Miami Today: Week of Thursday, January 5, 2017

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00

LATEST NEWS

Miami International Airport soars toward a record, pg. 3 PAYING FOR TRANSITWAY: The Florida Department of Transportation is paying $1 million toward the $15.9 million cost of running buses that have about 12,500 boardings each weekday along the 19.8-mile South Dade Transitway from the Dadeland South Metrorail Station alone US 1 to Southwest 344th Street. Miami-Dade commissioners in December accepted the money via an agreement with the state under the State Transit Corridor Program, which is designed to relieve congestion and improve capacity within a transportation corridor by increasing carrying capacity by using high-occupancy conveyances. The county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works budget funds the balance of the cost, $14.9 million a year. The buses collectively take in about $2 million a year in fares.

Thousands fly here to train as professional pilots, pg. 7

The Achiever

By Camila Cepero

BEACH CHAMBER TO TOUR JAPAN: The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce is headed to Japan from March 17-26, taking guests on a tour through “bucket list” destinations Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Kyoto. Tour packages start at $5,080 and include lodging, most meals and tours. For $5,980 the package includes international flights. Details: Rebecca Fletcher, rebecca@miamibeachchamber.com MIA’S HUDDLED MASSES: Passengers arriving on nearly 40 international flights at Miami International Airport on Monday evening were delayed several hours during a nationwide Customs and Border Protection (CBP) computer outage. MIA staff provided fans and bottled water to passengers while they waited to be processed, said Greg Chin, Aviation Department communications director. “We estimate more than 2,000 passengers missed their connections and were stranded overnight in Miami. MIA opened its Concourse D auditorium for passengers who needed to spend the night at the airport. CBP has had sporadic computer outages in recent years, but never for this extended amount of time,” he told Miami Today on Tuesday. CBP released a statement Monday night, saying a temporary outage with processing systems at various airports began at 5 p.m. Jan. 2, ending at about 9 p.m. All airports are currently online. “During the technology disruption, CBP had access to national security-related databases and all travelers were screened according to security standards. At this time, there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature.” GAS ON THE RISE: Miami’s average retail gas price of $2.46 per gallon to start this week was 7 cents higher than the start of last week, 21.6 cents higher than a month ago and 36.1 cents a gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy price tracking service. AAA also noted that the gasoline tax in Florida rose by less than one cent a gallon to start this year.

Jorge Zamanillo

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Prepares to step in as CEO of HistoryMiami Museum The profile is on Page 4

150 touch screen kiosks tied to free transit WiFi From 150 to 300 interactive touch screen kiosks with free WiFi, informational alerts and video surveillance cameras could soon be operating at Miami-Dade County facilities including Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami. County commissioners are being asked to approve a contract that would have a Massachusetts company install and run the kiosks at no cost to the county, which would get a rising share of gross revenue from kiosk advertising. The proposed deal with CIVIQ Smartscapes LLC has already cleared the county’s Transit and Mobility Services Committee but was bounced off the commission agenda in late December because it was brought up too late. In addition to the kiosks, the company would provide 1,099 WiFi devices with free service on all Metrobus, Metrorail and Metrorail vehicles and 51 devices to provide free WiFi at all Metromover and Metrorail stations. The kiosk equipment, said Alice Bravo, county transit and public works director, will include transit routes, interactive transit schedules and the ability to tap a button and call in. Free WiFi, she said, will extend 200

Agenda

State to test carpooling digital apps

feet from each kiosk. The 15-year deal with two five-year renewal options would save the county $2.1 million in cellular charges plus $6 million in the first 15 years, Deputy Mayor Edward Marquez wrote to commissioners, plus a sliding scale of revenue sharing. The county would get 3% of revenues the first six years, 4% the second six, then 5% through the 17th year. The measure asks commissioners to waive the county prohibition on advertising of alcohol. The memo says that the ban is already waived on buses, Metromover, Metrorail, and bus benches and shelters. The memo says CIVIQ’s initial investment would be $20 million. The company is based in Milford, MA. The county lists John Anselmi as principal, though a June announcement listed him as joining CIVIQ as chief financial officer. County commissioners, mindful of past transit communication deals gone awry, questioned transit officials at the Transit and Mobility Services Committee about details of the contract. Their main concern seemed to be whether the county would have to repay CIVIQ for its capital investment if either the company

pulls out or the county cancels the contract for failure to perform. They were assured repeatedly that if the company leaves voluntarily the county will not be forced to buy the equipment, but may do so. How long would it take to get the free WiFi operating on buses? Commissioner Dennis Moss asked. He was assured that most buses would have it within six months of a final deal. After hearing the details, Mr. Moss asked transit officials, “We constantly go through this… Dennis Moss Is this a realistic plan or pie in the sky? Are you comfortable with the business terms of this particular deal?” He was told the deal is solid. Commissioners Barbara Jordan, Bruno Barreiro and Jose “Pepe” Diaz asked about upgrades and were told the company is responsible for upgrading at its cost the electronics on the kiosks every six years. “I hope it works,” said committee chair and new commission chair Esteban Bovo Jr. “It should work, and that’s where everything is evolving.”

Over a year since the end of the Florida Department of Transportation’s 826/836 Carpool Incentive Program, the state has yet to announce new traffic mitigation programs – and it doesn’t plan on launching an incentive program of that magnitude for a while. Instead, the state looks forward to launching pilot tests this year for a ride-sharing application that will match drivers up with others travelling the same commute to promote carpooling. Using GPS technology, the application will match potential carpoolers by tracking the direction of separate drivers, said Jim Udvardy of South Florida Commuter Services. The department declined to comment further until pilot testing begins early this year. Though the large-scale 826/836 incentive program was unique and a first for the department, the state is looking forward to other programs, though it is comfortably unsure of when it will launch an incentive program of that magnitude again. The objective of the carpool incentive program was to ease traffic congestion by promoting ride sharing during the construction of new connections between the Dolphin and Palmetto expressways, also known as state roads 836 and 826. “It was the first large incentive program offered through Commuter Services,” Mr. Udvardy said. In 2015, the program paid commuters $325,000 in federal funds allocated to the overall 826/836 construction mitigation plan. When the program started in March 2012, the department was offering $25, $50 and $75 per person for two-, three- and fourperson carpools. However, there wasn’t enough initial interest, so the department doubled the payout rates to encourage people to consider it, he said. The state currently is not looking at creating such a program, Mr. Udvardy said, adding that programs in the near future won’t have a component involving “paying people directly.”

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY, JOBS SLIDE AFTER LONG BOOM ...

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GRANT TARGETS BUSINESS, DINING NEAR ARSHT CENTER ...

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EXPERTS CONVENE TO ENVISION FUTURE OF PEDIATRICS ...

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WITH 3,296 MORE HOTEL ROOMS RISING, BUSINESS SLIDES ...

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VIEWPOINT: TURN OUR TOO-FAMILIAR ISSUES INTO ACTION ...

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VIRGINIA KEY MARINA PLANS PUT UNDER A MICROSCOPE ...

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IN FINAL DAY, PROSPERITY COUNCIL TALLIES SUCCESSES ...

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COUNTY’S OFFICE RENTS CLIMB AS VACANCIES TIGHTEN ...


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