Ana Alvarez

Chief Planning Officer

Andrew Thompson

Assistant City Manager

Issue Statement: At the February 5, 2025 City Commission Meeting, Broward County Transportation Director, Coree Cuff Lonergan, made a presentation on the Broward County Commuter Rail North Project, which is attached to this agenda item. The City of Oakland Park has a  long-standing history of support for the commuter rail project bringing passenger service on the existing freight lines. As a result of years of analysis, public meetings, and studies, technical recommendations were made for six (6) general station locations in Broward County, including a stop in Oakland Park. Broward County Transit (BCT), as part of its Premium Mobility Plan (PREMO), is moving forward with the next steps of the Broward County Commuter Rail North Project and once again, the City is showing its support through this Resolution.

Recommended Action: The City Commission adopt the Resolution of Support for the Broward County Commuter Rail North Project which includes a  proposed railway station stop within the City of Oakland Park.

Background:

The FEC corridor is a shared-use corridor with FEC freight trains and intercity passenger trains. Florida East Coast Railway, LLC owns the FEC Railway right of way and operates the rail freight service in the corridor. Brightline operates inter-city passenger rail trains via a passenger easement in the corridor. The commuter rail will share tracks with freight and Brightline. 

The station refinement process for the entire tri-county area (Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade) has evolved over the years, with the City of Oakland Park in support and as an active participant to ensure the inclusion of a stop in the Downtown.

The Broward Commuter Rail South Project will extend from Hollywood to Fort Lauderdale and connect to Miami. Miami-Dade has advanced the NE Corridor Project from Aventura to Downtown Miami. Miami-Dade County has received a Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) to proceed into design for a commuter rail project, the completion of which would allow a commuter rail project in Broward County to connect and become part of a strategic regional transportation initiative extending through Broward into downtown Miami.

Broward County has received a Finding of No Significant Impact from the FTA to proceed into design for Broward Commuter Rail South which is the southern 11.5 miles of commuter rail in Broward County that would connect with Miami-Dade commuter rail project

The next step for the development of the Broward Commuter Rail North includes the

approval of the Locally Preferred Alternative, with the proposed station locations, including the City of Oakland Park and the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study. Through this resolution of support, the City agrees to work through the refinement next phase of the station location as part of the PD&E Study.

The City has taken long strides to ensure land use policies and economic development activities support of Transit Oriented Development, with the adoption of land development standards and regulation, as well as generating Public-Private Partnerships for mixed use developments that incorporate residential density, commercial and parking opportunities. As such, the City supports complementary land use policies, land development regulations, and economic development activities consistent with this project.