The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) has delivered four grants totalling more than 42 million USD to fund rail safety improvements along Florida’s Brightline corridor.
The grants, some dating back several years, had remained unspent under the previous administration.
The projects supported by the grants include the installation of safety fencing, upgrades to grade crossings, and the development of a trespassing alert system. While the Biden-Buttigieg administration had previously announced funding for these initiatives, the grants were not formally distributed until now.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said:Under President Trump’s leadership, America is building again. We are delivering critical resources in record time to enhance safety on our railways, roads, and bridges.
The grants include:
- $24,934,138 (announced August 2022) to the Florida Department of Transportation for improvements to 330 highway-railroad crossings across 195 miles of the corridor. Measures include fencing, crossing delineators, signage, and other intrusion prevention features.
- $1,648,000 (announced September 2023) for a Trespassing Identification and Classification System under the CRISI Grant Program for FY22. This system will provide real-time alerts and produce data to identify areas with high trespassing and collision risk along the Miami-to-Cocoa route.
- $15,440,000 (announced June 2023) for safety enhancements at 21 grade crossings along the Brightline/Florida East Coast Railway corridor, including additional crossing gates and delineators.
- Up to $150,000 (announced October 2024) to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for targeted enforcement of pedestrian trespassing at high-risk locations.
Brightline’s Miami-to-Orlando corridor has multiple points where tracks intersect with pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which have been linked to collisions in the past. The grants aim to address these vulnerabilities through both physical and technological interventions.
Michael Lefevre, vice president of operations, Brightline said:We commend Sec. Duffy and this administration on working diligently to accelerate the distribution of these funds to address safety projects and are proud to partner with agencies including FDOT and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
