Miami Today: Week of Thursday, February 25, 2016 by Miami Today

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

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TRANSPORTATION

Assembly of 136 Metrorail cars about to begin in Medley, pg. 9 RESTRICTED RED LIGHT CAMERAS: Commissioners unanimously adopted on first reading last week legislation that would repeal authority given to Miami-Dade or the mayor to implement or maintain a county-wide red light camera program. If adopted by the Metropolitan Services Committee on March 16 and ultimately passed by the commission, provisions will remain in place that direct the mayor to develop a policy for commission approval setting requirements for municipalities to get permits from the county allowing them to install traffic infraction detectors, including applicable fees. The detectors would be allowed on county roads within or adjacent to cities and on county traffic signal mast arms and other infrastructure.

Trip planner app offers bus, train aid in real time, pg. 11

THE ACHIEVER

REPORTING CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Miami-Dade commissioners unanimously approved last week on first reading legislation that would require elected officials to officially report to the Clerk of the Board any conflict of interest with a matter being considered at a meeting. The ordinance, proposed by Daniella Levine Cava, calls for a commissioner to announce the nature of the conflict before the matter is heard, excuse himself or herself from voting, and file a written disclosure of conflict with the clerk within 15 days. Currently, the Commission on Ethics advises commissioners to follow both the county and state rules for local elected officials around conflicts of interest. The ordinance is scheduled for discussion and a vote April 12 at the commission’s Strategic Planning and Government Operations Committee. DRONE FLYING RESTRICTIONS: Based on new county legislation, Miami-Dade’s Aviation Department is requiring that all drones flying in the county be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Other stipulations are that anyone flying a drone must contact the airport or FAA control tower before flying within five miles of any airport; drones are prohibited within one mile of any Miami-Dade County airport unless authorized by the FAA; and unauthorized use of a drone in MiamiDade will lead to a $500 civil penalty. “The recreational and business use of drones has been increasing rapidly,” said county Aviation Director Emilio T. González in a written statement. “We want to ensure that the public operates drones safely and responsibly, which means away from airports. A drone interfering with an aircraft in flight is dangerous at best, and the worst-case scenario would be catastrophic.”

Julio Frenk

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

University of Miami president seeks training for change The profile is on Page 4

City board tells developer he’s building too little BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

In a rare move, a Miami review board has sent a developer and his architect back to the drawing board after board members complained that a project isn’t big enough. Main criticisms leveled at the mixed-use Eight and First Development were lost design opportunities, an uninviting corner for ground-level commercial space, a busy façade color scheme and failure to take full advantage of the workforce housing potential that zoning permits. The plan from Eight and First LLC would bring a grocery store and 96 rental apartments to the Little Havana neighborhood. But zoning would allow 312 apartments, and the city’s Urban Development Review Board would like more. The board deferred the plan for a highprofile site at 45 SW Eighth Ave., on the northeast corner of Southwest Eighth Avenue and First Street, after considering recommending its denial. The board advises the city’s planning director. On a motion from Dean Lewis, the board voted Feb. 17 to defer the project, a maneuver that will allow the developer to return with a revised plan.

AGENDA

The architect for Eight and First Development is Herman Chaviano with DTI Architecture. Mr. Chaviano told the board the original plan for the vacant site was limited to a onestory supermarket to “improve and enhance the area.” The site plan for the food store went through the entire review and approval process, he said. But the developer was advised that the site could hold much more than a supermarket. The plan was changed to add a 12-story residential building with 96 units and a 311space garage, along with the nearly 45,000 square feet of commercial space, with about 35,000 devoted to a Presidente Supermarket. The residential building is accented with panels, balconies and corner pieces in bright colors defined by Mr. Chaviano as “the colors of Miami.” The ground floor is anchored on the corner by the supermarket, and the landscaping would include palm and shade trees. The goal was to “enhance the pedestrian experience in that area,” said Mr. Chaviano. “It leaves a lot of opportunity on the table,” said Mr. Lewis, noting that the project could

Port’s twin deals offer a bonanza As PortMiami wraps up a trailblazing contract for one cruise line to build a terminal that could add 1 million passengers a year at the port, it’s preparing to unveil a parallel deal with another cruise industry giant to build its own facility next door and add another million passengers. With the port poised to reach a record 5 million passengers this year, the two separate public-private partnerships may well bring passengers to 7 million as early as 2020, said Port Director & CEO Juan M. Kuryla. Those gains are huge. As recently as 2013 PortMiami cruise traffic was just a hair over 4 million, and in 2014 it hit 4.8 million. The jump from 5 million to 6 million passengers after Royal Caribbean Cruises and the county finish a deal for the line to fund, build, operate and maintain its own new cruise terminal, Terminal A, will have an estimated $1 billion annual impact on the county’s economy, Mr. Kuryla said. Following immediately behind it, he said, is a similar deal not yet unveiled for a Terminal AA with another cruise industry giant that, like Royal Caribbean, already has substantial operations at the seaport. He would not name the other potential terminal developer, but Miamibased Carnival Cruise Line would be a logical candidate. That development too should be in the $1 billion impact range. All cruise lines now use facilities that the port finances, builds, operates and maintains. These two public-private developments would reverse the long-standing pattern. “We have never done something like that here in Miami,” Mr. Kuryla said. The new terminals would add two berths for more very modern, very large ships. Such berths are badly needed, because the cruise industry is booming, Mr. Kuryla said. “We are looking for cruise berths like crazy.”

include up to 312 apartments. “It’s a pity to leave 200 units on the table,” he said. Mr. Lewis said he also wanted to talk about the elephant in the room: the use of rainbow colors. He said the design relies too much on paint. “Paint is only so good for so long,” he said. Mr. Lewis also suggested reconsidering the design of the courtyard and the articulation of the supermarket. Board chairman Robert Behar agreed. “For the retail, you failed to express the corner. The supermarket needs more than a blank wall,” he said. He said he didn’t feel comfortable recommending approval, especially since “it’s such an important location.” In regard to the supermarket, Mr. Lewis said, “It doesn’t evoke food and freshness.” He suggested “create something new.” Board member Neil Hall furthered that idea, encouraging the architect go to Presidente Supermarkets and work with the company to try a new look. “There is a chance here for new models and designs,” Mr. Hall said. “You have an Full Royal Caribbean deal, pg. 14 opportunity.”

MIAMI LICENSES DOCKSIDE SPACE AT $270 A MONTH ...

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COUNTY TO SEND TRADE TEAMS TO TAIWAN, CHINA ...

TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS EYE DRIVERLESS CARS ...

VIEWPOINT: LESSONS FROM UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS ...

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UPSET COMMISSIONERS DEFER PORT LAND REPORT...

APP TO KEEP DRIVERS FROM EYEING SMARTPHONES ...

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

April county mission to send teams to China and Taiwan BY B LANCA VENEGAS

A mission to China and Taiwan will be held in April to promote business development, trade and tourism in MiamiDade County. The April 11-23 mission will be led by Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Miami-Dade County commissioner and chairman of the International Trade Consortium Board. Funds for travel come from registration fees and sponsorships, according to Manuel Gonzalez, director of MiamiDade County Economic Development and International Trade. Participants will travel to Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, where networking opportunities with Chinese businesses will be available. Participants may choose between the Mainland China or Taiwan portion of the mission. The main purpose for this mission is to promote a better linkage of the county to that part of the world, Mr. Gonzalez told Miami Today. “We are looking to target the investment community in China,” he said, “But most importantly, we are setting the foundation to create the proper infrastructure to have Chinese business people come to Miami

Photo by Maxine Usdan

“We are looking to target the investment community in China,” said trade director Manuel Gonzalez.

in June.” Participants will visit the Hangzhou Economic & Technology Development Zone and Hangzhou High-Tech Development Zone. In Guangzhou, delegates will participate in the 119th Canton Fair, China’s Import & Export Fair. The mission will also join Enterprise Florida’s Export Sales Mission in Taipei. “In 2014, China was our number-three trading partner for Miami, with $6.6 billion worth of trade,” Mr. Gonzalez said. According to Miami-Dade

County data, by 2022 the population of China’s middle class is estimated to reach 630 million, 45% of the entire population, and it will be consuming goods and services valued at $3.4 trillion, 24% of gross domestic product. Miami has also been “significantly out of the loop” in terms of branding and marketing, Mr. Gonzalez added. “There’s a considerable amount of Chinese middle-class families that are sending their sons and daughters to MiamiDade County educational insti-

tutions,” he said. “So if this is happening and we haven’t had any type of promotional offers, this [mission] is of significant value.” Desmond Alufohai, international trade coordinator of the Miami-Dade County Economic Development & International Trade Unit Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, said the purpose of these missions is to foster bilateral trade, commerce and cultural exchanges between Miami-Dade County, China and Taiwan. “A lot of Chinese don’t know

‘A lot of Chinese don’t know about MiamiDade County, and this trip gives us the opportunity to promote the county and discuss what we as a community have to offer.’ Desmond Alufohai about Miami-Dade County, and this trip gives us the opportunity to promote the county and discuss what we as a community have to offer,” Mr. Alufohai said. “We look forward to the government-to-government relations,” he said, “and for the businesses to strike a deal that will help increase sales for them.”

Immigration site conversion to hotel gets building permit BY MARILYN BOWDEN

The Triton Center, a redevelopment project at 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, got its master building permit this month, said lead architect Jonathan Cardello, senior principal in the Miami office of Stantec, a global architectural services firm with headquarters in Canada. The project consists of the conversion of a former US Immigration & Naturalization Service building into a 12-story, 139-key Hilton Garden Inn in addition to construction of a small condo building and a pair of eight-story residential buildings with a combined total of 324 apartments, Mr. Cardello said. About 17,000 square feet of retail, he said, will be available on the ground floors of buildings throughout the project. “We are now finishing construction documents,” Mr. Cardello said. “The Salvation Army building and smaller industrial and retail buildings on the site have been taken down, and interior demolition for the hotel conversion will begin this month. So things are moving ahead.” Mr. Cardello said the Triton Center, which will include 585 indoor parking spaces, will be built to LEED silver standards. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, a designation used by the US Green Building Council to measure the sustainability and performance

‘The Salvation Army building and smaller industrial and retail buildings on the site have been taken down.’ Jonathan Cardello of buildings. In addition to a 20-foot pedestrian walkway surrounding the block, Mr. Cardello said, “there will be a cross-block connecting passage for dropoffs and pick-ups between the hotel and our other buildings to avoid traffic congestion.” Built in 1962 as the Gulf American, the original structure at 7880 Biscayne Blvd. from 1983 to 2008 housed the US Immigration & Naturalization Service, which in 2003 changed its name to the US Citizenship & Immigration Services as a division of Homeland Security. The 2.7-acre property is owned by Fullview International Group, whose principal is Leo Wu. General contractor for the Triton Center is Comar Castle.

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

MIAMITODAY Miami Today is an independent voice of the community, published weekly at 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133. Telephone (305) 358-2663

Pivotal university presidents bequeathed valuable lessons It’s teamwork – not one person, however visionary or charismatic – that advances an organization. But it’s the leader who sets the tone, charts the team’s mission and guides it along a roadmap to Michael Lewis achievement. In the academic realm, Miami has just lost two great leaders, university presidents who achieved breakthroughs without which neither the University of Miami nor Florida International University would have achieved its current stature. Both the late Gregory Baker Wolfe, third president of Florida International University, and the late Edward Thaddeus Foote II, fourth president of the University of Miami who spent 20 years at its helm, have had two successors who built on their gains. Institutions are not static. But our community should reflect on the achievements of Dr. Foote, who died last week, and Dr. Wolfe, who died two months earlier, both because educational gains deserve respectful focus and because lessons of their leadership can help shape the future of both of their institutions and the entire community. There is value in reflection. Both men in stature and deeds substantially strengthened the reputations as well as the achievements of their universities. When Tad Foote came in 1981 from Washington University in St. Louis the University of Miami was derisively called Suntan U, where wealthy out-of-town students studied such phantom subjects as underwater basket-weaving – derision that was neither fair nor correct but was widespread. When Dr. Foote left, academic standards were far higher and the memory of Suntan U was buried. When Greg Wolfe arrived in 1979 Florida International University was little-known and very new, with only third and fourth year students – the first two years were spent at what then was Miami-Dade Community College. When he returned to full-time teaching seven years later his university was a full fouryear institution with more colleges and graduate programs as well. These two presidents, though very different, both arrived with passions for excellence. They were gentlemen who bore themselves as leaders – it was unmistakable – but without pretenses. Rank may have its privileges, but neither seemed privileged. Tad Foote would have unannounced lunch visits in the campus dining hall with faculty who had open opportunity to question or complain, recalls David Lieberman, who as senior vice president for business and finance worked closely with the president. After lunch, Dr. Foote would walk around Lake Osceola to solve the day’s problems. Greg Wolfe, a serious and thoughtful man, never took himself too seriously. He might show up at a social event or entertain distinguished visitors in the backyard of his Biscayne Point waterfront home in a kaftan rather than his business suit. Of decisions Tad Foote made and carried through, the one that affected the

Bosey and Tad Foote, left, and Mary Ann and Gregory Wolfe with NPR’s Diane Rehm after both men left their university presidencies.

university most was his early move to shrink entering classes, cutting back 2,500 students and costing the UM $30 million in tuition. Each entering class became far better as he leveraged up entry-level SAT scores by being more selective. He chose quality over quantity, and then maintained the higher quality levels. That “better” aspect, Mr. Lieberman notes, included residential colleges, financial aid based on merit to attract better students, a tougher curriculum and a more beautiful campus to attract better students and faculty, a vision he carried out and modified over 20 years, longest tenure of a private university president in the nation. Greg Wolfe, also no supporter of university growth in numbers rather than quality, had less time to implant his vision on FIU. He brought an international outlook of a former intelligence analyst for the US State Department while himself establishing the toughest freshman admission standards of any Florida public university. Suddenly, Suntan U and a university born in the 1970s that ranked far behind other state public schools had together put academics ahead of merely growth. In both instances, it worked. It’s true that a student who is already well prepared can get a good education at any university with effort and good fortune. But these two presidents in Miami made a quality education far more universal. Both presidents also focused on building university reputations in classrooms, not athletic fields. Tad Foote had a major football program that often, via scandals, was on his hands, but it came with the territory rather than as a passion, a necessary evil. For Greg Wolfe, without major athletics in his way, academics could rule. In recent years he outspokenly opposed college football because of the dangers of head injuries. The presidents shared certain similarities. They were handsome, looked presidential, spoke well, created loyalties in staff – though in Dr. Wolfe’s case that was not universal – took active roles in the community during their tenures and after, and genuinely liked their community as they loved their university. “We didn’t want to let him down, so we gave our best to everything we did,” Mr. Lieberman recalled of Dr. Foote. “In part, we trusted and respected and liked him… and he trusted us (once we earned it).” Former Washington University law school dean Foote, Mr. Lieberman noted, created a first for any major university: a strategic plan that stated current and projected bottom lines for each school for five

years and made the plans available to the public. “It was bold, and it conveyed a philosophy that there needed to be a rationale for budgets, for allocating resources.” Dr. Wolfe, who brought government, consulting and academic backgrounds as a former president of Portland State University, seemed to cross lines among business, academia and global policy gurus while transforming a strictly local two-year school into an academically reputable institution. Years after he left the presidency, he wrote a series of viewpoint articles for Miami Today that linked his many and varying interests. After a visit to Argentina in 2002 he noted this remarkable meeting: “I was invited to breakfast with two leading Argentine bankers, the newly appointed head of the stock exchange and the director of a national foreign policy association. The conversation centered on what might be done to avert further deepening of the dire straits – of closed banks, cash-less ATM machines, unemployed wage-less workers, disinvestment, capital flight and probable further default on the international indebtedness.” That would be a complex discussion in which Greg Wolfe would have felt perfectly at home. He would also have felt perfectly at home on a Paris trip where fine dining and not wage-less workers seemed to be front and center. He described those meals for our readers as fully as he described business-government policy discussions. Tad Foote too was at home abroad. Always dressed in the tweedy mode of a former Yalie, he visited Britain’s Parliament with his wife Bosey with a Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce mission as they first asked penetrating questions of a leading MP with prime ministerial ambitions and then set off at a brisk pace alone for a London stroll. Tad Foote did not confine his efforts to campus. He co-founded the community’s Alliance for Ethical Government and pushed to create and chaired an anti-drug community coalition. Likewise, Greg Wolfe took community roles. When Northern Trust Bank and Miami Today created the Brickell Avenue Literary Society he became its first chairman. His connections lured in famed authors of every sort from around the globe. His erudite introductory remarks at those lunches became the society’s hallmark. When they left their presidencies both Dr. Foote and Dr. Wolfe stayed with their universities. Dr. Foote became the UM’s first and only chancellor, a goodwill role for a president loved by both the university’s

board and its faculty. He also took on a teaching role for one semester in a course at Harvard’s graduate school of education. Dr. Wolfe also returned to the classroom, for years teaching international relations based on the affairs of the day, with The New York Times as a casebook. He was never happier or more energized than when working with inquisitive students and faculty. Both presidents were involved with academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. It was shortly after he become president that Dr. Foote went to a dinner to which predecessor Henry King Stanford returned from Georgia to celebrate UM finally getting a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, a gold star for a university. Dr. Wolfe was made an honorary member of FIU’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter in April 2002. As Miami Today summarized his remarks to that group, he said: “Phi Beta Kappa summons us to advance the liberal arts, to utilize the refinements and practices drawn from the humanities that can help our world harvest the fruits of our academic riches and intellectual freedoms, to advance the good life and social well being, not merely for ourselves but for all of humankind.” One value of the study of liberal arts, he noted, was that “one can never quite be sure of just when you will need or just by accident find something you studied once upon a time useful, even essential to some challenge you are facing.” So it is with these two former university presidents. We can never be sure just when we will find their achievements, on campus or off, relevant to higher education today in Miami. At some points we surely will, for thankfully they left us valuable – and valued – lessons in quality.

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TODAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

Upset commission wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report on port land BY SUSAN DANSEYAR

County commissioners upset with Mayor Carlos Gimenezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handling of their directive to seek proposals for developing PortMiamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southwest corner agreed to defer accepting his report detailing ways heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking for the valuable landâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best use rather than sending a negative message by rejecting it. Last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10-0 unanimous vote to put off action until a workshop or special meeting is scheduled came after lengthy discussion concerning the decision Mr. Gimenez made to seek stakeholder input on best use for the coveted property. Commissioners Juan Zapata, Javier Souto and Jose â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pepeâ&#x20AC;? Diaz were absent. At issue for several commissioners is their concern that the mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instruction that any uses by the port of its 11-acre corner remain consistent with traditional maritime activities and that Director Juan Kuryla meet with stakeholders to hear their ideas before presenting findings to the commission is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;stall tacticâ&#x20AC;? that disrespects them and their authority. Mr. Gimenez, on the other hand, said the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution last fall ordering him to prepare a solicitation, subject to legal restrictions, for the expedited development of the southwest corner consistent with the 2035 master plan for the seaport came in response to circumstances that now differ. He told Miami Today in January that much has changed since the master plan was put together in 2011, which included potential commercial development for the bare land. At that time, Mr. Gimenez said, the port needed money and was about to issue new debt. However, between 2010 and 2013 port revenue soared 31% and its southwest corner is no longer vital for revenue, Mr. Gimenez said. Additionally, he said, title searches revealed halfcentury-old state and City of Miami deed restrictions. Of particular concern is the City of Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stipulation that the land must be used for seaport purposes or it reverts to the city. Mr. Gimenez outlined this information in a Feb. 4 report to

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What I do not agree with is using the reverter statement as a scare tactic because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I believe is happening.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Barbara Jordan commissioners and said he will return with an update on what the stakeholders recommend, probably in April when port officials estimate they will have completed discussions with the five remaining stakeholders. To date, Mr. Kuryla said, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had discussions with 10 port partners including the largest cruise lines and labor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The responses are somewhat varied, depending on who you speak to,â&#x20AC;? he said. In one instance, however, the harbor pilots said Mr. Gimenezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan makes sense because the one thing the port has that nothing else in the county does is access to water. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The demands of the port have substantially changed over time,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Kuryla said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you asked me whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the biggest need the port has right now it would be cruise terminals.â&#x20AC;? Bruno Barreiro began the often-heated conversation lasting almost two hours by saying he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the report nor the way Mr. Gimenez handled the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directive and made a motion to not accept it with the intention of continuing discussions. He said the number-one priority for the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directive in expediting the process for proposals was making sure anyone who bid knew it was pending the release of the reverter clause from the City of Miami. Barbara Jordan seconded Mr. Barreiroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion, and said she

Ross Report on Real Estate by Audrey Ross Miami Luxury Prices Expected to Rise in 2016 Throughout 2015 luxury market prices rose in Miami, and real estate values are expected to continue to appreciate but at a slower pace through 2016. Knight Frank predicts luxury prices in major global cities will slow by nearly half from 4% to 1.7% this year. In Miami-Dade, all-cash buyers fell from 56% in 2014 to 49.5% in 2015. There were a total of 10,428 cash sales in 2015. The majority of buyers of luxury properties came from out of state and foreign countries. This decline in foreign buyers is expected to continue through 2016, which will im-

pact sales. The data suggests despite this decline in sales, prices will appreciate in Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultra luxury market. While million plus market sales volume remains strong, there was more inventory available in 2015 than in the last three previous years. Miami has undergone a massive luxury building boom in the past couple of years. Now market demand is catching up with the number of available full service condos, which will impact sales across the luxury condo market. While top tier properties take longer

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did so because she expected to see an expedited request for proposals to come back rather than the mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report, which â&#x20AC;&#x153;disrespectsâ&#x20AC;? the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directive. In fact, Ms. Jordan said she finds it a â&#x20AC;&#x153;stall tacticâ&#x20AC;? to receive a report thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well overdue only to read Mr. Gimenez will be ignoring the directive and instead seek input on future port needs when a number of studies have already been completed on uses that would be port-related. She said she agrees with taking care, given the reverter clause. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I do not agree with is using that reverter statement as a scare tactic because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I believe is happening.â&#x20AC;? Nothing in the motion Xavier Suarez put forth mentions anything commercial, Ms. Jordan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It just said to bring back an expedited process within what was legally acceptable.â&#x20AC;? However, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;instead of bringing back an expedited process, the report says weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do more studies and [use] other stalling tactics we employ when we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do something.â&#x20AC;? Mr. Suarez said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not sure heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call the parties port officials are speaking with â&#x20AC;&#x153;partnersâ&#x20AC;? when he thinks of them more as tenants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The mayor is right: We have to toe the line very carefully with the deed restriction,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All we have to do is make sure we have maritime uses.â&#x20AC;? To say the county has to spend more time to be compliant with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;partnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is not sensible, Mr. Suarez said, because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s met with at least one group that spoke about bringing billions of dollars in investment that would be maritime use. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if anyone is

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figure out what really needs to go there that will be best for the port in the future. Once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it back.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Carlos Gimenez dragging their feet on purpose,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Suarez said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we do need to use that facility. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the prime locations for freight or passenger activities, so letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have those discussions and come back to us with a use.â&#x20AC;? Mr. Suarez added he was never in favor of commercial use. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the last piece of port ground to be addressed, Mr. Gimenez said. Without the need for revenue from it and the restrictive deed, he said the prudent course of action is â&#x20AC;&#x153;letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keep the port as a port.â&#x20AC;? The county doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what the port will need in the future, Mr. Gimenez said, so he thinks the best course of action is to speak with those who use it and get their ideas on what port needs will be once the expanded Panama Canal comes into use. If the county goes forward now with commercial development, he said, it could lose the port because it will revert

to the city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The county does hold a reverter clause with the City of Miami that they want with the Marine Stadium which theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve broken, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to play that game right now,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yet I also believe even without a reverter issue, we should be looking at the property with our port partners for uses that enhance the port property.â&#x20AC;? Mr. Barreiro said he can understand the mayor not wanting to push the issue of the reverter clause the county holds with the City of Miami. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough during times of politics and reelections, but I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to show some strong leadership and push on issues that are beneficial to all entities in the county.â&#x20AC;? Without specific guidelines that spell out what could be built on the property, Mr. Gimenez said, no one would submit a proposal. Therefore, he said, he needs to have a better idea of what the port stakeholders consider best use for the port before seeking proposals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to make sure we do this right, not fast,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why not take our time? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the last piece. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figure out what really needs to go there that will be best for the port in the future. Once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it back.â&#x20AC;? However, Mr. Gimenez said, if the commission wants to go in a different direction, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll try his best to comply. Certainly, he said, the county has a reverter clause on property thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to the City of Miami. Should the commission decide to take the route of discussing what the reverters mean to both parties, Mr. Gimenez said, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need commission guidance on how to approach the issue.

CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Miami City Commission will hold a Public Hearing on Friday, March 11, 2016 at 9:00 AM, to consider WKH DZDUG RI D FRQWUDFW WR WKH IRU SURÂżW RUJDQL]DWLRQ OLVWHG EHORZ WKURXJK $QWL 3RYHUW\ JUDQW IXQGV IURP WKH 'LVWULFW VKDUH RI WKH &LW\ RI 0LDPLÂśV 3RYHUW\ ,QLWLDWLYH 3URJUDP 7KH 9HQWXUH +LYH 3UHS Âą 6SULQJ %UHDN )XOO 7LPH 7HFK (QWUHSUHQHXUVKLS &DPS LV GHVLJQHG WR WUDLQ VWXGHQWV LQ WKH ÂżHOGV RI WHFKQRORJ\ and entrepreneurship through career and technical education, and to consider the City Managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recRPPHQGDWLRQV DQG ÂżQGLQJ WKDW FRPSHWLWLYH QHJRWLDWLRQ PHWKRGV DUH QRW SUDFWLFDEOH RU DGYDQWDJHRXV regarding these issues: Â&#x2021;7KH 9HQWXUH +LYH 3UHS 6SULQJ %UHDN )XOO 7LPH 7HFK (QWUHSUHQHXUVKLS &DPS IRXU &LW\ parks ZLWKLQ 'LVWULFW 9HQWXUH +LYH //& ,QTXLULHV UHJDUGLQJ WKLV QRWLFH PD\ EH DGGUHVVHG WR (VWKHU %DOVHUD (GXFDWLRQ ,QLWLDWLYHV &RRUGLQDWRU &LW\ RI 0LDPL 2IÂżFH RI *UDQWV $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ DW 7KLV DFWLRQ LV EHLQJ FRQVLGHUHG SXUVXDQW WR 6HFWLRQ $ RI WKH &RGH RI WKH &LW\ RI 0LDPL )ORULGD DV DPHQGHG WKH Âł&RGHÂ´ 7KH UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV DQG Âż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ÂżFH RI WKH &LW\ &OHUN DW 9RLFH QR ODWHU WKDQ WZR EXVLQHVV GD\V SULRU WR WKH SURFHHGLQJ RU DW 77< QR ODWHU WKDQ WKUHH EXVLQHVV GD\V SULRU WR WKH SURFHHGLQJ

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

Transportation With eye to the future, planners focus on driverless cars BY CATHERINE LACKNER

Perhaps envisioning a day when distracted drivers will no longer be a peril on Miami streets, Rebeca Sosa, MiamiDade County commissioner and member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), proposed to that group’s governing board Feb. 18 that any future transportation studies should include autonomous vehicles, or driverless cars. The board agreed. Dennis Moss, fellow county commissioner and MPO member, said the idea was originally his, and suggested that

Aileen Boucle, MPO executive director, lead a working committee to study the matter. “I want us to be ahead of the curve,” Mr. Moss said. “I have read the research, the pledges by Volvo that no one will die in their cars,” Ms. Sosa said. “Government doesn’t have plans for autonomous vehicles. There is no question that technological advances will change the way people travel. Those communities that prepare will best be able to adjust. We need to go with the time, and the time is here.” “We live in a golden age of invention

‘We live in a golden age of invention and progress and so we must ensure that we are able to adapt lest we get left behind.’ Rebeca Sosa and progress and so we must ensure that we are able to adapt lest we get left behind,” Ms. Sosa said in a release. “There is talk of companies like Google, Apple and Tesla mass-producing driverless cars and we want to make sure

that Miami-Dade is ready should the market head in that direction.” “We have invited the Florida Department of Transportation, which has one of these driverless cars, to do a presentation at our next meeting,” said Jean Monestime, chair of both the county commission and the MPO. “They will bring the vehicle right here to show as an exhibit in the lobby” of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center at 111 NW First St., where the group meets. “Hopefully,” Mr. Monestime quipped, “we can plan a ‘sunshine’ meeting in the car.”

Assembly of 136 Metrorail cars starts in March in Medley BY MARILYN BOWDEN

With the completion of a new custom-designed facility in Medley, assembly of a new fleet of Metrorail cars will get under way in mid-March, with the first car rolling out by the end of this year, said Alice Bravo, director of the county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works. All 136 cars are slated for delivery by 2019. The pre-assembled parts will come from a plant in Italy formerly operated by AnsaldoBreda, which was acquired November 2015 by Hitachi Rail, a global transportation giant whose US headquarters is in San Francisco. According to Hitachi Rail US’s website, the firm is now the largest supplier of urban vehicles in the US outside of the New York metropolitan area. The Medley factory is Hitachi’s third in the US custom-built for the assembly of heavy-rail metro; others are in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The 140,685-square-foot building, located within Miami International Tradeport business park at 11150 NW 122nd St., was designed by RLC Architects of Boca Raton. Construction was completed in six

Hitachi Rail US will start assembling and fine-tuning Metrorail cars within weeks in this newly built plant.

months, said Miller Construction Co.’s Justin Thorpe, senior project manager for the factory. “It was a pretty interesting project,” Mr. Thorpe said, “because the facility was unique. We have done some light industrial before, and the actual shell is a typical warehouse building,

but the interior is specialized for train-car assembly. The construction schedule was very fast-paced. We started construction on May 26 and finished on Dec. 3, about three weeks ahead of schedule.” The facility’s slab design and construction created four con-

crete pits to allow for assembly work underneath the cars, he said. Stairways provide workers with access to the pits. “A series of train tracks runs across the building,” Mr. Thorpe said, “At the west end there’s a platform that rolls north and south, so they can actually roll the cars out of the building and onto a

platform called a transfer table that takes them to the next bay for the next bit of assembly.” The transfer table, he said, was among the biggest challenges – “it had to be extremely level, straight and perfectly aligned to the building. “They also have operable portions of train tracks where they can switch the tracks depending on which bay a car will go to next.” One set of tracks, Mr. Thorpe said, runs over a large sloped pit with an enclosure containing 400 spray nozzles where the cars will be tested to ensure they are completely watertight. Ms. Bravo said the factory, which is expected to create about 100 jobs, will become fully operational in a few weeks. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is in the works. While Hitachi assembles and fine-tunes the cars, Ms. Bravo said, the county is working on infrastructure upgrades. “We’ve been doing some track replacement work and things of that nature,” she said, “but this will not hold up the new cars coming on line. It will just make the whole experience more enjoyable.”

Sophisticated tracking app to be on all bus routes by April 1 BY MARILYN BOWDEN

An upgrade to MDT Tracker – MiamiDade Transit’s smartphone application, sometimes called Bus Tracker – that gives commuters real-time information on the arrival of the next bus will be available on all 96 routes by April 1, said spokesperson Karla Damian. The app’s original version gave the scheduled time of arrival. It first became available for iPhones more than four years ago, and the Android version followed about a year later, Ms. Damian said. Together, the two apps are consulted by more than 5,000 unique users every day. After three years of planning and testing, the upgrade, which tracks weather, traffic and other conditions that might alter the time a bus arrives at a particular stop, went into effect on some heavily

traveled routes in August 2014, Ms. Damian said, and will be installed on all bus routes in about a month. “We rolled out the all-new Bus Tracker on 33 Metrobus routes this December, followed by 26 more routes in February,” she said. “The last 37 routes will be updated in March. That will make all 96 of our Metrobus routes real-timetrackable by April 1.” In addition to more accurate times of arrival at specific bus stops, the app provides station information such as connecting bus routes and places of interest near each station; helps users locate nearby Metrorail and Metromover stations and check the status of their elevator and escalator service; view MiamiDade Transit system maps; plan trips on transit via Google; find fare information, and submit comments and suggestions.

County to replace much of bus fleet, pg. 11 main green as a bus approaches. Plans One thing the Tracker can’t measure is why bus ridership in Miami-Dade fell 8.2% between May 2014 and May ’15, a rate exceeding national trends. During roughly the same time period – June ’14-June ’15 – the number of people using the upgraded app on one route nearly doubled, Ms. Damian said, but it’s hard to read anything into an increase in app usage. Next on the agenda is a plan to minimize delays. “We are integrating with Miami-Dade County’s traffic management system to give any out-of-schedule bus traffic signal priority,” Ms. Damian said. At eight intersections along Kendall Drive, traffic lights are synched with Transit’s tracking software so that they can re-

to synch other routes to the system are in the works. While the cost of the MDT Tracker project was covered through an earlier administration’s initiative to equip 125 buses with Wi-Fi, funding for real-time tracking for the rest of the fleet is part of a larger $17.7 million county project addressing infrastructure upgrades to its bus service. That project is partially financed through the voter-approved People’s Transportation Plan’s half-cent sales tax surtax, with about $2.3 million coming from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The MDT Tracker application is available for free download at http:// www.miamidade.gov/transit/transittracker-app.asp.

TRANSPORTATION

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Miami Beach rolls ahead to finish city-wide trolley system BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

As the City of Miami looks into expanding its popular free trolley system city-wide, Miami Beach is poised to add routes to complete its own city-wide trolley service. Like Miami, the City of Miami Beach is seeing its free rubbertired trolleys grow in popularity, and this year could be when the service extends to the entire city. The key will be the launch of two new routes for Mid-Beach. Milosh Majstorovic, city transportation operations supervisor, said the current plan calls for that to happen this summer. “Two Mid-Beach trolley routes – consisting of MidBeach Loop and Collins Link – are planned to roll out in summer 2016. The city is in the process of acquiring trolley vehicles that will serve the two routes,” Mr. Majstorovic said. The bus-like trolleys, designed to look like old vintage trolleys or streetcars, are more popular than ever. Last year, as Miami Beach officials announced their intention to expand the service, the manufacturer informed the city it was taking approximately nine months to deliver new full-sized trolley vehicles and they are being made on a first-come, first-serve basis. The City of Miami is dealing with its own delays in launching new routes while it waits for new trolleys. In the meantime, Miami will roll about 10 cutaway vans into the fleet of trolleys in order to begin three new routes March 1. Mr. Majstorovic said Miami Beach currently runs with a halfdozen trolleys on a daily basis: four trolleys are serving the

Photo by Toni Bogart

Use of the North Beach Loop has exploded, reaching 78,102 riders in January, said Milosh Majstorovic.

North Beach Loop and two are serving the Alton-West Loop. While the Alton-West Loop continues to see steady numbers with about 1,100 riders each day, ridership on the North Beach Loop has exploded, according to Mr. Majstorovic. In January 2015, ridership on the North Beach Loop totaled 52,278, and that number grew to 78,102 in January of this year, Mr. Majstorovic said. That represents an increase in riders of nearly 50%, he said. The Alton-West Loop carried about 32,994 passengers last month. For Miami Beach’s transportation department, the goal remains a city-wide trolley service. “Launch of the Middle Beach trolley will establish a city-wide

‘The city is currently working with MiamiDade Transit to replace the South Beach Local with a South Beach Trolley service in the near future in order to establish an interconnected citywide trolley system in Miami Beach.’ Milosh Majstorovic trolley/circulator system providing connectivity between North Beach and South Beach,” said Mr. Majstorovic. He noted that the current Alton-West Trolley is a tempo-

rary traffic mitigation strategy for the Alton Road Reconstruction Project, as well as other ongoing roadway and bridge construction projects along the West Avenue corridor. It was at an October 2014 meeting that the City of Miami Beach Commission directed the administration to evaluate the feasibility of adding a Middle Beach Trolley to the existing transit network, in order to connect to existing circulator routes and thus improve city-wide mobility. Continuing to cooperate with Miami-Dade County on transit solutions also remains a goal for Miami Beach officials. “The South Beach Local is operated by Miami-Dade Transit in partnership with the City of Miami Beach. The South Beach Local currently provides

circulator service in the South Beach area and will connect to the Mid-Beach Trolley Loop,” said Mr. Majstorovic. “The city is currently working with Miami-Dade Transit to replace the South Beach Local service with a South Beach Trolley service in the near future in order to establish an interconnected city-wide trolley system in Miami Beach,” he said. The Miami-Dade Transit Department was said to be initially concerned at the trolley proposal for fear that trolley service would duplicate county bus service and take passengers away from county buses. However, Miami Beach officials said the county warmed to the idea after it surveyed riders and concluded that the trolleys, which would only operate in Miami Beach, would not duplicate county bus routes, which offer regional service and cater mostly to passengers traveling through Miami Beach to other destinations. Current hours of operation for the Miami Beach trolleys are 8 a.m. to midnight. Proposed hours of operation of the Middle Beach Loop are 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. Mr. Majstorovic said with addition of two Mid-Beach routes, service hours will be modified on all trolley routes city-wide. Passengers would continue to ride free on all routes. Miami Beach has the project’s full $11.8 million operations budget built into its 2015-2016 overall budget, to be funded by resort taxes, parking surplus funds and its share of the Miami-Dade County half percent transportation surtax.

Three municipalities look at deal for one-seat trolley rides BY CATHERINE LACKNER

Three small municipalities north of Miami Beach have each initiated a trolley service; now they may consider linking the systems so residents and visitors can have a one-seat ride to far-flung destinations around Miami and Miami Beach. “We’ve had a circulator ever since CITT launched that revenue stream,” said Daniel Dietch, mayor of the Town of Surfside, referring to the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, which administers the half-penny sales tax voters ap- Daniel Dietch proved in 2002. As part of the tax, 20% of monies raised goes back to municipalities to fund transportation improvements. An early iteration of a shuttle service withered for lack of organization, but the town launched another connector service last summer that has been wellreceived. “We found a contractor who would maintain it and we can hold him accountable for keeping to the schedule,” Mr. Dietch said. The shuttle costs less than $100,000 per year and is fully funded through CITT monies, he added. Surfside residents can transfer from

their shuttle to trolley systems run by the Village of Bal Harbour and the Town of Bay Harbor Islands to reach destinations including the Sunny Isles library, Aventura, and the large shopping center on Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 123rd Street in Miami. “A previous town commission came up with the idea to collaborate with our neighbors but was not able to bring it to fruition,” Mr. Dietch said. “I’m an idea person, so if it’s good for Surfside I get behind it.” Surfside proposed creating an interlocal agreement between the jurisdictions and calling in Florida International University’s Lehman Center for Transportation Research to study unifying the service. Bal Harbour approved the measure Jan. 26; town officials in Bay Harbor Islands are scheduled to vote on it March 2. “It was agreed that, while the existing shuttle service offered by Bal Harbour Village, the Town of Surfside and the Town of Bay Harbor Islands was functional and adequate, there was also room for improvement,” said a memo by Jorge M. Gonzalez, Bal Harbour village Jorge Gonzalez manager. “The unified approach could also afford the ability to create one agreement with a qualified

service provider while obtaining economy of scale to reduce cost and eliminate redundancy while streamlining the administration of the shuttle service provided by the three municipalities.” “We think it could be a wonderful network and a tremendous benefit for all three cities,” Mr. Dietch said, adding that tourists as well as residents could benefit. If the systems were combined, there would have to be some re-branding and some discussion as to how to split up expenses, but that would pale before the advantages, he said. “We’re just trying to give people options, and this is a low-cost option that has a high impact.” “We wanted to do as much as possible with our surrounding neighbors, given that they are small, like us, so there’s a lot of synergy,” said Duncan Tavares, Surfside’s director of tourism, economic development and community services. “I took upon myself Duncan Tavares to ride all three services and look at their schedules,” he said. While it is easy to leave one system and get onto another, the advantages of combining them seem clear, he added. “Some people might feel that the shuttle bus is only for their residents, but we

are trying to break down barriers. This is for everyone, and it’s free, which is amazing. Our first objective is to try to figure out how everything connects so we can have one coordinated system.” If Bay Harbor Islands agrees to study the matter, the three cities may have to evaluate their routes and other factors not presently known, he said. “There are pluses and minuses. But maybe we are a little closer to fully embracing people not using cars. It’s a great opportunity and has been a great collaborative effort.” If the three cities create a unified service, it could lead to linkages with nearby municipalities, including Miami Beach, Indian Creek and Sunny Isles Beach. But uniting the neighboring towns is a first step, Mr. Tavares said. “We have to walk before we can run.” It’s a little-known fact, but the Town of Bay Harbor Islands has had a shuttle service for more than 40 years, said JC Gimenez, the town’s assistant city manager. “Ridership has increased recently; we have about 100 boardings daily,” though that changes with the season and other variables, he said. He would not speculate on how the March 2 vote will go. “It depends on the will of the council,” Mr. Gimenez said. But if the measure is approved, “it will allow us to have an independent party study the issue, and if there’s a way to increase efficiencies, so be it.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

TRANSPORTATION

MIAMI TODAY

To get signage rolling, engineers hunt underground utilities B Y CATHERINE L ACKNER

Directors of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously last week to hire the Gannett Fleming engineering firm and its consultant, JRA Inc., to identify underground utilities, a major step toward launching a stalled signage and wayfinding system that has been on the drawing boards since 2009. They allocated up to $300,000 for the field investigation. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has promised $1 million, an offer that is good through June; the downtown authority had earmarked $500,000. But the state transportation agency won’t hand over its money until the underground utility con-

nections are identified, and it has fallen on the downtown agency to do that. “This has become a sticking point with FDOT,” said Alyce Robertson, authority executive director. “The hope is that this will result in cost savings,” said board member Jerome Hollo, who is vice president of Florida East Coast Realty and chair of the authority’s Urban Design and Transportation Committee. Because this preliminary work will have been done, it’s one less thing the contractor will have to do, authority sources have said. There had been some confusion over whether the City of Miami or the authority was responsible for obtaining underground utility clearances. “We need utility clearance before we

put 243 holes in the ground,” said Eric Riel, leader of the authority’s planning, design and transportation team, referring to the number of signs that will comprise the network, when the controversy first arose. The Omni and Southeast Overtown/ Park West community redevelopment agencies have both given soft commitments to help with the funding, Ms. Robertson has said. The wayfinding system aims to unify a maze of more than 2,000 signs downtown and make it easier for visitors to find their way around. It will extend from the Brickell area to the Adrienne Arsht Center. It will include gateway signs for city entrances and various districts; direc-

tional signs to landmarks, attractions and parking; informational kiosks with “you are here” maps; and pedestrian and bicycle trail signs, all with a consistent visual theme. Part of the project seeks to limit the jumble of private advertising signs, including those on pay telephones and newspaper boxes. It’s a particular problem where sidewalks are narrow and pedestrians have to step out into the street to avoid an obstacle, authority directors have said. After the physical signs are installed, the downtown agency plans to move into electronic media, using smartphone applications to direct drivers to public or private parking and to help them get around the city.

Venetian Causeway reopens Monday, but more work vital BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

The Venetian Causeway, a vital artery connecting Miami Beach to the mainland, is ready to reopen after several months of repairs sent motorists and cyclists to two other busy routes. Reopening is due Feb. 29, weather permitting. “We are very excited about the reopening of the West Venetian Bascule Bridge,” said Karla Damian, media and public relations officer with MiamiDade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works. County officials hope to have a ribbon-cutting to mark the reopening, she said. The 12-bridge causeway, built in 1926, wends its way through a cluster of 11 man-made residential islands. Ten fixed bridges and two bascule bridges make up the causeway. It’s Florida’s oldest causeway. Some of its historic characteristics include the arched form of the superstructure, the railings and the light poles. The West Venetian Bascule Bridge Rehabilitation Project replaced the causeway’s westernmost portion by removing 730 feet 9 inches of the structure, disposing of it in an artificial reef and replacing it with a new bridge. During construction the causeway was closed to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Because there’s been no access to the Venetian Causeway from the mainland, travelers to Miami Beach and the Venetian

Photo by Maxine Usdan

After the Venetian Causeway’s west end reopens, work on the rest can begin, but no earlier than 2020.

islands from mainland Miami used the MacArthur Causeway (I-395) or the Julia Tuttle Causeway (I-195). During construction, the East Venetian Bascule Bridge was closed to boats to ensure that cars could access and depart from the Venetian Causeway during emergency reconstruction of the West Venetian Bascule Bridge. County officials say weight limits on the Venetian Causeway have been lowered from 15 tons to 11 on all bridges except the easternmost bridge that connects Belle Isle to Miami Beach. The weight limit on that bridge was increased to 16 tons. The county hired GLF Con-

struction Corp. to replace the affected segment of the western bridge. Actual closure began June 1, 2015, and was expected to last up to nine months. The estimated cost for demolition and replacement of this segment is $12.4 million. The work is projected to add 60 years to the life of the bridge. With the western end repaired, what’s the next step to maintain the causeway? The Florida Department of Transportation is doing a Project Development and Environment study that’s to be done in July 2017, said Ms. Damian. This study makes the future bridge rehabilitation and replacement eligible for federal funds,

she said. After the study, design would begin in earnest. That would take two years for needed permitting, historic coordination, public involvement efforts and so on. After the designing, if construction money were available the state would advertise and procure a design/build contract, Ms. Damian said. Because federal and quite possibly state funds will be involved, a local agency participation agreement would be needed and the Florida Department of Transportation would have to sign off on it, she said. That process will probably take a year. If construction money is

available, county officials anticipate the earliest start would be in July 2020. The total cost isn’t known because whether to rehabilitate or replace the structure would be decided after the study. The replacement option could cost around $100 million, said Ms. Damian. In the interim, she said, the bridges need significant maintenance such as rehabilitation of the east bascule bridge’s mechanical/electrical systems, currently under design, as well as significant structural repairs to 11 of the 12 bridges. Miami-Dade County has jurisdiction over the causeway but the state is doing the study because the state could facilitate federal funding for causeway construction. Meetings were held in May 2015 with Venetian islands residents who rely on the causeway to determine their preference for improving the aging causeway: do nothing other than routine maintenance, rehabilitate the bridges, or replace all or parts of the bridges, according to state officials. Replacement ranked first with 16 votes; rehabilitation second with nine votes. There were no votes for the no-build alternatives, said a newsletter from the state transportation department. In 1989, the Venetian Causeway was included on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, the cities of Miami Beach and Miami have designated the causeway as a local historic landmark.

Downtown hires teams to make its streets pedestrian friendly BY CATHERINE LACKNER

In recognition of a national movement called Complete Streets, Miami’s Downtown Development Authority will investigate rolling out the concept on Southeast and Southwest First Street between Biscayne Boulevard and Southwest Second Avenue. Directors voted last week to allocate about $55,000 to Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates and about $20,000 to Caltran Engineering Group for the pair to develop a plan to make the street more pedestrian-friendly. The study will include a traffic analysis and development

of a design concept, according to an authority document. “The project is being undertaken by Miami DDA to objectively evaluate possible improvements to the First Street corridor to increase multimodal safety, operations and connectivity, utilizing a Complete Streets and context-sensitive approach,” the document said. “The analysis will include traffic modifications for each of the six blocks as they relate to turning movements, parking and loading, bicycle accommodation, lane reduction, pedestrian crossings and enhance pedestrian signalization.” Complete Streets, a program backed

by the National Association of City Transportation Officials and other groups, is a philosophy that puts the pedestrian first, said another document. “Our streets should work for everyone, of all ages and abilities, regardless of how they travel.” In April 2014, the Miami-Dade County Commission unanimously created a Downtown Pedestrian Priority Zone. Last April, the downtown authority and the county hosted a half-day forum on how to implement the Complete Streets initiative. More than 100 transportation officials attended. “As a follow-up to this event, Miami DDA is engaging a consulting team to

plan, design, and set the stage to implement the Southeast/Southwest First Street corridor according to Complete Street design principles,” an authority document noted. The plan will also lay out short- and long-term actions to be taken. For too long, road planners have regarded vehicles as having a higher priority than “non-auto units,” or people, said board member Jerome Hollo, who is vice president of Florida East Coast Realty and chair of the authority’s Urban Design and Transportation Committee. “This is our attempt on this well-traveled road. The county has committed to do the work, but we have to do the research.”

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

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