Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Authorizing The Appropriate City Officials To Retain The Existing Quiet Zone Along The Florida East Coast Railway Corridor In Broward County, With The City’s Preference Being to Continue to Serve As The Lead Applicant, With The Support Of Other Coastal Broward County Municipalities And The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (“MPO”); And, In The Event The Joint Quiet Zone Cannot Be Retained, Authorizing The City Manager To Pursue The Establishment Of A Quiet Zone Within The City’s Boundaries.
Strategic Plan Focus
Quality of Life & Strong Neighborhoods
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Resolution.
Explanation:
Approval of this Resolution will authorize the City Manager to pursue retention of the Quiet Zone along the FEC Railway corridor in Broward County, with the City of Hollywood serving as the lead applicant on behalf of Hollywood and other impacted municipalities that seek to participate and to transmit the required documentation to the Federal Railroad Administration (“FRA”) to retain the joint Quiet Zone designation.
On September 3, 2026, the City of Hollywood and other municipalities withing Broward County along the FEC corridor received a request from the FRA to determine a path forward for the existing Quiet Zone. The FRA identified the following options:
1. Establish separate Quiet Zones within each municipality’s boundaries;
2. Retain the existing countywide joint Quiet Zone, subject to amendments to the required Notices of Establishment and Quiet Zone agreements, and re-establishment of compliance with applicable requirements; or
3. Take no action, which would result in termination of the existing Quiet Zone.
Maintaining a Quiet Zone along the FEC Railway corridor impacts quality-of-life and has community benefits while maintaining the required safety measures.
Under this Resolution, the City of Hollywood would continue to serve as the lead applicant in efforts to retain the existing Broward County Quiet Zone designation, with the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (“MPO”) continuing to facilitate and support the participating local governments. While the City prefers to maintain the existing countywide joint Quiet Zone, if the participating municipalities elect to pursue individual Quiet Zone applications, the City of Hollywood would likewise pursue an individual Quiet Zone application within its jurisdictional boundaries.
Participating municipalities include the Cities of Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, and Hallandale Beach, with support from Broward County and the MPO and the District Four Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation.
BACKGROUND
The Florida East Coast (“FEC”) Railway corridor traverses multiple municipalities throughout coastal Broward County. Under the FRA Train Horn Rule, locomotive engineers are generally required to sound train horns when approaching public at-grade crossings unless the crossings are located within an established Quiet Zone that meets applicable federal safety requirements.
On October 7, 2015, the City Commission supported the establishment of a Quiet Zone along the FEC Railway corridor to mitigate train horn noise and provide community benefits (R-2015-301). The FEC Railway Quiet Zone subsequently became effective on May 18, 2019.
The City of Hollywood has served as the lead applicant for the Quiet Zone, which encompasses the FEC Railway corridor through Hollywood and other coastal Broward County municipalities.
Fiscal Impact:
Approval of this resolution will not fiscally impact the City as this is a proposal to pursue retention of the Quiet Zone along the FEC Railway corridor in Broward County, with the City of Hollywood serving as the lead applicant alongside other impacted municipalities.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Clarissa Ip, PE, Asst. Director of Development Services-Chief City Engineer
Andria Wingett, Director of Development Services
Jose Cortes, Assistant City Manager