Florida East Coast Corridor Trespassing and Intrusion Mitigation Project
Grant Type:
USDOT - RAISE 2022 Funding Opportunity # DTOS59-22-RA-RAISE
Applicant/Sponsor:
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
Project Partners:
Brightline Trains Florida (Brightline) and Florida East Coast Railway (FECR)
Total Project Cost:
$45 million
Grant Request:
$25 million (56% share)
Non-Federal Funding:
$20 million ($10 million from FDOT and $10 million from Brightline)
Project Description:
The investment will support the final design and construction activities to enhance safety along the Florida East Coast Corridor (Corridor). The safety mitigations aim to reduce the two primary types of accidents experienced along the Corridor: vehicle collisions and trespasser strikes. The supplemental safety measures to be installed include:
•
Rail Dynamic Envelopes
•
Delineators, Raised Pavement Markers, and Edge Striping
•
Fencing and/or Landscaping
•
"Do Not Stop on Tracks" and Crisis Support Signage
Benefits:
Increased Safety, Improved Quality of Life for Residents and Visitors, Reduction in At-Grade Crossing Wait Times for Vehicles, Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Increased Efficiency in Rail Operations, and Support for other future Public Commuter Rail Systems
Equity:
Along the 195-mile Corridor, more than 50 Historically Disadvantaged Communities and 40 Areas of Persistent Poverty are adjacent to the locations planned to be enhanced through this grant and will be directly impacted by the Project (approx. 30 communities fall into both categories). On average, 24% of the people living in these areas live below the poverty line, with many neighborhoods experiencing poverty rates ranging between 30-50%. In addition, there are five federally-designated Community Empowerment Zones near the southern point of the Corridor in the historic Miami neighborhood of Overtown.
Benefit-Cost Analysis:
The total monetized benefits of the proposed safety improvements Project are forecasted at $514.4 million (in present discounted value terms) while the total discounted costs of the Project are forecast at $54.1 million. This results in a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) of 9.2, and a net present value of $460.3 million.
An alternative BCA scenario was also conducted that evaluated the Project without the anticipated train growth. This scenario reflects only Brightline trains and current level of FECR trains without including the benefits that would be realized if the two public commuter rail systems utilize the Corridor. The results show somewhat lower benefits, but the BCR for this scenario is still very strong. The results of the second scenario results in a BCR of 8.4, and a net present value of $415.2 million.
Overview
The
Florida East Coast Corridor Trespassing and Intrusion Mitigation Project
is a $45 million investment that will benefit the entire east coast of Florida by constructing supplemental safety measures at 328 roadway-railroad grade crossings and installing 33 miles of pedestrian protection channelization features. The Florida East Coast Corridor is a critical rail route that supports the state's economy, improves the mobility of people and goods, and creates environmental resiliency. State and local partners have prioritized these additional enhancements because expanding rail options and population density have created significant safety challenges. In 2019, Florida was ranked the third-highest state for railway trespassing causalities in the nation and the second highest for casualties per track mile. Both Brightline (intercity passenger rail) and FECR (freight rail) currently operate trains along the Corridor. Brightline is constructing an extension of service from West Palm Beach to Orlando, which will bring 36 passenger trains along the Corridor each day. FECR has also made significant infrastructure improvements that could increase freight rail to about 24 trains per day and expand the average train length to 8,150 feet. There
are also immediate plans to extend South Florida's existing commuter rail service, Tri-Rail, into downtown Miami along the southern portion of the Corridor. And there are longer-term plans to create a new commuter rail service on the Miami-Dade segment of the Corridor. The passenger and freight traffic growth could mean that segments of the Corridor may see more than 60 trains a day by 2023. The growth of rail traffic and population will increase human/rail traffic conflicts and the number of incidents will likely rise if no action is taken.
Summary of Work
This Project will improve the Corridor through grade crossing and pedestrian enhancements designed to increase safety for the millions of people who cross the rail Corridor daily. The engineering enhancements proposed are service-proven safety improvements aimed at reducing both vehicle and trespasser collisions. The track incursion effectiveness factor related to the proposed mitigation improvements is determined to be in the range of 15% to 91%.
Rail Dynamic Envelopes (RDEs) - FDOT issued this new standard in February 2020 after a safety countermeasure pilot program indicated that the number of vehicles that stopped on or too close to the rail tracks was reduced by at least 15% after RDE was installed.
Delineators, Raised Pavement Markers (RPMs), and Edge Striping – In 2018, the Long Island Railroad installed high-visibility safety delineators and striping at railroad crossings. Results indicated an 85% reduction in right-of-way intrusions by motor vehicles and 100% reduction in train/vehicle crashes due to vehicle right-of-way intrusion.
Channelization (Fencing/Landscaping) - Sunrail observed a 91% reduction in trespassers over the two years following the installation of fencing in the Sanford area in 2018. FECR will maintain a state of good repair of the Project components through existing maintenance agreements with individual municipalities. For intermittent maintenance and in the situation that the enhancements are not covered by the maintenance agreements, Brightline will maintain the elements installed as part of this Project. Brightline already has maintenance forces working along the Corridor and they are able to also maintain these enhancements. Costs associated with maintenance will be paid by municipalities with local funding or Brightline with funds generated through revenues.
Benefits
Safety is the top driver for this Project.
It is anticipated with these enhancements over the next 20 years, 146 accidents can be avoided, including 95 fatalities.
Without knowing the hazards, residents who may interact with the corridor will benefit from engineering solutions that channel pedestrians and vehicles to safe crossings.
Other significant benefits stem from reduced delays due to fewer incidents, which will help maintain the efficient movement of freight, attract more people to passenger rail, and improve mobility for other transportation modes. There are also environmental benefits associated with the Project through the landscaping that creates biological connectivity and the reduction in air pollutants related to rail efficiencies.
Supporters
Many local stakeholders, including elected officials, are working in partnership with FDOT, Brightline, FECR, and the seven counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Brevard) along the Corridor to improve safety and quality of life through this Project. The strong collaboration among stakeholders has been the foundation for identifying the best supplemental safety treatments proposed in this Project.
Project Corridor Map