JUPITER — Northern Palm Beach County is quieting down, at least along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks.
Both Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens now have a “quiet zone” status at each of their six railroad crossings, which means that train conductors are not required to sound their horns as they pass them. Jupiter’s status started on Aug. 8 and Palm Beach Gardens’ started two weeks earlier.
These mark the first quiet zones in northern Palm Beach County in recent years. It took more than a year and costly train track improvements for each municipality to earn approval from the Federal Railroad Administration for the zones.
The new quiet zones follow a sharp debate between residents frustrated by the horn noise and local officials concerned about what the zones could mean for safety issues around the tracks. Some residents said they couldn’t hold conversations with people in their backyards because of the noise. Others complained about losing sleep.
“I’m sure it’s going to be much appreciated by our residents,” said Candice Temple, Palm Beach Gardens’ communications director. “Drive safe and pay attention to the signs and traffic. Stay safe.”
What does it take to create a railway crossing quiet zone?
To create a quiet zone at a railroad crossing, a municipality must meet certain safety requirements and then submit an application to federal railroad officials.
The approval process usually takes several months. If a quiet zone is granted for a crossing, train horns are still used in emergencies or to comply with other federal regulations or railroad operation rules. The quiet zone removes the requirement for conductors to sound their horns at the crossing, but they still can do it when needed.
According to Brightline, 32 trains roll between Orlando and Miami every day. The railroad share the tracks with the FEC freight trains, which transport cargo up and down the East Coast. Some FEC trains are more than a mile long.
Most of the comments from residents about quiet zones have pertained to Brightline, which brings trains to the north county area from about 7:30 a.m. until about 10:30 p.m., according to its weekday schedule.
It is possible for a municipality to lose its quiet zone status based on the crashes that happen at the crossings after the zone goes into effect, Temple said.
Jupiter police officers to patrol railroad crossings over the weekend
Police officers will be stationed around Jupiter’s railroad crossings through Aug. 11 to remind drivers to be careful, Town Manager Frank Kitzerow told the Town Council meeting on Aug. 7.
“I would like to remind everyone to be vigilant when around the railroad tracks,” said Kitzerow, who once was Jupiter’s police chief. “While trains will be passing through a bit quieter, they will still be moving very quickly.”
The Tequesta Village Council agreed to pursue a quiet zone for its Tequesta Drive crossing in March 2024. Village staff members are working on adding safety measures to the crossing before it can get the status, a village spokesperson said.
Martin County is not pursuing a quiet zone status at the County Line crossing for now, which is adjacent to the Tequesta Drive crossing.
Lake Park — at least for now — won’t apply for quiet zones at its four crossings. Nor will North Palm Beach for its two. Juno Beach is the lone municipality in northern Palm Beach County without any FEC Railway crossings.
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Railway quiet zones come to Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens; cities urge caution at crossings
Reporting by Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
