Brightline quiet zones start in Boynton Beach this week

Aug. 21--BOYNTON BEACH

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Boynton Beach's long-awaited Brightline quiet zones will go into effect Thursday, a spokeswoman for the city, Eleanor Krusell said.

The safety rating at the crossings needed to be high enough to negate the need for a train to blow its horn, so the city needed to make safety upgrades to its railroad crossings -- such as updated signage, lighting and improved barriers.

It takes federal officials about 21 days to review a city's plan and decide whether safety upgrades meet the requirements to allow train operators to stop using horns at crossings.

Earlier this year, Boynton Beach city officials asked county transportation planners to install more restrictive barriers at four railroad crossings -- including one at East Ocean Avenue where a bicyclist was struck and killed by a Brightline train in January while pedaling around the safety gates.

West Palm Beach was the first city in Palm Beach County to establish the quiet zone along Brightline's route in May. Lake Worth, Lantana, Hypuluxo, Delray Beach and Boca Raton followed suit.

Since January, Brightline began running as many as 22 high-speed trains a day between downtown West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The horn blasts at every railroad crossing became aggravating for some.

Brightline quiet zones are part of a $60 million-plus investment to complete a series of safety upgrades along the tracks from Miami to West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency spent about $7 million in safety measures for the county.

As part of federal regulations, engineers can sound the horn during an emergency, such as when there is the presence of a vehicle or a person on the tracks, Krusell said

A "guest of honor" who has been vocal about the train noises, Hoover the Bassett Hound, will also attend.

"His howling, every time a train passes through Boynton Beach, has created an active following on social media and garnished the attention of the press," Krusell said.

All Aboard Florida, which operates Brightline, is owned by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC, a global investment management firm. Fortress Investment Group LLC is contracted to manage and advise New Media Investments Inc., which owns GateHouse Media, the parent company of The Palm Beach Post.

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