UPDATE 8/21/2018
Although a Quiet Zone (also known as a "no train horn" area) is in effect for Boca Raton, you may have heard train horns this past weekend and may hear them periodically over the next few months. Over the weekend of August 18 there was a major track and signal construction project taking place. The crews are required to use the horn for the safety of the employees working on the tracks. While there is no more planned construction there at the moment, please remember the Quiet Zone is still an active rail corridor with inspections, repairs and improvements happening constantly.
Additionally, while all 10 railroad crossings in Boca Raton are a part of the Quiet Zone, train horns may still be used in emergency situations or to comply with Federal regulations or operating rules.
For residents living near the Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton border, please note that although plans were underway in Broward County to establish Quiet Zones, as the trains approach 2nd Street in Deerfield, they are still required to sound the horn. Read more about status in Broward County.
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Boca Raton Mayor, Scott Singer, held a press conference on Wednesday morning, May 30 at the historic Count de Hoernle Train Pavilion to announce the implementation of the Quiet Zones along the FEC corridor. The Quiet Zones go into effect at 11:59pm on May 30, 2018.
The Quiet Zones, which required supplemental safety measures, including four quadrant gates and additional signage, were funded by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency and constructed by Brightline. All 10 railroad crossings in Boca Raton are a part of the quiet zone, and the “no train horn” areas apply to freight and Brightline trains. Train horns may still be used in emergency situations or to comply with Federal regulations or operating rules.
The quiet zones, which will be a welcome relief to many residents who live near the FEC corridor, will also require pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers to adhere to all safety precautions. It is never safe to attempt to beat a train or cross the tracks when lights are flashing and gates are down. Pedestrians and bicyclists should remove headphones when crossing the tracks and should only cross at designated crossings.
Brightline’s Operation Life Saver program encourages people to make the safe choice, stay off the tracks and know the signs and signals.
Mayor Singer was joined by Council members Andrea Levine O’Rourke and Monica Mayotte, as well as County Commissioner Steven Abrams, members of the Boca Raton Police and Fire Departments, and Ali Soule, Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations for Brightline.
Brightline's Safety Programs
The Brightline express passenger rail train is currently running on the Florida East Coast corridor which runs near Dixie Hwy. With 10 railroad crossings within the City of Boca Raton, it's always important to be mindful of Brightline's safety program.
Railroad Crossings in the City of Boca Raton (North to South)
- Hidden Valley Blvd.
- Yamato Road
- Spanish River Blvd.
- NW 28th Street
- NW 20th Street
- Glades Road
- NW 2nd Street
- Palmetto Park Road
- Camino Real
- SW 18th Street
About Brightline
Brightline is the new benchmark for travel by train in America with express inter-city passenger rail service connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with future service to Orlando. Providing a travel option that lives at the intersection of transportation and hospitality, the service will ease the stress of traffic, provide a simple and intuitive experience from door to destination, and foster new opportunities to explore more of Southeast Florida. Brightline is the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. For more information, visit: www.gobrightline.com.
