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DRAFT Subject to modifications have indicated the terms between FEC and local governments are inconsistent. Further, FEC rate increases are unpredictable, causing financial burden for local governments. FECI should work with local governments to establish a consistent, predictable, and reasonable schedule of costs for all grade crossings, with long-term cost projections, to reduce costs to local governments and enable more informed budgeting. • Request Clarification on "Sealed Corridor" Requirements: FECI proposes to operate the AAF service from West Palm Beach north to Cocoa at speeds up to 110 MPH, which requires additional safety requirements that have been referred to by FRA as a sealed corridor. FRA has implied a sealed corridor would require most of the safety infrastructure necessary to establish a quiet zone; however, there is no FRA documentation clearly defining these requirements. Concerns have been raised in the region regarding fencing or other pedestrian barriers to prevent trespassing in the rail corridor. The FRA should provide a clear definition of what is required within a sealed corridor and how it relates to the establishment of quiet zones. (3) Mitigation of Railroad Bridge and Marine Navigation Conflicts The FEC rail corridor crosses several significant waterways between Cocoa and Miami, and there are three movable bridges on the rail corridor. Unlike vehicular bridges which can accommodate many boats while closed, a great deal of boating traffic cannot traverse railroad bridges when closed to accommodate a train crossing. This limitation spreads the project's navigational impact across a larger segment of the boating public. Although the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) permits a longer bridge closing, FECI indicates AAF project improvements will reduce bridge closure time for passenger trains to twelve minutes in ideal conditions. Bridge closure time would be several minutes longer for freight trains. The CFR places no limit on the number of times the bridges may be closed to accommodate the passage of trains. In Fort Lauderdale, FECI representatives have indicated the New River Bridge will remain double -tracked, and a bridge tender will be stationed there. FECI has indicated it will arrange the AAF service schedule such that the northbound and southbound trains will cross the bridge simultaneously, reducing bridge closings to only once per hour. The two bridges in the Treasure Coast Region will be impacted more severely by the AAF project, as each bridge would be required to close twice per hour (once each for hourly northbound and southbound trains), plus additional closures for freight trains moving independent of passenger trains. The Loxahatchee River Bridge in Jupiter/Tequesta is proposed to be double -tracked as it was historically. Properties west of the bridge include varied residential, recreational, and cultural uses. The Loxahatchee River Bridge also provides exclusive public safety access inland for the Village of Tequesta's advanced life support vessel, which is docked east of the bridge. The St. Lucie River Bridge in Stuart is proposed to remain a single-track bridge as it was originally constructed, and the track immediately north of the bridge includes two nearly 4 5o.A 14 •