Comments on: Miami’s Long-Sought Plans for Metro Extensions Dissolve as Funding Disappears

By: ajedrez

ajedrez — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:41:02 +0000

But it’s free!

Of course, that’s good for the customer, but bad for the transit agency.

By: Bribro

Bribro — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:07:13 +0000

I like the idea of an extension north of the downtown to service Midtown Miami, where there is a little more population density, and with the right demographics. It would be great if a reasonable connection could be made through to the Brickell Ave. financial district, which I guess could be accomplished with a link to metrorail. But there is good expressway service for this route along I-95. The savings would be in traffic congestion and parking. I doubt there would be savings in commuting time.

I saw the rail line that would provide this commute being taken up today, so it looks like the opportunity may be disappearing. Is anyone keeping track of what rail lines remain operational? The right of way is of course still there. BB

By: Akiva

Akiva — Sun, 08 May 2011 04:18:55 +0000

The main problem is Miami politicians dont really care about improving public transportation in Miami

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:09:44 +0000

Most depressing is the fact that it will probably be run by the people that run Tri-Rail. The reason I find it depressing is that this group has no direct source of funding. The only reason Tri-Rail remains open is because the three counties (Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) provide funding, but if either one were to pull out Tri-Rail would most likely cease to exist. As I recall, Tri-Rail has been running in the red for several years now, this is why the state had to step in and provide some temporary funding.

By: Thad

Thad — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:43:28 +0000

When I said Kendall I meant a)specifically Kendall Drive and b) only the eastern and denser stretch from Dadeland to 117th Street. I also agree that Metrorail is not suitable for this corridor given the way it has been developed with dense limited access developments that make walking less efficient and the fact that it would be an engineering nightmare that would not only make transit use inefficient, but make driving just as bad, worsening an already pretty bad situation of long commutes, congestion, and gridlock during rush hour.

How ever a frequent (preferably dedicated lane) BRT service or even an at-grade LRT connecting with the Dadeland South Station in conjunction with the Kendall Commuter Rail along the CSX tracks from the zoo to the MIC would provide more options for the people on the eastern portion where high-frequency transit has a greater likelihood of success, to get out of their cars and the congestion caused by West Kendall commuters driving east in the morning to reach the Palmetto, U.S. 1, Dadeland, Metrorail, or wherever it is that they all commute to.

This portion of Kendall is the only corridor at the southern end of Central Miami-Dade that should be a transit priority with more mid-rise apartment complexes and Dadeland has developed largely around the mall and the two Metrorail stations and can be an employment anchor along with Baptist Hospital, MDC-Kendall, and Town and Country redevelopment.

While MDT should focus on the core first, it also needs to address the limited-road capacity problems in other parts of the county where adding more lanes isn’t feasible and better transit is the only real option.

By: Thad

Thad — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 23:32:09 +0000

I should have said this the first time around, but I really think that the system should have been light rail in the first place as it could have possibly used the pre-existing southern FEC corridor that it replaced and could have continued incremental expansion north and south along the corridor (you would just have to add the overhead centenary and build station platforms and using existing track). It also would be easier to integrate with at grade and grade separated sections where appropriate. LRT is appropriate for a lot of the corridors that have limited-road capacity, but don’t warrant Metrorail (which really isn’t running at it’s full capacity either). 8th street from Brickell Station to FIU, Douglas from Douglas Rd. Station to MIC, from Government Center down the MacArthur up Washington Ave and the Collins on the Beach, and Wynwood/Edgewater and the Design District along FEC (in a perfect world), are good places to start.

Miami’s biggest problem is infrastructure capacity. There is greater capacity for north-south travel with three major expressways (The HEFT, Palmetto/826, and I-95), Metrorail and Tri-Rail (for those commuting up to Broward)than for east-west travel which relies on the Dolphin/836 and major arterials that are gridlocked during the rush periods. While we certainly don’t need Metrorail going down every major east-west street to lower density neighborhoods, there needs to be some other non-auto options for people to utilize as roads in some places cannot be widened and no county official would ever have enough power to plow another 6 lane highway through middle income neighborhoods out west.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:33:21 +0000

You’re right that the proposed rail has a better route. However, it uses legacy tracks, shared with freight trains, and plans to follow all FRA regulations. This means it has no chance of succeeding.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:36:25 +0000

I am surprised nobody mentioned the proposed rail a long the FEC tracks. This is arguably the best solution and most likely to succeed. IT is on existing tracks, right away already exists and will conncect basically almost every major downtown from downtown miami to West Palm – some of the densest population and work centers in ALL OF FLORIDA. It will also connect with the metrorail, metromover, and the trirail further up north, creating a more efficient and connected system.

By: John W

John W — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:22:09 +0000

Hmmm. That explains why I have yet to visit Miami. But once it has a subway, it’ll shoot to the top of my must see list. Build it and I (and my tourism dollars) will come.

And, yes, I can see why tour-bus operators, who point out all of the city’s marvellous sights, would be so dead set against a train from which you can’t see a thing. A three-hour tour that you pay 25 bucks for is clearly threatened by competition from a contraption to get you from A to B for a tenth of the price. Sheesh.

By: Visionary

Visionary — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:23:59 +0000

^ i agree a subway needs to get going, is a lot more expensive but it will pay off if is done on biscayne blvd and collins. how?….
1. it brings alot more people together
2. it brings business together from the north, like Broward to Downtown Miami
3. it brings retail business
4. it maintains the real state market up due to no elevated infrastruture.
5. revenue to the city will increase dramatically
6. will receieve world class status.
7. tourism will increase
if we fund these then we can fund the rest itself

excuses: you can’t dig too deep (30ft) in south florida due to the biscayne aquafier.
answer: poor knowledge “Miami Port Tunnel” will go as far as 100ft. With better engineer and technology it can be done without damaging the biscayne aquafier. and FUNDS!

What could stop us?…
US! we don’t like an increase of tax, we like our cars, we like to may high car insurance, we like to pay gas and fund other nations who want to kills us.
and most important people who lobby against it like
CAR INSURANCE PROVIDERS
CAR DEALERS
TAXI DRIVERS
TOUR BUSES
COMISSIONERS (yes we elect them but they brain wash us, or don’t deliver)
STRONG CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
UNIONS AND SO ON…..

IS BASICALLY US AGAINST THEM!.