The Tri-Rail Coastal Link project proposes introducing commuter passenger rail service along an 85-mile coastal rail corridor between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida. The project would reintroduce passenger rail using the existing Florida East Coast Railway corridor and include over 20 new stations. It aims to provide transportation alternatives that support development, reduce congestion, and improve connectivity between the three major cities. Project partners include state and regional transportation agencies who are working to advance the project according to new Federal Transit Administration requirements, with the goal of entering the project development phase in summer 2013.

1. 1
Case Study
ASCE Tri-County Workshop
May 10, 2013
Presented by: Jaime C. Lopez, P.E.
Tri‐Rail Coastal Link
f/k/a South Florida East Coast Corridor Study
M I A M I ‐ D A D E , B R O W A R D , A N D P A L M B E A C H C O U N T I E S , F L O R I D A

2. 2
History
• Henry Flagler built the railroad corridor at
the turn of the 20th century
• 8,000 acres of land claimed for every mile
of railway built
• Opened up Florida to development
– St. Augustine to the Florida Keys
– Resorts, industry, cities sprung up along the line
• Coastal cities developed around the
railroad stations
• Passenger service ended in 1968

3. 3
Overview
• Multi-modal Corridor study
• Evaluating transportation solutions
in dense urban corridor
• Corridor is 85 miles long,
2 to 7 miles wide
– Palm Beach
– Broward
– Miami-Dade
– 28 coastal cities
PALM BEACH
COUNTY
BROWARD
COUNTY
MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY
Palm Beach
International
Airport
Ft. Lauderdale-
Hollywood
International
Airport
Miami
International
Airport

4. 4
Partners
• Project Steering Committee
– FDOT, SFRTA, 3 MPOs
– Transit Agencies
– Regional Planning Councils
– Guidance during project development
• Memorandum of Understanding
– Agency roles and responsibilities
– In process of adoption
• Over 30 resolutions of support to date
– Local municipalities & agencies
– SFRTA (Tri-Rail)
– SEFTC (Tri-county regional MPO body)

5. 5
Project Goals
• Re-introduce Passenger Rail as a
Mobility Option
– Population density along the coast and severe
congestion on highways
– Access to transit dependent populations
– Continue developing an integrated regional multi-
modal network
• Redevelopment, TOD and
Environmental Preservation
– Sustainable economic development and land use
– Preserve and enhance the environment

6. 6
Project Goals (cont’d)
• Enhance Transit Connectivity
– Existing transit – Metrorail, Metromover, Bus routes, Trolleys, Express Bus
– Planned transit –Wave Streetcar, Central Broward East-West, All Aboard
Florida intercity service
• Leverage RR Corridor and Revenue Opportunities
– Grow the tax base
– Employ value capture techniques

7. 7
Project Team
• RS&H
– Corridor Manager, Agency Coordination,
Environmental, Public Involvement
• Major Subconsultants
– CH2M Hill –
• Concepts & Cost Estimating
– AECOM –
• Modeling & Station Planning
– Ernst & Young–
• Financial Planning
• Specialty subconsultants

8. 8
FEC RR / I-95 Corridor: The Regional Core
• Economics
– 1 million jobs, 1.5 million people,
and multiple CBDs & downtowns within
the corridor
– 3 international airports – MIC, Eller Drive
– 3 seaports – PortMiami deep dredge,
Port Everglades ICTF
– Truck and rail freight
• Transportation
– 3 million trips per day  17% of these
trips take place in corridor
– Strong, established transit corridor
– Improvement projects underway

9. 9
I-95 & US-1: North-South Transportation “Spine”
• Existing transportation
options are heavily used
– 300,000 vehicles per day on I-95
– Severe auto congestion
– Over 55,000 trips per day on
bus and rail transit
• Strong population and
employment growth forecast
• Limited opportunities and
desire for roadway expansion
Miami
Ft. Lauderdale
Miami Beach

10. 10
West Palm Beach
Miami
Ft. Lauderdale
Commuter Rail & Intercity Passenger Service
TRCL – Commuter Passenger Rail ServiceTRCL – Commuter Passenger Rail Service All Aboard Florida – Intercity Passenger Rail ServiceAll Aboard Florida – Intercity Passenger Rail Service
West Palm Beach
Miami
Ft. Lauderdale
Orlando
Jupiter
Orlando
Pompano Beach
• Commuter Passenger Rail
- 25+ Round-trip Trains Per Day
• Commuters and Local Travelers
• Miami to Jupiter
• 85 miles (Phased Implementation)
• Station Spacing at 2-5 Miles
• Tri-Rail integrated with
extension into FEC corridor
• Local, state, and federal funding
• Project Development funding to be
programmed in Summer 2013
• Intercity Passenger Rail Service
- 19 Round-trip Trains per Day
• Tourists and Regional Travelers
• Miami to Orlando
• 240 miles
• 3 Stations in Tri-County area
• Privately funded

11. 11
Project Timeline
Dates Activities
2005 – 2010
MPOs requested FDOT lead Regional Study (consolidated prior studies);
Initiated Alternatives Analysis and data collection; Identified mode, alignment, and
station area alternatives; Conducted extensive Public Outreach
Winter 2010
Regional Rail alternative identified as System Master Plan;
Initiated update of regional travel demand model and operations simulation
Spring 2012
FEC announces All Aboard Florida intercity passenger rail service between Miami
and Orlando
Spring – Fall 2012 Refinement of Regional Rail alternative
Fall 2012 –
Summer 2013
Steering Committee consensus on Build Alternative and potential phases;
Capital costs updated to reflect All Aboard Florida service plan
Spring 2013 Preparation of preliminary Project Development documentation
Summer 2013 Project Development funding programmed; NEPA contract(s) advertised
Fall 2013 Submit Request to Enter Project Development Phase to FTA

12. 12
45th St.
30/60
Palmetto Park Blvd.Palm Beach Co.
Broward Co.
Broward Co.
Miami Dade Co.
CSX/Tri‐Rail
Atlantic Blvd.
36th St.
79th St.
163rd St.
192nd St.
Ft. Lauderdale Govt.
Center
Hollywood/Hallandale
Toney Penna (Jupiter)
PGA Blvd.
Boynton Beach Blvd.
Atlantic Ave.
West Palm Beach/45th St./
Riviera Beach/Lake Park
Hillsboro
Oakland Park/Wilton Manors
Dania Beach/FLL
125th St.
30/60FEC
West Palm Beach Govt.
Center/Okeechobee
60/120
Lake Worth
60/120
Pompano
Rail Connection
Northwood
Rail Connection
Lake Worth
Deerfield Beach
Pompano Beach
Ft. Lauderdale
Golden Glades
West Palm Beach
Metrorail
Transfer
Miami
Int’l Airport
Mangonia Park
Boynton Beach
Delray Beach
Boca Raton
Cypress Creek
Hollywood
Ft. Lauderdale Airport
Sheridan Street
Opa‐locka
Hialeah
Market
Miami Gov’t Center/Overtown
System Master Plan (2010) Build Alternative (2013)
Palmetto Park Blvd.
CSX/
Tri‐Rail
Pompano Transfer
11th St.
79th St.
163rd St.
193rd ‐ 203rd St.
Ft. Lauderdale
Govt. Center
Pembroke Rd.
PGA Blvd.
Forest Hill Blvd.
Hypoluxo Rd.
Hillsboro
Commercial Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale Airport
FEC
West Palm Beach
Govt. Center
West Palm Beach
Deerfield Beach
Pompano Beach
Ft. Lauderdale
Golden Glades
Metrorail
Transfer
Miami
Int’l Airport
Boynton Beach
Boca Raton
Hollywood
Opa‐locka
Hialeah
Market
Miami Gov’t Center/Overtown
Indiantown
Metrorail
Airport Flyer
• 122 passenger trains
• 20+ new stations
• $800 M capital cost
• 300 passenger trains
• 52 stations
• $3 B capital cost
NW 51st St.
Temple Blvd.
AAF Station

13. 13
Distinctive Project Aspects
• Shared use of rail corridor with commuter service
– Tri-Rail operating in South Florida Rail Corridor
– SunRail Phase 1 under construction in Orlando
• Active freight corridor anticipating growth
– Panama Canal expansion
– Capital improvements at seaports

14. 14
Distinctive Project Aspects (cont’d)
• Opportunities to share infrastructure
– Intercity passenger service proposed
– Shared trackwork
– Potential for shared passenger stations
– Gauntlet track for high and wide loads
– Shared vehicle maintenance facilities
• Hialeah Yard
• Northern Layover Facility (planning phase)
– Implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC)
• FRA mandate (December 2015)
– Freight connections can benefit passenger rail
• Northwood, Pompano, Little River
– Quiet zones
• FEC’s recently restored PortMiami lead

15. 15
Modeling & Simulation
• Ridership forecasting
– Transit model now New Starts-compliant
– FTA will perform “hands-on” model assessment
– Preliminary forecasts helped refine Build
Alternative
• Rail operations simulation
– Ongoing coordination with SFRTA, FEC, AAF
– Model reflects all existing rail services: Tri-Rail,
Amtrak, FEC, CSX
– Includes proposed FEC freight service and
proposed All Aboard Florida intercity service

16. 16
Stakeholder and Agency Coordination
• Continuing coordination with stakeholders
• 24 Project Steering Committee meetings
• 194 MPO Board and elected officials meetings
• 89 Meetings & workshops with local governments
• 219 Public meetings, workshops, and station
planning meetings
• Feedback:
– Strong local support for project
– Identify funding for accelerated implementation

17. 17
Station Planning and Refinement
• 20+ primary stations
– Average station spacing of 2-5 miles
– System Master Plan had 52 stations
• Remaining station locations
tiered for future infill

18. 18
Steering Committee Structure
Steering
Committee
Technical
Subcommittee
Financial
Subcommittee
Outreach
Subcommittee
Steering
Committee
Technical
Subcommittee
Financial
Subcommittee
Outreach
Subcommittee

19. 19
Transit Project Process
Preliminary Project
Development
(formerly Alternatives
Analysis)
Construction
Phase
Engineering
Phase
Project
Development Phase
2 Years
MAP-21 Requirement
FTA Approval to enter
Project Development
FTA Approval to enter
Engineering
FTA Approval of
Full Funding Grant
Agreement
Keys to Success:
Project Justification Rating
Local Financial Commitment
Champion

20. 20
MAP-21 Legislation
• Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21)
– 2-year federal transportation bill effective October 1, 2012
• Streamlines environmental process
– New rule for Major Capital Investment Projects in Federal Register in 2013
• Changes FTA’s New Starts process
– 2-year timeframe for Project Development (PD) phase
• Combines aspects of former Alternatives Analysis (AA) and Preliminary
Engineering (PE) phases
– PD phase concludes with:
• Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)
• Adoption of LPA in fiscally constrained LRTPs
• New Starts Rating (project justification)

21. 21
MAP-21 Legislation (cont’d)
• New Starts evaluation criteria:
– Mobility improvements
– Environmental benefits
– Congestion relief
– Economic development effects
– Cost-effectiveness
– Existing land use
• Guidance expected from FTA in summer 2013
• In the interim, FTA will approach as follows:
– 50% weight to project justification rating
– 50% weight to local financial commitment

22. 22
Milestone Schedule
TASKS
Request Entry into PD
Commence PD / Kick-off Meetings
Public Workshops
Draft EA Analysis
MPO Endorsement of LPA / Public Hearings
Final EA / FONSI
New Starts Submittal
Request Entry into Engineering
2013
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2014
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2015
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

23. 23
Questions?
Tri‐Rail Coastal Link
f/k/a South Florida East Coast Corridor (SFECC) Study
M I A M I ‐ D A D E , B R O W A R D , A N D P A L M B E A C H C O U N T I E S , F L O R I D A