Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

railroad tracks
railroad tracks

Florida Government & Politics

FDOT Looks to Improve Railroad Safety Across Florida

Thibault said the directive was driven by recent train accidents across the state including a woman killed by a Brightline train and a grandmother and two children killed in an accident with an Amtrak train last month.  

On Thursday, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Kevin Thibault issued  a directive “for the implementation of unprecedented rail safety measures and the launch of a statewide education initiative.”

Thibault said the directive was driven by recent train accidents across the state including a woman killed by a Brightline train and a grandmother and two children killed in an accident with an Amtrak train last month.

“One fatality on our rail crossings is one too many, and I am committed to doing everything I can as Secretary to prevent additional tragedies from occurring across our state,” said Thibault.“Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, FDOT has been empowered to implement bold ideas that will increase the safety of our transportation system, and I am confident today’s directive not only exceeds industry safety standards, but it also designates Florida as a nationwide leader in rail safety.”

Thibault’s directive includes the following actions:

  • Immediately begin implementing an engineering countermeasure called “dynamic envelopes” at every existing FDOT roadway and state-owned land rail crossing across the state.
  • Require the inclusion of a dynamic envelope in the standard design of any future railroad crossings on FDOT roadways or state-owned land rail crossings.
  • Launch a data-driven statewide rail safety education initiative. “Operation STRIDE” (Statewide Traffic and Railroad Initiative using Dynamic Envelopes) will be conducted in conjunction with rail partners to include earned, social, and digital media.
  • Partner with state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Florida Highway Patrol, sheriffs, and police chiefs, to help enforce rail safety laws.
  • Continue to partner with local and private rail partners by sharing FDOT rail safety design standards and framework and encouraging their participation and implementation of the safety and engineering efforts.

“This announcement truly showcases that FDOT is committed to keeping those who utilize the state’s transportation system safe and could serve as a national model,” said Florida Transportation Commission Chairman Ronald Howse. “I applaud the governor’s leadership and Secretary Thibault’s bold and unprecedented actions to address rail safety in Florida.”

<

Thibault’s office cited dynamic envelope pilot programs conducted in South Florida in 2014 and in Central Florida in 2017.

“Following the installation of the dynamic envelope, traffic data indicated that the number of vehicles that stopped on or too close to rail crossings was reduced by at least 15 percent,” FDOT noted. “Today’s directive combines additional engineering countermeasures with education and enforcement countermeasures; therefore, FDOT anticipates even more compliance with rail safety laws.”

In the meantime, FDOT plans to create dynamic envelopes across the state, hoping to add more than 4,000 rail crossings throughout the state between now and March 2022 at a cost of just under $60 million.

 

Author

  • Florida Daily offers news, insights and analysis as we cover the most important issues in the state, from education, to business and politics.

    View all posts
*The link takes you to this product on Amazon. We are on Amazon Associates. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Archives

Related Articles

Popular Stories

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed two new bills aimed at strengthening animal protection laws across the state. The legislation, known as...

Trending News

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida House Bill 999, a bill that recognizes gold coins and silver coins as legal tender for the payment...

Election News

MIAMI, FL – Miami-Dade County, long considered a Democratic stronghold in Florida, has experienced a significant political shift, with the latest voter registration data...

Florida Government & Politics

Below is an official release from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis regarding congressional term limits.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was invited by the U.S. Term Limits...

Advertisement
Florida Daily
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

HOW WE COLLECT E-MAIL INFORMATION:

If you sign up to subscribe to Florida Daily’s e-mail newsletter, you will provide us your e-mail address and name, voluntarily, and we will never obtain any of your contact information that you don’t voluntarily provide.

HOW WE USE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS IF YOU VOLUNTARILY PROVIDE IT TO US:

If you voluntarily provide us with your name and email address, we will use it to send you one email update per weekday. Your email address will not be given to any third parties.

YOUR CONTROLS:

You will have the option to unsubscribe to our E-mail update at anytime by clicking an unsubscribe link that will be provided in each E-Mail we send.