Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Bertha Henry
Department: County Administration
Information
Requested Action
title
MOTION TO APPROVE Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Florida Department of Transportation, District 4 (FDOT, 4) and Broward County, for the purpose of articulating the roles and responsibilities of the Parties during and after the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) tracks from the planned Aventura Station to a proposed Deerfield Beach Station (Broward County’s portion) for the suitability of commuter rail; said Study is fully-funded and managed by FDOT, 4, with Broward County bearing responsibility for stakeholder engagement, development of a financial plan, and potentially acting as project sponsor for subsequent phases, including but not limited to, applying for federal and state funds.
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Why Action is Necessary
While the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) does not obligate the County to fund the Study, nor does it obligate the County to future action, this Study is a critical component of a significant regional project that should be acted upon by the County Commission.
What Action Accomplishes
It identifies the roles and responsibilities of the Parties (Broward County and FDOT, 4) during the PD&E Study.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
The Mobility Advancement Program and its various agencies funded by the Transportation Surtax recommend approval.
This item is in furtherance of the County Commissions’ Value of “Cooperatively delivering an efficient and accessible regional intermodal network” and its attendant Goal to “Support the development, design, and construction of sustainable, multi-modal transportation facilities that meet the needs of residents, travelers, and businesses.”
Plans, studies, discussions, working groups, and multi-stakeholder symposia have occurred for approximately 17 years regarding the implementation of tri-County commuter rail service on the FEC tracks. The Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) tracks from the planned Aventura Station to a proposed Deerfield Beach Station (Broward County’s portion) for the suitability of commuter rail builds off of the recently completed New River Crossing Feasibility Study, completed in 2019 for the Florida Legislature.
The MOU describes certain assumptions and responsibilities of the Parties. Broward County’s PD&E responsibilities include: obtaining and maintaining stakeholder support; developing a financial plan, including for local shares of the actual construction, as well as ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M); developing agreements for track access, construction, and O&M. While the PD&E study does articulate roles and responsibilities for the current phase of the Project, it does not obligate either Party to participate in, or provide funding for, future Project phases.
Source of Additional Information
Gretchen Cassini, Mobility Advancement Program Administrator, (954) 357-7579, gcassini@broward.org <mailto:gcassini@broward.org>
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
The PD&E Study is fully-funded by FDOT, 4. No funds are being requested from the County as part of this action.