Joel EngelhardtPalm Beach Gardens meets federal standards after two years of work; Jupiter is next.
The first railroad quiet zone in north county quietly went into effect Thursday in Palm Beach Gardens.
After more than two years working to meet stringent federal safety standards at a cost of $125,000, city officials announced Tuesday on the city website that the milestone had been achieved.
Quiet zones mean train engineers no longer are required to sound their horn four times as they approach each of the city’s six rail crossings. They can still blast the horn for safety reasons and they’ll still be sounded in neighboring cities that haven’t yet received federal quiet zone approval.
“It’s a great achievement,” said Gardens Mayor Marcie Tinsley, who has been working toward quiet zones for nearly 10 years. “This long anticipated milestone is a major step forward in enhancing the quality of life for our residents.”
Quiet zones in Jupiter are about a week away, Mayor Jim Kuretski said.
Tracks are private property
Brightline’s hourly passenger trains dominate the Florida East Coast Railway during the day. At night, freight trains rumble through with loud horn blasts, adding to the frustration for residents living near the tracks.
The quiet zone arrives less than two weeks after a Brightline train killed a person on the tracks north of Hood Road in Gardens, WPBF Channel 25 reported. It also follows the July 15 publication of “Killer Train,” an investigation by the Miami Herald and WLRN that found 182 people had been killed by Brightline trains since the passenger rail service began in 2018.
Among danger points are unofficial crossings where people may watch one of the 80 mph Brightline trains whisk by and step onto the tracks only to be struck by a train traveling in the opposite direction. Another is road crossings that have little room, potentially trapping cars on the track.
An important factor to note, however, is that the tracks are private property and “there is no reason for a person or a vehicle to be stopped on the railroad tracks for any amount of time,” said Jim Kovalsky, president of the Florida East Coast Railway Society, an independent advocacy and education group.
“If someone jumps off a building, no one ever says they were killed by the building,” he said.
Quiet zone effort began in 2023
Brightline’s 30 trains a day didn’t come to north county until October 2023 when service began between West Palm Beach and Orlando. Brightline started passenger service from Miami to West Palm Beach in 2018. Cities in south Palm Beach County achieved federal quiet zone status that year.
In north county, all the cities along the tracks except Lake Park began pursuing safety improvements in 2023 with $3.5 million in federal money coordinated by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency.
Cities must make sure signal gates block cars, pedestrians and bicyclists from getting into the intersection when a train is coming. Improvements also include signs, medians, pavement markings and lighting.
Kovalsky said he initially opposed quiet zones but now supports them.
“I have learned since then that the horn is not the primary method of ensuring safety. It’s still used if it’s needed,” he said. “And it makes for a big improvement for all the people who live along the tracks to have a quiet zone.”
Palm Beach Gardens officials told the City Council last year that federal officials had insisted on more safety improvements, which they agreed to make at city taxpayer expense. At the time, officials expected it would cost $100,000 and approval could be granted by November 2024.
Palm Beach Gardens’ six crossings are at Hood Road, Kyoto Gardens Drive, RCA Boulevard, Burns Road, Lighthouse Drive and Richard Road.
Jupiter has six crossings as well: Donald Ross Road, Frederick Small Road, Toney Penna Drive, Indiantown Road, Center Street and Riverside Drive.
The CSX line, which runs farther west and carries Tri-Rail, Amtrak and freight trains, already has quiet zones. It will be the site of repairs at Northlake Boulevard starting Aug. 1 that will force motorists to detour 20 to 30 miles through The Acreage.
Joel is a founder, reporter and editor at Stet News. His award-winning newspaper career spanned more than 40 years, including 28 years at The Palm Beach Post, which he left in 2020. Joel lives with his wife in Palm Beach Gardens. He volunteers on the board of NAMI Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach Gardens Historical Society.
