TRAIN WRECK TIMES

BY SUSAN MEHIEL

GOOD NEWS AND BAD

We are pleased to report our Guest Column in the TC Palm newspapers ran today. Read the article here.

STATE SENATOR DEBBIE MAYFIELD PLANS TO PUSH BILL FOR INCREASED SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR HIGHER-SPEED PASSENGER RAILROADS. Mayfield plans to submit her proposal later this month.

This bill follows the findings in the 2018 Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability report, which reported that more deaths and injuries occur along the Florida passenger-rails lines than the national average.

Read more here.

A WOMAN WAS STRUCK AND KILLED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A BRIGHTLINE/VIRGIN TRAINS USA HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL TRAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. Investigators said the victim was a trespasser and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Read more here.

The original article was written by the Miami 7 News.

CONGRESS MEMBER BRIAN HIGGINS SENDS LETTER TO HOWARD ELLIOT OF THE U.S. DOT PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, requesting a 30-day extension of the comment period to the DOT's Draft Final Permit DOT-SP 20534. This special permit proposes to authorize the transportation of liquified natural gas (LNG) by rail tank car.

31-YEAR-OLD CLAYTON HUMPHRIES WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A TRAIN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, the Fort Pierce Police Department reported. Humphries was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident is under investigation, police department spokeswoman Audria Moore-Wells said.

This is the second time this year a person has been killed after being struck by a train in Fort Pierce.

Read more here.

Train Wreck Times

By Susan Mehiel

Movement on LNG and a CALL TO ACTION!

Dear Mr. O’Rourke,

Per your letter below sent to a number of people on the Treasure and Space Coasts of Florida, I would like to take the opportunity to point out a number of issues.

CHAIRMAN BOB SOLARI AND FELLOW BOARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SEND A LETTER TO FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S SECRETARY THIBAULT. Within the letter, Solari states he would like to address safety concerns related to the Virgin Trains USA (formerly Brightline) high-speed passenger rail.

Read the letter here.

VIRGIN TRAINS USA HAS SELECTED CONTRACTORS WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING 170 MILES OF RAIL EXPANSION FOR PHASE 2 BETWEEN ORLANDO AND SOUTH FLORIDA. These contractors include Hubbard Construction Company, Wharton-Smith Inc., The Middlesex Corporation, Granite and HSR Constructors.

Read more here.

AN ANALYSIS HAS IDENTIFIED AT LEAST 76 DEATHS BY BRIGHTLINE (NOW VIRGIN TRAINS USA) PASSENGER AND FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY FREIGHT TRAINS SINCE 2015, by USA Today. Railroad administration data only shows 55 fatalities.

According to Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau, not all deaths are public on the Federal Railroad Administration data due to "suicide reporting restrictions intended to safeguard privacy."