WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00
TRANSPORTATION
As air traffic grows rapidly, big push to handle it, pg. 13 DESTINATION DENVER: A delegation of 51 Miami business, political and community leaders is to meet peers in Colorado this week for a first-hand examination of how the Denver-area public transportation agency is creating a comprehensive mass transit system. The two-day summit provides an opportunity for MiamiDade to learn how the transportation agency that oversees public transportation for eight Colorado counties is executing its FasTracks project that will include 31 park-and-ride facilities, enhanced bus service, 122 miles of commuter and light rail service, 18 miles of bus rapid transit service and 21,000 new parking spaces at light rail and bus stations. The program includes detailed briefings on Denver’s FasTracks, its publicprivate partnership financing method and tours of some major projects. Upon their return, delegates aim to apply lessons in Miami-Dade so local mass transit projects under consideration can move forward.
826-836 interchange to handle flow normally this year, pg. 16
THE ACHIEVER
BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR
HOMES NEAR TRANSIT: The way has been cleared for a developer with plans to build a large mixed-use residential project about a block from Metrorail’s Douglas Road Station. Miami commissioners gave final approval to ordinances that changed the land use for 3650 Bird Road from light industrial to restricted commercial and rezoned the site to “urban core transect zone open.” The triangular property is bordered by Douglas Road (Southwest 37th Avenue) and the Metrorail, just north of US 1, and is home to an auto dealership. Morgan Group plans 359 residential units in two 18-story towers, ground floor retail and a garage to park about 646 vehicles. Documents on file with the city show the project’s tentative name is Pearl at Douglas. DEGREE IN DISASTER: Florida International University will offer a master’s degree in disaster management starting this fall. The Professional Masters in Disaster Management is the first of its kind in the state, and is designed to prepare a new fleet of emergency management and humanitarian assistance leaders. The degree will be offered through the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. MLB ALL-STAR GAME: Major League Baseball’s All-Star game is to take place at the Marlins Park in July 2017. With the looming construction of a soccer stadium next door, Miami Today reached out to MLB to find out if the proposed stadium would affect the league’s event. “We will discuss the timetable for construction and all the relevant details with the Marlins,” the league responded.
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Helio Vitor Ramos Filho
Helping forge Brazil’s business ties to South Florida The profile is on Page 4
Beach ready to seek proposals to build Bay Link BY CARLA V IANNA
County works to unify Bay Link projects, pg. 3 Bay Link across the causeway are far
The City of Miami Beach is on track with its portion of the Beach Corridor Transit Connection Project, known as Bay Link, a rail network that was essentially split into three parts in May. The three parts include one rail line within the city limits of Miami Beach, another within the city limits of Miami, and a final piece running across the MacArthur Causeway to connect the two lines. Mayor Philip Levine said Miami Beach has received an unsolicited proposal from Alstom, a global French company that supplies a variety of rail products that he visited in July. The next step, Mayor Levine said, is to request proposals to allow additional bidders to come forward. “That could be 60 to 90 days to allow others to come forward,” Mayor Levine said. “Then, we’ll hopefully move forward.” The city is looking for a cable-less rail service that will be powered via the tracks it runs on. The portion of the rail line within Miami Beach will cost an estimated $150 million, he said, which will most likely be funded
through a public-private partnership. Per the agreement that the committee spearheading the project came to in May, each city will launch its own, independent environmental study. The study each city conducts must comply with federal and state guidelines to keep the project in the running for federal funds once the three parts merge into one. Miami Beach will begin its study, which should take about a year, once a provider is chosen, Mayor Levine said. The breakaway from the original project aims to free the two cities from what could be a five-year-long federal environmental impact analysis that could cost up to $10 million, which is required for the portion of the system connecting the two rail lines via the causeway. Mayor Levine said Miami Beach continues to secure funds for that environmental study, in which Miami-Dade County and the cities of Miami and Miami Beach would each bear a cost of about $417,000 at the most, Miami Today reported in March. “The problem is the environmentals, the federal regulations and the hurdles for the
AGENDA
8% bus use drop points to upgrades
greater in duration and complexity than for us to do our own within our cities,” Mayor Levine said. The proposed Miami-Miami Beach light rail link is estimated to cost $532 million in capital expenses and $22 million for annual operations and maintenance, both in 2014 dollars, Miami Today reported. Florida Department of Transportation officials warned the Project Executive Committee, which votes on Bay Link decisions, that splitting the project into three chunks could jeopardize federal funds. In the meantime, the state transportation department is to work with federal officials to make sure they understand that the project’s pieces are to eventually merge. The committee is comprised of MiamiDade Mayor Carlos Gimenez; Miami-Dade Commissioners Xavier Suarez and Bruno Barreiro, both of whom are also members of the Metropolitan Planning Organization; Mayor Levine; and Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado. “We are prepared to continue to move forward,” Mayor Levin said, “as a partner with county and the City of Miami.”
County bus ridership is falling rapidly, a trend Miami-Dade Transit officials say they plan to reverse by making the system clean, safe and reliable. In May, weekday and weekend Metrobus boardings totaled 5,874,383, down 8.2% from May 2014. This drop tracks national trends, said Karla Damian, Miami-Dade Transit public information officer. The American Public Transportation Association’s transit ridership report for the first quarter of 2015 shows that total bus ridership dipped 1.78% nationwide. In our world-class city the transportation system must be dependable for all, said Alice Bravo, county transit director. “It’s a quality of life issue so we want to make sure we provide a high livability for the community,” she told Miami Today this week. To that end, she said her department will analyze bus service and take remedial measures, including sending surveys to learn why people aren’t riding, streamlining routes, focusing on maintenance and possibly adding shelters and sidewalks. Additionally, Ms. Bravo cited new buses en route. The system received 35 in December and is to get 43 more in a few months. State and federal grants helped upgrade the fleet. “At the end of the day, the only way to eliminate traffic congestion is for people to use public transportation,” she said. “We have a great bus system and it could work for a lot of people.” It’s possible, she said, some residents don’t know about it. “I’d like to get some testimonials out there so others can hear about those who use the bus, have been able to get rid of their cars and are seeing substantial savings.” County bus ridership has fallen for a number of reasons, Ms. Bravo said, including people using new free trolley options that cities and towns are offering.
TANGLE OF OBSTACLES BARS MIAMI CIRCLE PARKING ...
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CITIZENS’ INSURANCE RATES GOING TO RISE IN MIAMI ...
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STATE AIMS FOR I-395 CONSTRUCTION PACT THIS YEAR ...
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FUNDING STILL A STRUGGLE AT MIAMI DADE COLLEGE ...
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VIEWPOINT: WE CHEAT OURSELVES BY BEING CHEAP ...
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STRONG DOLLAR HAS LITTLE IMPACT ON OUR TOURISM ...
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SOUR LOOKS GREET PLAN FOR 700 MIDTOWN RENTALS ...
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COUNTY ADDS 27,900 JOBS, GROWS AHEAD OF US PACE ... 22