12/15/2020 (3) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

3 High Speed Passenger Rail Background: Higher speed passenger rail is a relatively new industry to the State of Florida and includes passenger trains which travel, or intend to travel, at more than 79 miles per hour. Unfortunately, since arriving to Florida in January of 2018, this new industry has produced the highest per -mile death rate of railways throughout the entire nation and has accounted for more than 40 fatalities involving higher -speed passenger trains in the first two years. Accordingly, it is imperative that the State of Florida implement the statutory structure to hold railroads operating passenger rail service accountable for the highest degree of safety improvements. In 2020, Senator Debbie Mayfield and Representative Tyler Sirois introduced legislation which would have clarified the duties of FDOT with respect to higher -speed rail and which would have also implemented certain safety standards for those rail corridors utilized by higher -speed trains. In 2021, it is our hope that the Legislature and FDOT will recognize the need to be proactive and offer solutions to ensure that safety improvements for higher speed rail are required in a manner the does not burden local governments financially. Position: Indian River. County BCC SUPPORTS legislative and executive branch advocacy efforts to require adequate safety requirements for higher -speed passenger rail in order to protect die State of Florida's citizens, local governments, wildlife, waterways, and natural environment; and OPPOSES any effort to shift the cost burden of operating and. maintaining passenger rail onto local governments or the State of Florida. 113