Brightline opponents score victory in Tallahassee with High Speed Rail Safety Act

By: Lisa Broadt, Treasure Coast Newspapers

A bill that would allow the state to regulate Brightline took a step forward Tuesday, after passing unanimously in the Florida Senate Committee on Transportation.

Sen. Debbie Mayfield's Senate Bill 572, also known as the High Speed Rail Safety Act, would give the Florida Department of Transportation some regulatory authority over Brightline and other passenger railroads, including the power to impose fines.

The bill requires increased transparency from railroads about their safety records and shifts costs associated with at-grade crossing maintenance from local governments to the railroads…