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Resident says Brightline poses safety and financial risks to Boca Raton plans
Summary
A resident told the CRA that Brightline has a high number of pedestrian fatalities and is facing serious financial trouble, and warned the city against relying on Brightline as the centerpiece of the government campus plan. He cited a recent Atlantic article, past council comments and reported Brightline financial losses and bond issues.
John Perlman, a resident, told the CRA that a recent Atlantic magazine article describes Brightline as ‘‘the deadliest major passenger railroad in the United States’’ and said the article found that last year Brightline trains struck 41 people at grade crossings. Perlman said the deaths were not classified as suicides in the cases cited by the article and disputed prior council comments characterizing some incidents as suicide.
Perlman referenced the Florida East Coast Railway’s history and said that Brightline’s introduction of faster, more frequent trains on added mainline track has made grade crossings more dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. He also raised financial concerns, stating that Brightline ‘‘just missed a bond payment of $1,200,000,000’’ (as reported in the public comment) and that the company lost about $549,000,000 last year; he said the company’s rating had been downgraded by S&P Global.
Perlman urged the CRA to reconsider plans that rely on Brightline as a mobility centerpiece, noting the city has proposed $7 million in taxpayer funding for an east platform and that some city planning assumes Brightline’s continued operation. Chair Wachter cut the speaker’s time at the three‑minute limit and invited follow‑up at the workshop.
No staff report or council action occurred at the CRA meeting to modify agreements or funding for Brightline during this session.
