VERO BEACH — In preparation for the high-speed rails set to pass through Vero Beach 32 times per day at rates of up to 110 miles per hour next year, Vero Beach City Council is scrambling to fund “quiet zones” to cut down on the inevitable noise.
The Council voted on Tuesday to ask the state of Florida for funding assistance to offset the nearly $3 million price tag to take necessary safety precautions that would prevent trains from sounding loud horns as they pass through town.
Construction on the commuter rails intended to run from Orlando to Miami without making a stop anywhere along the Treasure Coast, is set to begin by the end of 2014. Trains are expected to be in operation sometime in 2015.
Many Vero Beach residents and government officials have expressed great concern over the disturbance guaranteed to be caused by the blasting of each train’s horn as it passes through town.
The whistle blasts are a safety regulation that can only be eliminated if the city takes extra precautions by adding expensive safety features to each of its seven railroad crossings.
“This is a big issue that we’re going to be facing and it’s right for us to ask for help from the state,” said Vero High-Speed Rail Commission member, Scott Stradley.
He added that Vero Beach residents pay gas tax and other taxes that go to the state and could be used to offset the $3 million the city would need to pay.
Though the Commission voted to reach out to the state for assistance with funding, the likelihood the state will actually assist is unknown, as Vero Beach is not the only community affected by All-Aboard Florida that has requested assistance on the matter.
Staff Writer Lisa Zahner contributed to this report.
