Hon. Mayor, Chairperson, and City Councilmembers:

 In March 2012, Florida East Coast Industries (FECI), a private company, introduced a proposal for a high-speed passenger rail service initially known as “All Aboard Florida” (AAF) and later renamed “Brightline.” The project proposed a first phase of “express” rail service between Miami and Orlando, on the Florida East Coast (FEC) rail corridor from Miami to Cocoa, which is approximately 195 miles, and along SR 528 from Cocoa to Orlando International Airport, which is approximately 40 miles. The first segment of this service became operational in 2018 between Miami and West Palm Beach, with construction underway to extend the service to its second segment from West Palm Beach to Orlando Until the COVID pandemic, the company was operating hourly service from 6 AM until 9 PM, with 16 daily trains in each direction, totaling 32 trains per day. As a higher-speed “express” service, Brightline trains operate at speeds up to 79 MPH from Miami to West Palm Beach. From West Palm Beach to Cocoa, trains are anticipated to operate at speeds up to 110 MPH and up to 125 MPH from Cocoa to Orlando. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is the lead federal agency responsible for the project, and in conjunction with the Florida Department of Transportation and Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA), the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) has been the local coordinating agency for local governments seeking to install quiet zones.

In February of 2020, Councilwoman Miller-Anderson raised the issue of the train speeds and the desire to investigate quiet zones for the City. At that time, staff reached out to Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) for assistance as the TPA has taken the lead on funding quiet zones for municipalities throughout Palm Beach County. TCRPC has been identified as the local coordinating agency by the TPA, and staff initially scheduled a presentation with TCRPC staff (Dr. Kim DeLaney) in March; however, delays due to the COVID pandemic required the presentation to be rescheduled. Accordingly, Dr. DeLaney has been scheduled to provide an overview of quiet zones for Council. It should be noted TCRPC is available, through funding from the TPA, to provide assistance to the City for quiet zones if desired.