that will connect Miami to Orlando with intermediate stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. This rail service will give Floridians and visitors a viable transportation alternative to congested highways and airport terminals. All Aboard Florida will provide a high-quality experience for passengers and will be the first privately owned, operated, and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. For more information, visit www.AllAboardFlorida.com.
About Florida East Coast Industries
Florida East Coast Industries, LLC (FECI) is one of Florida's oldest and largest full-service commercial real estate, transportation, and infrastructure companies. Headquartered in Coral Gables, Fla., FECI has a rich history dating back over a century. Mr. Henry Flagler first established a predecessor company in 1892, which became a pioneer in the development of Florida's eastern coast. Today, FECI continues to transform Florida as the parent company to four distinct business lines including Flagler, a full-service commercial real estate company; All Aboard Florida, the United States' first privately owned and operated intercity passenger rail system; Flagler Global Logistics, an integrated logistics company that offers a wide range of logistics services and real estate solutions; and Parallel Infrastructure, a leader in third-party Right of Way (ROW) investments and management services. FECI is owned by private equity funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, LLC. For more information, visit www.feci.com.
About Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization
The Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is an independent government organization comprised of locally elected officials appointed by Palm Beach County, by the larger municipalities, and by the Port of Palm Beach. MPOs are mandated by the Federal government to provide a cooperative, comprehensive, and continuing transportation planning and decision -making process. Florida Statutes also provide language addressing MPOs. The Palm Beach MPO provides both long-range and short-term planning for all transportation modes throughout Palm Beach County. The MPO projects needs and proposes transportation system maintenance and improvements to be funded with Federal and State transportation dollars. The public is invited to participate in all MPO Board and committee meetings. For more information: www.PalmBeachMPO.org
About Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization
The Broward MPO is a transportation policy-making board comprised of 19 voting members including representatives from the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority/Tri-Rail (SFRTA), the Broward County School Board, and three Broward County Commissioners. There are an additional 19 Alternate members of the board, who have voting rights when others are absent. The MPO is responsible for transportation planning and funding allocation in Broward County. The Broward MPO works with the public, planning organizations, government agencies, elected officials, and community groups to develop transportation plans.