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DRAFT <br />Subject to modifications <br />TREASURE COAST REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL <br />MEMORANDUM <br />To: Council Members <br />From: Staff <br />Date: March 21, 2014 Council Meeting <br />Subject: All Aboard Florida Update <br />Introduction <br />AGENDA ITEM 10 <br />The purpose of this item is to provide an opportunity for Council to receive an update regarding <br />various activities related to the Florida East Coast Industries' (FECI) proposed All Aboard <br />Florida (AAF) project. The project is intended to provide new high-speed intercity express <br />service between Miami and Orlando on the Florida East Coast (FEC) rail corridor. This item <br />includes an overview of the permit process and summary of potential measures to mitigate local <br />and regional impacts. <br />Background <br />In 2012, FECI introduced a proposal for a privately -funded service known as All Aboard Florida, <br />which proposes new intercity express rail service between downtown Miami and Orlando, with <br />additional stations in downtown Fort Lauderdale and downtown West Palm Beach. The project <br />has been the subject of extensive Council and local government discussion since its <br />announcement. As currently envisioned, the project would provide sixteen daily round-trip <br />trains, totaling 32 additional trains on the corridor with maximum speeds of 79 MPH south of <br />West Palm Beach, 110 MPH between West Palm Beach and Cocoa, and 125 MPH from Cocoa <br />to Orlando. The FEC rail corridor is proposed to also continue carrying freight service, which is <br />projected to increase over time. Although the rail corridor is privately owned, it is included in the <br />Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Strategic Intermodal System, which prioritizes it <br />for statewide transportation funding to advance economic competitiveness and quality of life. <br />Permit Review Process <br />FECI has applied for a "Railroad Improvement and Investment Fund" loan from the Federal <br />Railroad Administration (FRA), which requires an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be <br />prepared by the FRA. Although the details of the loan application are not published, FECI <br />representatives have previously estimated project costs at approximately $1.5 billion. The EIS <br />will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other <br />Federal regulations, and it will incorporate documentation provided by FECI. When private <br />railroads own the right-of-way upon which tracks will be constructed, environmental compliance <br />