All Aboard Florida, metro planning organizations agree to quiet zone funding

All Aboard Florida, the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization yesterday announced that funding has been secured to create a continuous quiet zone between the Florida cities of Hallandale Beach and downtown West Palm Beach along Florida East Coast Railway's line.

Designated by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a quiet zone is an uninterrupted section of track where additional safety measures are installed at grade crossings to eliminate the need for trains to blow horns as they approach public crossings. Horns only will sound in emergencies, All Aboard Florida officials said in a press release.

All Aboard Florida is an intercity passenger-rail project being developed by Florida East Coast Industries Inc. The rail line will connect Orlando and Miami.

"We are committed to working together with local governments along the planned route to realize quiet zones, as well as assist with needed engineering and construction management to streamline these improvements," said P. Michael Reininger, All Aboard Florida's president and chief development officer.

Under the agreement, All Aboard Florida will provide more than $60 million to relocate or replace the grade crossing warning devices at every crossing between downtown Miami and West Palm Beach. The two metropolitan planning organizations have allocated $10.8 million for additional improvements needed to meet the FRA's quiet zone safety standards.

All Aboard Florida officials expect the quiet zones to be in place when operations between Hallandale Beach and downtown West Palm Beach begin by the end of 2016.

The railroad continues working with the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization on a plan to create a quiet zone between downtown Miami and the city of Aventura.