The final safety upgrades to the Florida East Coast (FEC) rail corridor have been completed, prompting the Quiet Zones to go into effect at midnight on Saturday, May 18, 2019. As a region, South Florida will have the single longest Quiet Zone in the country with 10. Quiet Zones are designated stretches of a 1/2 a mile of railway track around a public crossing, where the routine sounding of train horns is not required on approach. Quiet Zones will be along the entire stretch of FEC tracks through the City of Hollywood at all public rail crossing.
Minimum warning devices for public crossings designated as Quiet Zones include flashing light signals, bells,digital signs, four-quadrant gates, raised medians and curbs, constant warning time train detection circuitry and power-off indicators visible to the train crew. Since 2005, communities across the county have been establishing Quiet Zones as more and more railway agencies have been installing the minimum required safety features so train engineers don't have to blow their horns as a warning. Engineers will still be allowed to use their horn in emergency situations.
While Quiet Zone provide an equal or greater amount of safety at public crossings, this change to the status quo should also serve as a warning to those crossing railway tracks. When pedestrians and motorists see railway tracks, they should always think about a train. Always stop and look before crossing the tracks, never go around gates and do not, under any circumstance, attempt to beat the train across the tracks. Wait your turn and allow the train to pass.
