FCRP Letter to Miami Herald editor re: Brightline Safety
Published on 7/29/2025
July 24, 2025
Editor in Chief
Miami Herald Paper
Good afternoon,
On behalf of the Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers I am writing in response to your investigative report last week pertaining to Brightline and fatalities that include automotive grade crossing collisions, pedestrian trespassing and the subset comprising suicides.
South of Cocoa, FL Brightline is not a high-speed railroad. The maximum speed is less than 80 miles per hour, which is comparable with the Interstate Highway system. But Brightline is a high-frequency railroad offering multiple departures every day. Every passenger on Brightline represents a trip in an automobile that has been avoided. The data strongly suggests that travel by rail is far safer than by automobile.
Over and above the fact that Brightline has adhered to all federal and state safety requirements, one must acknowledge that everyone who perished died due to either inattention, reckless driving or they perished by their own intent. All were trespassing.
Major highways like I95 remain the deadliest routes along this corridor, with persistently high fatality counts. A notorious 3.85 mile segment in Miami's Little River neighborhood recorded 27 fatalities, equating to roughly 7 fatalities per mile -- making it the most dangerous in the state.
Locally, high-risk segments include Okeechobee Blvd (SR 704) in West Palm Beach and sections of SR 80. This stretch evolving into Southern Boulevard was historically known for high fatality rates.
The segment of SR 704 in West Palm Beach (from I95 to Jog Rd) saw 75 fatalities from 2000-2019, ranking it among Floirda's deadliest 5-mile segment.
Annual fatalities in Palm Beach County in 2023, the county experience 181 traffic fatalities across 513,612 with West Palm Beach city contribution around 20 per year.
Miami-Dade sees similar numbers, with over 300 fatalities county-wide and 40-50 in the city annually.
While you are going after Brightline, which is an operation that has become an attractive option to travelers who would otherwise drive, you ignore all the highway fatalities and issues on our roads. As you pointed out, more can be done in connection with safety. However, Brightline cannot save anyone from themselves.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
James Tilley
President
Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers