Ian updates in Palm Beach County: Tolls suspended, commuter rail; bus operations continue

Stephany Matat, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read

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Major transportation entities keeping a close watch on weather as Hurricane Ian begins its approach to the Florida Peninsula.

Amtrak spokesperson Kimberly Woods said multiple routes traveling to Florida would terminate in Jacksonville starting Tuesday. In addition, all routes departing from and arriving in Florida through Thursday are canceled. No announcements have been made yet for Friday routes.

Tri-Rail still running at this time

A northbound Tri-Rail train pulls away from the Intermodal Transit Center in West Palm Beach.
A northbound Tri-Rail train pulls away from the Intermodal Transit Center in West Palm Beach.

Locally, the commuter line Tri-Rail currently has not canceled any transportation services. Tri-Rail spokesperson Victor Garcia said the commuter rail line would make plans to stop service when winds are forecasted to go above 35 mph.

Trains are running on time currently and there are no obstructions reported on the tracks. The company did have technical issues with its train tracker Tuesday but the issue was resolved and it is unknown if it was caused by the storm.

Live hurricane updates: Schools closed Wednesday, Tropical storm warning for Palm Beach County

Hurricane tracker: Where is Ian headed?

'Make preparations now': DeSantis urges vigilance as Ian poised to strike as major hurricane

PalmTran prepared to transport residents to shelters if needed

PalmTran is prepared to provide transportation to residents to the nearest general population shelter if the county declares an evacuation order in a resident's zone and for residents who live in a mobile home or are physically handicapped if evacuation orders are set.

A Palmtran spokesperson said that they do not anticipate any service disruptions currently but are still monitoring. People can keep up to date by reviewing PalmTran's social media accounts or texting RIDE to 561-589-1919. No service disruptions or obstructions in routes have been reporter, either.

Brighline continues to operate

A northbound train arrives at the Brightline station in downtown West Palm Beach.
A northbound train arrives at the Brightline station in downtown West Palm Beach.

Brightline also does not have any weather-related service announcements at the moment, according to Ben Porritt, senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Florida tolls suspended

The state said toll collection on highways along Ian's projected path have been suspended.
The state said toll collection on highways along Ian's projected path have been suspended.

Across Florida, toll collection has been suspended on highways within the storm's projected path, state officials said.

The Florida Department of Transportation's website also stated Tuesday that the agency has "suspended interstate lane closures and operations on active construction projects within the projected path" of Hurricane Ivan.

FDOT said contractors on these construction projects "are currently securing work sites, clearing traffic control devices that are not actively being used to direct traffic, and checking drainage systems."

At this time, tolls have also been suspended on facilities within the projected path of the storm. See a list of facilities here. For the latest storm information and safety alerts, visit FloridaDisaster.org. For real-time traffic information throughout the state, visit

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hurricane Ian: Tolls suspended, Tri-Rail; PalmTran continue