Passenger Rail Station Location Study Final Report May 2016 Orlando Brevard West Palm Beach Fort Lauderdale Miami Passenger Rail Station Location Study Final Report Prepared for: Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Building B, Room 105 Melbourne, FL 32940 Prepared by: Kittelson & Associates, Inc. 225 E. Robinson Street, Suite 450 Orlando, FL 32801 Funding Provided by: Canaveral Port Authority 445 Challenger Road, Suite 301 Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 May 2016 Passenger Rail Station Location Study Table of Contents Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 2 All Aboard Florida’s Brightline Passenger Rail Service ....................................................................... 2 AAF/Brightline Infrastructure and Fixed Assets .................................................................... 3 Brightline Operating Characteristics ..................................................................................... 6 Opportunities for Brevard County ..................................................................................................... 8 Preferred Station Location Selection Process .................................................................................... 9 Station Location Criteria ........................................................................................................ 10 Station Location Evaluation Checklist ................................................................................... 10 Candidate Station Locations .................................................................................................. 12 Station Location Evaluation ................................................................................................... 14 All Aboard Florida Staff Review ............................................................................................. 16 Brevard County’s Transit Vision ......................................................................................................... 18 Commuter Rail Characteristics .............................................................................................. 21 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 22 Appendices Appendix A: SCTPO Adopted Resolution 16‐14 ..................................................................... A‐1 Appendix B: Station Evaluation Form .................................................................................... B‐1 Appendix C: Submitted Station Location Checklists .............................................................. C‐1 1 | Page Passenger Rail Station Location Study Summary All Aboard Florida is developing an express train service, called Brightline, that will provide direct intercity travel beginning in 2017 between Miami and Orlando International Airport, one of the most populous and visited regions in the United States. The train will run through part of Brevard County using the existing Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway corridor between Miami and Cocoa, and connect on new track along State Road 528 between Cocoa and Orlando. Current plans do not include a station in Brevard County. The Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (SCTPO) identified this as an opportunity to advance the County’s public transportation vision, as described in the TPO’s 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and 2016 Strategic Plan, and support the region’s economy and tourism industries. TPO staff encouraged All Aboard Florida (AAF) to add a Brightline station in Brevard County, which AAF declined to do at least during the initial phase of Brightline development. In December, 2014 the SCTPO and the Canaveral Port Authority agreed to undertake a study to identify a potential station location that would be supported by the various stakeholders in Brevard County. The location(s) would be submitted to AAF for consideration. The TPO worked with local municipalities in Brevard County to identify candidate locations and evaluate their viability as a station for express passenger rail service. The TPO developed a station evaluation form to help cities identify and assess potential locations and collect the information needed to evaluate their feasibility. Local municipalities submitted nine candidate locations in total, which were analyzed and ranked by the TPO using a set of evaluation criteria based on the viability of the station to support AAF’s ridership and development goals. Based on the analysis and review by AAF staff, the SCTPO endorsed station locations in the vicinity of SR 528, US 1 and Clearlake Road and at the former Cocoa Passenger Station on US 1 and Rosa Jones Blvd. AAF committed to assess the ridership, development potential and operational features of the sites to determine the feasibility of the locations as a passenger rail station. All Aboard Florida's Brightline Passenger Rail Service In March, 2012, All Aboard Florida announced a plan to develop a privately funded passenger rail system between Orlando International Airport and Miami, with additional stations in Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Figure 1 shows the route of the $3.5 billion service proposed to begin in 2017. AAF Figure 1: Brightline route between Miami and officials noted efutur extensions to Jacksonville and Orlando International Airport Tampa will be considered. 2 | Page Passenger Rail Station Location Study Brightline is noteworthy for two reasons. First, privately funded, for‐profit passenger rail has not operated in the United States for the last 45 years. FEC halted passenger service in 1968. Second, Brightline will operate at speeds up to 125 mph. Only the Amtrak Acela service in the northeast corridor now reaches such speeds. In August, 2015, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact" for new track and bridges and train operation between West Palm Beach and Orlando, which includes that part of the operation in Brevard County. AAF/Brightline Infrastructure and Fixed Assets All Aboard Florida (AAF) and the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) are subsidiaries of Florida East Coast Industries (FEC‐I). FEC will continue to operate freight rail service. AAF will operate the passenger rail service called Brightline on a new, second track within the FEC rail corridor between Miami and Cocoa. AAF will install new track along the south side of SR 528 between Cocoa and Orlando International Airport. Figure 2: All Aboard Florida route through Brevard County 3 | Page Passenger Rail Station Location Study The route through Brevard County (Figure 2) involves the existing FEC corridor parallel to US 1 as far as the Cocoa Yard at US 1 and SR 528. Figure 3 shows the path the new AAF track will take in north Cocoa. The new track will pass under SR 528 and over Industry Road. 528 1 Figure 3: Brightline route (red) through north Cocoa near SR 528 and US 1 Brightline train sets will be about 900 feet long and consist of two locomotives and seven passenger cars. The trains will feature best‐in‐class innovation and technology such as low‐emission locomotives and custom‐designed coaches optimized for passenger comfort. The locomotives will be among the first in the country to feature Positive Train Control which enhances safety by monitoring and controlling train speed, separation, grade crossing status and location. Cars will feature Wi‐Fi, meeting space in business class and full ADA compatibility. Siemens, a world leader in passenger train production, is manufacturing the train sets in Sacramento, Calif. The locomotives and coaches are 100% American made. 4 | Page Passenger Rail Station Location Study Stations are planned for downtown Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach with the northern terminus at the Orlando International Airport South Intermodal Terminal Facility. AAF will lease terminal and ticketing space from the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. The Miami Station will cover 35 acres in central Miami and include office, retail and residential uses. The Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations (Figures 4 and 5) are of identical design and size with a station building (30,000 sf), retail space (10,000 sf) and parking for 60 cars. The stations feature transit/intermodal connectivity and proximity to attractions, public buildings and support functions such as hotels. The station occupies about 4 acres. The boarding platform is on the west side of the tracks. For safety, considerable attention is paid to separating passenger and freight train activities. All stations feature distinctive V‐shaped exterior columns and bright, open interiors. Figure 4: Rendering of West Palm Beach Brightline Station Phases 1 and 2 Figure 5: Rendering of West Palm Beach Brightline Station Phases 1 and 2 5 | Page Passenger Rail Station Location Study Figure 6: Rendering of West Palm Beach Brightline Station Phases 1 and 2 Figure 7: Site Plan Concept of West Palm Beach Brightline Station Brightline Operating Characteristics AAF is developing the Brightline service to travel between Orlando and Miami in about three hours. Driving the same distance requires about four hours; flying about three. AAF contends that travel time can be more productive and relaxing by rail than by other modes. In general, autos are most effective for travel less than 200 miles; flying is most effective for trips over 500 miles. Passenger 6