Florida Passenger Rail System Study ( Client Ref: RFP No
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www.cpcstrans.com FINAL REPORT Florida Passenger Rail System Study ( Client Ref: RFP No. 917) Final Report Prepared for: Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) Prepared by: CPCS Ref: 18330 October 31, 2018 FINAL REPORT | Florida Passenger Rail System Study Client Ref: RFP Number 917 Quality Assurance Florida Passenger Rail System Study – Final Report CPCS Ref: 18330 Final Report Version Date Responsible Approval 1.0 Oct 26, 2018 Camille Wu, Aleksandr Prodan, George Kaulbeck Donald Ludlow 2.0 Oct 26, 2018 Camille Wu, Aleksandr Prodan, George Kaulbeck Donald Ludlow 3.0 Oct 31, 2018 Camille Wu, Aleksandr Prodan, George Kaulbeck Donald Ludlow FINAL REPORT | Florida Passenger Rail System Study Client Ref: RFP Number 917 Acknowledgments / Confidentiality CPCS would like to acknowledge input provided by OPPAGA for the development of the Final Report. CPCS also wishes to thank all other stakeholders consulted during the research process. Any errors of fact or interpretation are ours. This report may include information which is deemed by some to be commercially sensitive and should be treated as confidential, unless otherwise approved for release. Cover image source: CPCS/A. Prodan FINAL REPORT | Florida Passenger Rail System Study Client Ref: RFP Number 917 Table of Contents Acronyms / Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. vii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ ix 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Authority of the Assignment .................................................................................................... 1 The Assignment ........................................................................................................................ 1 Scope ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 2 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 2 2 Florida Passenger Rail System Inventory ...................................................................................... 3 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3 Florida Rail System History ....................................................................................................... 3 Distinction between Conventional, Higher-Speed and High-Speed Rail ................................. 3 Florida Passenger Rail System .................................................................................................. 4 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 4 Amtrak ............................................................................................................................... 6 SunRail ............................................................................................................................... 6 Tri-Rail ............................................................................................................................... 7 Brightline ........................................................................................................................... 7 Other Proposed Commuter Rail Systems ................................................................................. 7 Orange Blossom Express ................................................................................................... 7 First Coast Commuter Rail ................................................................................................ 8 Comparing Financial Operating Performance of Commuter Rail Systems .............................. 8 Conclusions on the Existing Rail System ................................................................................ 11 3 Florida Rail Safety Record ........................................................................................................... 12 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 12 Methodology for Evaluating Florida’s Rail Safety Record ...................................................... 12 Assessing Data Availability and Quality .................................................................................. 13 Overview of Florida’s Safety Record Analysis ........................................................................ 14 Florida Passenger Rail Accident Inventory ............................................................................. 16 Comparison between Florida and the United States...................................................... 16 Casualties Incurred by Train Passengers ................................................................................ 17 Florida Railroad Casualty Rates by Rail Service ...................................................................... 18 Intercity Services (Amtrak and Brightline) ...................................................................... 18 | iv FINAL REPORT | Florida Passenger Rail System Study Client Ref: RFP Number 917 Commuter Rail (SunRail and Tri-Rail) .............................................................................. 20 Probable Causes of Florida Passenger Rail Incidents ............................................................. 21 Rail Network Density .............................................................................................................. 23 Florida Grade Crossing Inventory ........................................................................................... 24 Importance of Grade Crossings in Densely-Populated Areas ................................................ 28 Grade Crossing Incident Distribution ..................................................................................... 29 Top 11 Crossings with Highest Number of Incidents ............................................................. 30 Grade Crossing Characteristics ............................................................................................... 33 Chapter Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 36 4 Safety Initiatives – Florida and Other Jurisdictions ..................................................................... 37 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 37 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Safety Initiatives .................................................. 37 Positive Train Control (PTC) Implementation ................................................................. 37 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) ............................................................... 39 Railway-Highway Crossings Program (RHCP) .................................................................. 39 State Safety Initiatives ............................................................................................................ 41 Education – Operation Lifesaver and Beyond ................................................................ 41 Engineering ..................................................................................................................... 41 Enforcement.................................................................................................................... 42 Grade Crossing Safety: Best Practice and State of the Art ..................................................... 43 Best Practices in Other Passenger Rail Systems ............................................................. 43 Innovative Technologies for Grade Crossing Protection ................................................ 46 International Research Projects on Grade Crossing Safety ............................................ 50 Problem Responsibility and Mitigation .................................................................................. 52 Trespassing Mitigation .................................................................................................... 52 Unplanned Train Stops .................................................................................................... 52 Hazardous Materials ....................................................................................................... 52 Chapter Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 54 Grade Crossing Safety: Best Practice and State of the Art ............................................. 54 Putting to Use Best Practices in Grade Crossing Design and Management ................... 55 5 Florida Rail Regulations .............................................................................................................. 56 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 56 Review of Jurisdictional