TCPALM.com by Lisa Broadt
The wait time at the St. Lucie bridge could be longer than previously thought and the passenger trains could be going 110 mph in certain non-urban areas, Martin County officials said Thursday.
The officials, as well as a representative from U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy’s office, on Tuesday met with the Federal Railroad Administration to discuss All Aboard Florida. Though the meeting’s primary purpose was to discuss the proposed passenger rail’s effect on Martin County community redevelopment areas, some surprising new information came out of the conversation, according to Deputy Director of Engineering Terry Rauth.
Wait times at the trestle bridge over the St. Lucie River in Stuart could be fewer in number, but longer, Rauth said.
Since All Aboard Florida first announced plans to run 16 trains on 32 high-speed trips a day along the Treasure Coast as part of its Miami to Orlando service, boaters and public safety officials have worried about the rail’s effect on local bridges. The St. Lucie River bridge is of particular concern because it is one of the only single-track sections on the double-tracked rail line, and because it is too low for most boats to go under when it’s down.
Double the number of closures meant double the number of waterway blocks, boaters said.
All Aboard Florida might try to have a passenger train then a freight train cross the bridge, Rauth said.
In Stuart, All Aboard Florida might have traveling freight trains wait until a passenger train approaches and the trains can cross one after the other.
That plan raises some serious concerns; it’s not clear if the freight trains would block intersections, Rauth said.
“We need to ask questions and get clarification on that, ” she said. “Is (the freight train) stopped on the side near downtown Stuart or the side near Rio? We don’t know.”
Rauth said she also was surprised to learn the passenger trains will travel at 110 mph along most of the Treasure Coast.
Some reports have cited a lower speed, but that number, an average, is skewed by the train’s lower speed through cities; a sharp curve in Stuart, for example, requires All Aboard Florida to drop its speed to as low as 30 mph.
“It’s a little misleading, ” she said.
The Martin County officials spent most of the meeting with the FRA explaining their concerns about All Aboard Florida’s potential effect on community redevelopment areas, or areas identified as in need of revitalization, where many residents walk or bike across the tracks every day.
Some designated crossings are miles apart or not handicapped accessible, prompting residents to cross wherever is closest, Rauth said.
“The trains are going 110 mph through all the CRAs (along the tracks), ” she said. “They really have to address how people are going to get across safely.”
Before meeting with the railroad administration, the Martin County officials met with representatives from Sen. Bill Nelson’s and Sen. Marco Rubio’s offices.
“Neither have really taken a position, ” Rauth said.
Senior Assistant County Attorney Sarah Woods and Martin Metropolitan Planning Organization Administrator Beth Beltran also attended the meeting.