Ask Dr. Detour

Quiet Zone RR work set to be completed by July.

Doctor Detour answers your transportation questions.

Q: Those of us who live near railroad tracks would like to know when Quiet Zone upgrades at railroad crossings will be finished? — Enrique Bargioni,

Fort Lauderdale.

A: The Quiet Zone improvements are scheduled to be in place by the time the Brightline express trains begin service between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in July. Service to Miami will follow in late August. The company is anticipating a grand opening of the passenger service in September.

About 180 of approximately 207 South Florida railroad crossings along the Florida East Coast Railway corridor, that parallels Federal Highway, have been upgraded, according to FEC Industries Executive Director Michael Reininger.

Improvements include quad or four-way crossing gates, medians, signal lights and warning bells designed to discourage vehicles and pedestrians from crossing the tracks when a train is coming. The enhanced safety measures would eliminate the need for freight and passenger trains to sound their

horns unless there was an emergency.

Gaps between existing Quiet Zone crossings are being filled along Tri-Rail tracks west of Interstate 95 as well.

Q: My husband and I have taken cruises twice since December and upon returning to Port Everglades we tried to use the Mobile Passport app for a quick pass through Customs. Both times we got

error messages saying the scanning devices were unable to process our requests. Have other travelers had problems with this app? — PJ Grant, Davie

A: It took about four months to work out Mobile Passport debarking procedures with the cruise lines and Customs and Border Protection, according to Ellen Kennedy, with Port Everglades.

If there is even a tiny error and the information entered on the app does not match what the cruise line submitted to Customs agents, it will be rejected and there is only one chance to get approved each trip. Then you will have to wait in the regular Customs’ lines.

Customs rejects about 10 percent of the passengers, according to Airside Mobile, which is the company that invented and hosts the app. However, more than 5,000 people were successfully processed on a recent weekend and port officials consider the Mobile Passport app a success.

Airside Mobile (flightcrew@airsidemobile.com) and Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov/contact) are always looking for ways to improve customer service, so suggestions are welcome.