The Vero Beach City Council again refused to endorse legislation proposed by a local lawmaker to enhance safety along the railroad tracks Brightline plans to use for high speed passenger trains.
This time, the council panned a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, the city’s congressman, directing federal railroad and highway agencies to study motorist and pedestrian safety along the Brightline corridor.
The council voted 3-2 on Oct. 6 against a resolution of support for Posey’s Pedestrian Safety Study Act, which calls for the completion of a motorist and pedestrian safety report within two years.
“I think this is probably a meaningless measure,” said Vice Mayor Laura Moss. “It’s already being built, so two years from now is probably two years too late.”
Instead, Moss and City Councilmember Joe Graves again asked City Manager Monte Falls to pursue talks with Brightline officials about establishing a train stop and passenger station in Vero Beach.
It was the second time this year the City Council opted not to support legislation aimed at increasing government scrutiny over the safety measures on the high-speed passenger rail tracks Brightline is building between Orlando and West Palm Beach.
On Jan. 7, the City Council declined to support a bill sponsored by state Sen. Debbie Mayfield (R-Vero Beach) that would have given the Florida Department of Transportation greater authority over passenger rail projects and operations like Brightline.
The public backlash prompted the City Council to reverse course and vote unanimously on Jan. 21 to support Mayfield’s High Speed Passenger Rail Safety Act, but the bill died in committee during the spring legislative session.
This time, Graves said city officials already know the safety issues surrounding the Florida East Coast Railway tracks that will be used by Brightline, so they should start addressing them.
“There are going to be people who wander onto the tracks; there are people who commit suicide unfortunately,” Graves said. “It’s a problem. How do we remedy it? Do we put fencing up?”
Falls said city officials want Brightline to pay to erect fencing along Pocahontas Park in downtown Vero Beach to keep children from wandering onto the tracks, among other safety initiatives.
Councilman Robert Brackett, who joined Mayor Tony Young in supporting the legislation, said a motorist and pedestrian safety study would help identify other problem spots.
Brightline plans to extend passenger service from South Florida to Orlando by the end of 2022, running 34 trains per day through Indian River County at speeds reaching 110 mph.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Indian River County’s last-gasp appeal against the federal approvals for the extension of Brightline’s tracks from South Florida to Orlando.
