SFECC Description of Conceptual Alternatives

Due to the highway capacity constraints in proximity to the FEC Corridor, other mobility options, such as premium transit must be considered. Premium transit services are those such as Tri-Rail, Miami’s Metrorail, light rail transit, bus rapid transit, express bus routes and other potential options. These types of transit provide higher capacity and higher speed transit service, compared to regular fixed-route bus service that can be much more competitive with automobile traffic in terms of travel time. San Diego, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Denver, Washington, D.C., Houston, Baltimore, and Salt Lake City are among the cities across the nation that have examined the use of existing rail corridors and parallel streets for developing new premium transit service corridors. South Florida, in fact, experienced the acquisition of portions of the former CSX Railroad, now the South Florida Rail Corridor used by Tri-Rail. A unique feature of the FEC Railroad Corridor is that it is the only established transportation corridor east of I-95 capable of moderate-to-high operating speeds.

When contemplating a transit system, there are various considerations relating to technology and alignment. The decision relating to the location of the service depends on right-of-way availability, adjacent land uses, future freight demand and capacity for passenger service, and other considerations. The decision on the type of technology may be established based on the varying characteristics of each technology, the desires of the community, and the available alignments. Additional criteria to consider when choosing a technology also depends on: capital cost, operating costs, service distance, station spacing, service frequency, capacity, power source, speeds, right-of-way requirements, vehicle life, accessibility, maneuverability, integration with other transportation modes, flexibility, etc.

Alignment Alternatives to be Considered

For the first phase of the SFECC study the following alignments were considered, on the basis of using an existing rail corridor and/or parallel streets:

The FEC railway corridor was determined to be the best corridor to use for premium transit services.

1) Regional Railis a diesel-propelled railway technology for urban passenger train service  An example of the use of this technology in South Florida is Tri-Rail.  This rail service may (or may not) share the use of freight railroad tracks, with locomotives pushing or pulling passenger cars, or with passenger cars that have internal diesel engines. Stations are usually 2 to 5 miles apart. The average trip lengths for commuter rail range from 20 to 23 miles.

Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) is a form of regional rail transit that is self-propelled with rail passenger cars that have internal diesel engines. Commuter rail cars can also use Diesel-Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) for greater fuel efficiency. This option could utilize its own set of tracks or existing freight rail tracks, with a pre-arranged service plan to accommodate freight movements.

Typical Commuter Rail Characteristics

Capital Cost/Vehicle: $5 – 9 million           

Annual Operating Cost/Revenue Mile: $11 - $13

Seated Capacity: up to 1,250 per train, depending on length.

Speed: Average 30 mph; Maximum 90 mph

2) Heavy Rail Transit is an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic. The regional example is Metrorail in Miami. It uses electric multiple units with steel wheels running on two steel rails. Power is commonly supplied by means of a single live third rail. It is characterized by passenger rail cars capable of high speed and rapid acceleration operating singly or in multi-car trains. Heavy Rail Transit,requires separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded and is generally characterized by station spacing between 0.5 and 2 miles; sophisticated signaling, high frequency, and invariably, high-level platform loading. The average trip length for the Miami-Dade Metrorail system is 6.5 miles.

Typical Heavy Rail Characteristics

Capital Cost/Vehicle: $20 - 250 million           

Annual Operating Cost/Revenue Mile: $8 - $10

Seated Capacity: 60 – 80 passengers per car, plus standees

Speed: Average 30 mph; Maximum 70 mph

3) Light Rail Transit is a flexible transportation mode which consists of a system of lightweight passenger rail cars operating singly or in short, two-car trains, on fixed rails in right-of-way that may not be separated from other traffic for much or all of the way. LRT can operate in mixed traffic on tracks embedded in the street (like streetcars), on an at-grade right-of-way with street and pedestrian crossings, or on a fully segregated exclusive right-of-way. A distinction of light rail vehicles is that vehicles draw power from an overhead electric line via a trolley or pantograph. Station spacing can be .5 to 1.5 miles depending on the type of service being provided. The average trip length is 4.4 miles. This mode is being studied for the Central Broward East-West Transit Corridor and for the Miami-Miami Beach Bay link Corridor . This option could be built within the rail corridor where the light rail can be properly separated form the freight rail and there is adequate rail right-of-way. This mode generally cannot operate on the same tracks as Regional Rail service and must be separated, as well, from railroad freight service.

Light Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit (LDEMU) is a technology that allows an in-vehicle/on-board diesel-electric engine to propel a vehicle in a fixed guideway. An advantage to the in-vehicle option is the ability to power a light rail vehicle without costly overhead electric power wiring or poles. From a technology perspective, LDEMU and Light Diesel Multiple Unit (LDMU) are the same.

Typical Light Rail Characteristics

Capital Cost/Vehicle: $3 - 25 million

Annual Operating Cost/Revenue Mile: $7 - $15

Seated Capacity: 150 – 300 per train/100 per streetcar

Speed: Average 15 to 25 mph; Maximum 65 mph

4) Bus Rapid Transit is enhanced transit service using low-floor buses operating within a service corridor with a reduced number of stops (typically 1 to 2 per mile), expedited operating speed due to traffic signal priority favoring the buses, frequent service (often 5 to 15 minutes apart in peak hours). Vehicles can be modern and train-like in appearance and function. BRT can operate on exclusive transitways, HOV lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets. A regional example of BRT is the South Miami Busway. BRT can consist of dedicated lanes for all or part of the route and/or elevated or even underground separated rights-of-way. The average trip lengths for BRT range between 4 to 6 miles. This option could be built within the rail corridor where the busway can be properly separated from the freight rail, and there is adequate right-of-way.

BRT can utilize various vehicle types and technologies. Some BRT use a Guided bus which can be steered for part or their entire route by some form of external trackway which parallels existing roads. The trackway is dedicated for bus use only and allows for high speed operation and reliable schedules. Small guide wheels are attached to the regular wheels of the bus. Other guided buses are steered on the roadway with new Guided Light Transit technology. This technology allows the bus to guide itself along the roadway following pavement marking detected by the bus.

There is a significant cost differential between LRT and BRT. The differences in cost are primarily a function of providing the electrical power for light rail as well as the higher cost of LRT vehicles. Due to the difference in the capacity of the vehicles, BRT is likely to have somewhat higher operating costs (more vehicles would be required to provide the same passenger capacity as LRT). Light rail has demonstrated the capacity to support economic development and transit-oriented development in virtually every LRT system that has been implemented in the country in recent decades. To date, BRT systems do not appear to have as high of a potential to stimulate economic development as LRT. The size of the investment and the permanence of the infrastructure of LRT systems are cited as the reasons that LRT has a larger, positive impact on economic development than BRT.

Typical BRT Characteristics

Capital Cost/Vehicle: $0.2 - 0.5 million-shared lane

$8 - 25 million-dedicated lane or guideway

Annual Operating Cost/Revenue Mile: $6 - $8

Capacity: 60 - 100 per bus

Speed: Average 30 mph; Maximum 60 mph

5) Regional Express Bus Offers flexibility in the location and level of service provided. Capital cost to expand service is relatively low. A wide variety of service types can be provided with buses used in premium service, such as express and limited stop. In express or limited stop service, buses have very few or no stops between where passengers board and the end of the route. Park-and-ride lots are often provided for the users of express bus service. Service frequency can be changed to meet peak period, off-peak period and special event demand. Capacity is limited somewhat by vehicle size. Since buses operate in mixed traffic, it is hard to provide a travel-time savings versus travel by car.

Typical Express Bus Characteristics

Capital Cost/Vehicle: $200,000 + (40 ft. urban bus)

Annual Operating Cost/Revenue Mile: $6 - $8

Seated Capacity: 15 - 100 per bus (depending on vehicle size and type)

Speed: Average 35 mph; Maximum 60 mph