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Broward details BCR North plan, confirms downtown Oakland Park station in early planning
Summary
Broward County transportation director Corey Lonergan told the commission that the county’s Broward Commuter Rail North line would include a Downtown Oakland Park station and enter PD&E pending adoption of a locally preferred alternative in March.
Corey Lonergan, director of transportation for Broward County, presented the Broward Commuter Rail (BCR) North project to the Oakland Park City Commission on Feb. 5 and said the county intends to include a station in Downtown Oakland Park as part of a multi-county premium transit program.
Lonergan said the BCR program is part of a larger “Primo” investment—about $4.3 billion in countywide premium transit that aims to add roughly 200 miles of higher-level transit. BCR North would connect Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach and would eventually tie into Miami-Dade service and potentially Palm Beach County if they join financially.
“The station will be in Downtown Oakland Park,” Lonergan said, dismissing earlier rumors that it would be located elsewhere. She said BCR North would proceed from planning to a Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) study after the county adopts a locally preferred alternative (LPA), currently expected in March. The PD&E will include 30% engineering, environmental reviews, and federally required noise and vibration studies because federal funding is anticipated through the Federal Transit Administration New Starts program.
Lonergan described next steps: continuing public outreach in February, a joint meeting with Broward County and Fort Lauderdale commissioners, LPA adoption in March, and then moving into PD&E. She said BCR South already has environmental approvals and is pursuing federal New Starts funding for a large share of that project.
Commissioners asked about connections to the airport, the seaport and the convention center. Lonergan said the Primo program’s light-rail element would provide elevated connections to the airport intermodal center, the seaport and the convention center, and that planners are evaluating whether vehicles will use overhead catenary or other power systems; for much of the system the design assumes overhead power.
Lonergan closed by inviting community engagement and noting the planning timeline; she and county staff said they will return to city staff and the commission as the LPA and PD&E work advance.
