(The following story by Michael Turnbell appeared on the Sun-Sentinel website on December 1.)
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida business group that pushed for the new regional transportation authority is turning its attention to another challenge: getting passenger trains rolling down the Florida East Coast Railway tracks.
The Regional Business Alliance is studying how much it would cost to start a commuter rail service on the FEC tracks that cut through the downtowns of coastal cities from Miami to Jupiter in northern Palm Beach County.
The alliance also is looking at ways to come up with the money to buy the rail line, including tapping federal and state funds or creating a community reinvestment area along the tracks, where the taxes paid by landowners would be reinvested.
For years, the idea of running commuter service on the FEC has enticed cities along the line from Boca Raton to Hollywood. Supporters say the trains would take riders much closer to where they live and work, give people an alternative to driving and take advantage of a surge in redevelopment along the tracks.
“We’re just fact-finding. It’s a big learning curve,” said Ralph Marrinson, executive director of the alliance. “We want to bring in everybody to help solve the problem, whoever wants to come in and work on the solution.”
The alliance, made up of the Broward Workshop, the Palm Beach County Economic Council and the Greater Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, was behind the successful effort to turn the Tri-Rail commuter railroad into the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority this year. Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill allowing the transformation, which took effect July 1.
The new agency is focusing on streamlining mass transit and improving regional bus and train service linking the three counties.
The Regional Transit Authority is in talks with the FEC on buying or leasing an 85-mile section of its corridor in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. That rail line, built by Henry Flagler in the late 1800s, last carried passenger trains in 1968.
The FEC property has not been appraised, but some reports put its worth at up to $1 billion.
FEC spokesman Husein Cumber said it would be premature to set a figure. “I think it is way too early, given the fact there is no definition of the project.”
Local officials considered using the FEC tracks when Tri-Rail was being developed in the 1980s, but the FEC refused to consider selling the tracks or using them for anything other than freight. Thus, Tri-Rail’s commuter trains wound up on the CSX tracks that run mostly west of Interstate 95 from West Palm Beach to Miami International Airport.
But with new leadership at the helm of the FEC, officials of the St. Augustine-based company say they have an open mind about passenger service from Jupiter to Miami — as long as freight remains the top priority. Cumber said the company will consider “a regional proposal” as long as it does not interfere with its operations.
Marrinson said the railroad is an important part of the economy, helping to keep trucks off roads like I-95. But he said a regional passenger service that takes people where they live and work along the tracks also could be a boon to the area and get more cars off the road.
About 25 freight trains a day use the FEC tracks between Miami and Jacksonville, carrying enough cargo to fill about 2,500 trucks.
Interest in returning passenger service to the FEC has ratcheted up in recent months as Congress gets ready to take up the next federal transportation bill, dubbed SAFETEA, which will include money for transit projects around the country for the next six years. SAFETEA stands for the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Efficiency Act.
“The Florida East Coast Railway remains open to having discussions about its corridor being used for passenger service,” Cumber said. “SAFETEA was filed last week, so that puts a little more focus on this issue because if we want to engage in a discussion of passenger service, now is the time.”
The RTA’s new board, which met for the first time in September, has focused on defining its mission and getting organized and hasn’t specifically discussed its priorities for projects.
Jack Stephens, deputy director of the RTA, said the authority supports the business alliance’s efforts.
The RTA is already looking at plans to use FEC’s lines to expand its service from West Palm Beach north to Jupiter. Stephens said the alliance’s study won’t duplicate or interfere with the RTA’s work.
“The business alliance might place the FEC higher on its list than the RTA might,” Stephens said. “The question is, where does it fit on our future priority list. Their goal is the same as ours. A big component of our study will be the logistical feasibility of it. How would we run all the service people are wanting?”