Miami Today: Week of Thursday, December 21, 2017

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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DOWNTOWN AUTHORITY MOVES TO HAVE ALL CENTER CITY POWER LINES BURIED, pg. 17 BOMB DETECTION AT AIRPORT: A new 60,000-square-foot building at Miami International Airport will accommodate a federally required electronic detection system to detect explosives in baggage for the airport’s south and central terminals.

County commissioners approved on a 12-0 vote an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation under which the transportation department will send the county half the cost of the $24-million-plus building as part of the $38-million-plus project. The federal department is to add $6.725 million over the next three years. The county Aviation Department is to provide $19.4 million of the cost. The system will serve the airport’s concourses F, G, H and J.

The Achiever

By John Charles Robbins

CALLING ALL CONTRACTORS: The City of Coral Gables, which received county approval in July 2016 to lower the posted speed limit to 25 miles per hour on residential local roads the city maintains, is still in the process of finding a contractor to install 158 signs at all city entrances after seeking bidders Nov. 2., “We have not awarded a contract yet,” said Jessica Keller, assistant public works director for the city. “We put out an advertisement of solicitation on Nov. 2. We are hoping to award a contract soon and are looking forward to installing the 25 miles per hour signs sometime early next year.”

PARKING APP POPULARITY: The Miami Parking Authority reports continued big numbers for use of online service PayByPhone to pay for parking.

Authority COO Alejandra Argudin told the city’s Off-Street Parking Board that for the past three months an average of 80% of all on-street revenue came from PayByPhone use. The agency had set a goal of 80% use by October 2017 but that level was reached in July. Fueling use and new customers is the authority taking control of parking at several Miami-Dade County parks, and some city parks. Ms. Argudin said the new goal is to see usage grow beyond 80% by February.

PARKS GROUP STILL SHORT: The Parks and Recreation Citizens Advisory Committee, which enables local citizens to make recommendations to improve and promote parks and programs in Miami-Dade, is still looking to fill 10 of 26 of its county commission-appointed seats after the commission agreed to continue the committee eight months ago. “The county commissionappointed seats have not been filled yet,” said Victoria Galan, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department.

“It takes time to find someone who is interested in filling the position. Right now because of the holiday season it is a little slower than normal but we are hoping to fill the county commission-appointed seats soon.”

Burç Ceylan

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Consul general spearheads business growth for Turkey The profile is on Page 4

Amid playhouse intermission, garage shrinks

By John Charles Robbins

Historic preservationists may have won a partial victory with a Miami Parking Authority vow to shrink the height and scale of a garage planned in efforts to save the shuttered Coconut Grove Playhouse.

Beyond that, it appears preservationists fighting to save the entire structure – including the 1,100-seat auditorium – have found powerful allies at the city and county level.

The Miami City Commission voted 3-2 Dec. 14 to pass Ken Russell’s motion to give a third party 100 days to come up with enough cash to build two theaters at the site on Main Highway.

The state-owned theater is leased to MiamiDade County and Florida International University; the lease calls for site restoration and a modern 300-seat theater run by GableStage.

Attorney and arts supporter Mike Eidson is pushing for two theaters there, a 700-seat venue for major productions and a small companion theater. County Commissioner Xavier Suarez backs him and planned to offer a resolution this week to give him more time to raise funds.

Mr. Suarez proposed 90 days for private-

MiamiOKs micro units near transit

sector philanthropists headed by Mr. Eidson to secure the needed money.

The city’s parking agency has partnered with the county and is to build and run a municipal garage with residential units and a restaurant next door to the playhouse. The current plan for 421 spaces on five levels reaching about 65 feet has been criticized as out of scale for the site.

At the Dec. 14 meeting, Michael Spring, county cultural affairs director, said the garage height may be “adjusted down.” He said, “We’re hearing from the community the profile may be too tall.”

Authority CEO Art Noriega backed up those comments. He said the authority is in very preliminary talks with the architects to shorten the garage a couple of floors, providing about 325 to 350 spaces.

Mr. Russell’s motion came as the commission considered an appeal of the city historic preservation board’s April decision conditionally approving the county’s plan, which includes partial demolition to replace the auditorium.

Mr. Russell said his motion, made from the dais, was a partial acceptance of the appeal, with

Miami city commissioners have altered the zoning code to encourage affordable housing development, voting to allow micro-sized residential units near transit hubs.

The ordinance was sponsored by Francis Suarez, former commissioner and newly-elected mayor, who said it will give developers flexibility to be creative in housing and build projects with smaller units. He spoke Dec. 14 of the critical need for housing at affordable rates and thanked Vice Chairman Ken Russell for co-sponsoring the change.

The change supports “a shifting demographic of single-person households with a preference for smaller living spaces,” the ordinance reads.

It allows “micro dwelling units” within Transit Oriented Development (TOD) areas by reducing minimum unit size from 400 square feet to 275 and reducing parking required from 1.5 spaces per unit to 1.

City development regulations encourage high-density residential developments and redevelopments near Metrorail and Metromover stations, and projects with micro dwellings would be limited to those areas.

The ordinance says the city recognizes growing demand for accessible housing options, including micro dwellings, incorporated in urban center and urban core TOD areas where there is significantly less reliance on automobiles and enhanced use of bicycle and transit facilities, which connect to workplaces and other services.

Micro dwellings allow developers to fit more units into the same area, increasing housing without the need for larger developments, the legislation says.

Mr. Russell thanked the new mayor for sharing a concern that the latest change doesn’t drive up costs per square foot. He said he was pleased to learn the planning department has several good ideas to in the future tie density to affordability.

conditions. What exactly that means is not clear.

He said he didn’t want to send the matter back to the preservation board and wanted to move the ball forward, yet the city’s decision stalls forward movement of the county’s plan for at least three months.

Mr. Russell tried to fashion a motion to spare the entire building from the wrecking ball. “What happened inside the building matters,” he said, noting he has toured the cavernous structure and found handwritten sheet music, a sequined dress and other evidence of the theater’s rich past.

“The history is there. If it can be saved, it should be,” he said.

Mr. Spring responded that to order the county to keep the full auditorium shell “condemns us to spend a lot of money for a theater that still won’t work.”

The theater has sat deteriorating since it closed in financial distress in 2006.

The county has $20 million in approved borrowing to revive the theater. Mr. Eidson’s plan has an estimated $45 million cost.

Mr. Russell hopes to secure about $10 mil- Carollo suggests city authority lion to devote to the playhouse from a bond to develop affordable housing, pg. 2 issue city voters approved in November.

CITY ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PLANS DEFERRED MONTHS ...

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RANSOM EVERGLADES EXPANSION CLEARS A BARRIER ...

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UM IS FARMING MAHI MAHI, BUT NOT COMMERCIALLY ...

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CHARTER FIGHT VOWED OVER BARRIER TO CITYHOOD ...

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VIEWPOINT: CONNECTIVITY A KEY FOR NEXT ECONOMY ...

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COUNTY LOOKS TO CIRCULATOR BUSES EVERYWHERE ...

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CHAMBER PACT WITH CHINESE CITY MAY MEAN A VISIT ...

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SIGNAL TECHNOLOGY TO SPEED TRANSITWAY’S BUSES ...

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

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UM learns to grow mahi mahi, commercial farming elusive

By Katya Maruri

The University of Miami’s aquaculture program and hatchery on Virginia Key, which is capable of supporting a wide range of research projects concurrently, has successfully found a way to grow large amounts of mahi mahi in a short time but is still looking for a sustainable way to commercially farm the aggressive fish species.

“We have reached the technological level of easily producing mahi mahi within the span of three months,” said Daniel Benetti, professor and director of Aquaculture at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. “However, the next phase, which would be considered the commercial phase, is not quite there yet.”

One reason, he said, is the aggressiveness of the species.

“Mahi Mahi are not domesticated fish,” he said, “In principle they are not evolved to be cultured.

However, we are working with the New York-based company Aqquua LLC to bring our technology to commercialization with

University’s aquaculture program can produce mahi mahi in three months but they’re not market ready.

olive or Japanese flounder, mahi, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, in collaboration with the InterAmerican Tropical Tuna Commission and, also with support from NOAA, on red snapper, Nassau

grouper and hogfish.”

“Our work with cobia,” he said “continues with funding from a research agreement with Open Blue Sea Farms, a Panama-based commercial fish farm.”

As for current possibilities regarding mahi mahi, he said, “we have found a lot of success in growing the fish to canning and plate sizes instead of growing them to full size, which ranges

between 6 to 8 pounds.”

The reason, he told Miami Today, is that “the larger the fish grows, the higher the mortality rates are, so for now we have been growing the mahi at smaller sizes, which allows for individuals to completely consume the fish instead of just eating the fillet and throwing out the rest of the fish.”

Overall, Mr. Benetti, said, “we have mastered the technology needed to spawn and raise tens of thousands of juvenile mahi mahi, however raising them to commercial size has been our main challenge.”

“Aquaculture is not just about raising fish for food consumption,” he said. “It is also about sustaining and conserving fish species, which we hope to continue doing with the mahi and the other fish species within the aquaculture program and hatchery.”

“At the end of the day,” he told Miami Today, “it is all about conserving and sustaining these species as much as possible, while educating the public about the facts and benefits of aquaculture.”

Grocery chain, parks department may help market Zoo Doo

By Katya Maruri

Zoo Miami’s animal and plant waste composting project commonly referred to as “Zoo Doo” faced a setback in sales so far this year as a result of Hurricane Irma shutting down the zoo for 37 days.

However, Zoo Miami director Carol Kruse anticipates for Zoo Doo sales to pick back up next year with the help of two potential partnerships within the community that are currently in the works.

“Hurricane Irma set us back a couple of months after being closed for 37 days,” Ms. Kruse Photo by Katya Maruri Zoo Miami is focusing on generating sales for its compost, Zoo Doo. said, “During that time our staff

was focused on getting the Zoo back up and running instead of generating sales for Zoo Doo.” However, she said, “We did use the compost generated through Zoo Doo for the grounds during the cleanup and rehabilitation process of the zoo after Hurricane Irma and are currently working on potential partnerships within the community to help boost Zoo Doo sales.”

One of those potential partnerships includes working with a local grocery store chain, according to Ms. Kruse.

“A local grocery store chain in Kendall has expressed interest in

working with us to promote Zoo Doo,” Ms. Kruse told Miami Today. “However, nothing is set in stone yet. There are still things that need to be worked out.”

As for other groups that are interested in working with the zoo and utilizing Zoo Doo, she said, “We are working with the parks and recreation department to provide Zoo Doo this spring for a community garden project.”

“Our goal moving forward,” she said, “is to really focus on generating sales as much as possible now that planting season is around the corner and are hopeful that sales will pick back up with time.”

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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

Connectivity key in building our next generation economy Amazon’s announcement that the company will build a second headquarters in North America led to almost every major city across the US scrambling to put together the best package possible to convince the online behemoth that their Osmay Torres city is the right fit for the aptly named Amazon HQ2.

Amazon’s request for proposal (RFP) laid out several “paramount” prerequisites for any city hoping to land HQ2. These include a population of over 1 million, proximity to an international airport, quality institutions of higher education, a business-friendly environment, as well as access to “optimal” cellular phone service and fiber connectivity. On Oct. 19, Miami along with 238 other cities and regions submitted a proposal for HQ2. The location of HQ2 is expected to be announced in early 2018.

For anyone familiar with the RFP process, what Amazon laid out as far as requirements for HQ2 is standard, but the specific requirement of “optimal fiber connectivity” and first-rate cell service is something that is rather nuanced – but only for now.

For those not familiar with the telecom infrastructure industry, “fiber” or fiber optic cables are the physical underground cables that serve as the lifeblood of the infrastructure that powers the wireless technology we all rely on daily.

Wireless connectivity has an incredible impact on our global business ecosystem.Access to the best available wireless technology and infrastructure is clearly no longer a luxury

The Writer

Osmay “Ozzie” Torres is a former naval officer and senior consultant at Magic Leap.

for businesses but an absolute requirement.

This shift to reliance on wireless puts cities like Miami, which are constantly trying to attract new businesses and retain existing business, in a thought-provoking position.

We are currently on the cusp of the next revolution of wireless technology known as 5G. Simply put, 5G is the next evolution wireless network that will allow for lightning fast connection speeds and four times greater capacity than our current standard, 4G. Each generation of wireless technology has delivered faster speeds and increased

functionality. 1G brought us our very first cell phones, 2G let us text for the first time (it’s difficult to remember a world without text), 3G brought us online, and 4G delivered the speeds that we all enjoy today.

However, with cell phones being part of everyday life, they are becoming affordable, resulting in lower costs and more users. This has led to 4G networks reaching the limits of what they are capable of at a time when we want even more data available at our fingertips from our smart phones and devices.

Why do we need to move quickly to 5G?

It will handle 1,000 times more traffic and be ten times faster than today’s 4G LTE network. What will it be like to download an HD movie in under a second? 5G will lay the foundation and enable the mass adoption of innovations such as Virtual Reality (VR), autonomous vehicles, the internet of things, and countless other future smart city applications.

However, to make 5G a reality in Miami, we must update our existing wireless infrastructure. This means more fiber and the robust deployment of next generation wireless small cells networks.

Small cells networks boost wireless coverage and network capacity by using a series of small “nodes,” connected by fiber, that work together with cell towers that are already in service. Small cells – as their name implies – are smaller and more discreet than traditional towers and are typically deployed on existing infrastructure like streetlights, utility poles and traffic lights.

These networks of nodes will serve as the backbone for 5G. By streamlining the deployment of next generation wireless infrastructure now, Miami has a unique opportunity to position itself to be at the forefront of the 5G line. Being amongst the first cities to truly be 5G capable could be the difference when the next giant economic engine is looking for a new home.

Before you know it, we are going to be seeing “5G capable” as part of RFPs, and it is imperative Miami be among the first to check that box.

Federal government nibbling away at Affordable Care Act After the annual enrollment for Obamacare insurance, the law itself and the people who have come to depend on it for health coverage will both face an uncertain future.

President Trump’s executive actions affect the complicated Trudy Lieberman insurance mechanics of the Affordable Care Act. This column will explain how those changes affect you.

Congress has tried but has not been able to “repeal and replace” the law that has brought health insurance to some 10 million Americans who buy insurance on the state shopping exchanges and about 10 million more who gained access through Medicaid expansion.

The failure of Congress to pass the “repeal and replace” legislation did not mean, though, that the law would remain intact.

In mid-October President Trump’s executive action hollowed out a big chunk of the ACA, throwing insurance marketplaces into a tizzy and possibly resulting in higher prices and less coverage for many. In the end, the president’s actions may succeed in gutting the law that has divided so many Americans.

To understand this, let’s take a step back.

Legislators who wrote the law knew that a big reason people did not buy health insurance was cost. Most middle-class families without employer coverage struggled to pay the premiums in the so-called individual

The Writer

Trudy Lieberman is a fellow at the Center for Advancing Health. Contact her at trudy.lieberman@gmail.com. market where they had to shop. Those at the bottom of the income ladder either qualified for Medicaid or did without insurance.

About 44 million Americans did not have insurance when the law took effect four years ago.

The ACA tried to make it easier to buy coverage, and Congress did that in two ways.

It required insurers to cover all people – sick or well – who applied for coverage in the individual market and offered two kinds of subsidies to help those with lower incomes.

One comes in the form of tax credits the government advances to shoppers who buy Obamacare – compliant policies that meet certain rules and regulations, such as offering 10 essential benefits. Prescription drug coverage is one.

Those subsidies are based on a family’s income and phase out when a family’s income exceeds 400% of the federal poverty level, or about $98,000 for a family of four and $48,000 for a single person. People with lower incomes receive the largest subsidies.

Those tax credit subsidies are not affected

by President Trump’s order.

The other subsidy is called a cost-sharing subsidy, sometimes referred to as a CSR and aimed at Americans whose incomes are at or below 250% of poverty, about $62,000 for a family of four and $30,000

for an individual. They reduce the amount of out-of-pocket spending for people who get them. Those who qualify pay less for the coinsurance, deductibles and copayments a policy may require.

These are the subsidies on the chopping block. The president said the government will not continue funding them, which means the government simply will not pay insurance companies for reducing the out-ofpocket costs to policyholders. Policyholders will still get the subsidies unless Congress changes the law. Insurers will have to swallow the losses, at least for now.

If you get those subsidies, you’re not off the hook, though. Insurance companies anticipated that the president would eliminate the subsidies and they increased their premiums for most or all Obamacare policies, including the silver plans, the ones people must buy to receive the extra help with cost sharing.

The Congressional Budget Office projected that premiums before the tax credits are applied would increase on average by about 20%. In some states, average rate increases have been much higher.

So who will be hurt the most by the Trump administration’s latest move, which some experts argue undermines the stability of the health law?

Insurance companies have already prepared for this and have cushioned the blow to them by charging higher premiums to everyone who buys in the individual market.

People with incomes under 400% of the poverty line will still receive their tax credits, which will reduce their higher premiums,

and they will continue to get their CSRs. Those in the individual market who have higher incomes and receive no tax credits to lower their premiums will feel the most pain. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 44% of buyers in the Obamacare market did not qualify for tax credits. That’s almost 7 million people.

“Ironically, it is these unsubsidized folks who have complained the loudest about Obamacare’s big premiums and deductibles,” says Washington, DC, insurance consultant Robert Laszewski. “They will now have even more to complain about.”

The administration wants to let them buy cheaper policies that cover far less than Obamacare insurance.

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Ransom expansion plan clears barrier, final vote pending

By John Charles Robbins

Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove is expanding in a big way.

The latest plan will expand the Upper School campus by nearly 7 acres by adding adjacent property known as La Brisa, purchased in 2016.

School officials are seeking approval from the City of Miami for an amended Special Area Plan or SAP for Upper School at 3575 Main Highway, and an amended development agreement with the city.

The city commission on Dec. 14 unanimously approved both zoning items after a first reading. A final vote is expected in January.

School officials had hoped to be further along in the process but concerns voiced by neighboring homeowners this summer led to a delay of several months. A hearing was scheduled on the expansion plan for July 31 before the city’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board, but neighbors were successful in their plea to put off a decision for at least two months.

At a meeting Oct. 18 the board

The school has purchased La Brisa, adjacent to its upper school campus, planning a major expansion.

recommended approval of the two items.

The school last expanded the Upper School campus about three years ago. A master plan submitted then called for removal of seven buildings and construction of three new buildings.

Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades is a coeducational, college preparatory school for grades 6-12. The Middle School at 2045 S Bayshore Drive is for grades 6 through 8. The Upper School is for grades 9 through 12.

The latest expansion plan will amend the Special Area Plan by: Adding 302,527 square feet or 6.945 acres to the Upper School lot area, providing a total lot area of 801,319 square feet.

Increasing maximum enrollment by 67 for a total of 726 students.

Increasing staff from 140 to 160.

Increasing the surface parking lot by 31 spaces for a total of 241.

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SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY PUBLIC NOTICE The Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Miami (“SEOPW CRA”) 2016 Annual Report is available.

In accordance with section 163.356(3)(c), Florida Statutes, the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Miami (“SEOPW CRA”) have developed the annual report of their activities including a complete financial statement setting forth assets, liabilities, income, and operating expenses as of the end of Fiscal Year 2016. This report has been filed with the City of Miami’s Office of the City Clerk and is available for inspection during business hours in the Office of the City Clerk, located at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33133. In addition, the report is available in the office of the SEOPW CRA, located at 819 NW 2nd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Miami, Florida 33136.

It can also be found on the SEOPW CRA’s website at www.seopwcra.com For further information, contact the SEOPW CRA at (305) 679-6800 #29098

Cornelius Shiver Esq., Executive Director Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency

Attorney Amy Huber, representing Ransom, said the increase in students is expected to occur “very gradually” over the next 30 years. The additions to the faculty will occur as needed in response to the added students, she said.

The school is in Commissioner Ken Russell’s district, and he spoke in support of the expansion and the Special Area Plan.

Miami 21, the city’s zoning code, says the purpose of a Special Area Plan is to allow 9 abutting acres or more to be master planned to allow greater integration of public improvements and infrastructure, and “greater flexibility so as to result in higher or specialized quality building and Streetscape design.”

Mr. Russell said that SAP has become a “bad word” to some in Miami, who believe developers who seek more density are using the designation to max out their properties. He said the Ransom SAP for the Upper School is a good example of how the zoning tool is supposed to be used, offering more flexibility in site

layout and design.

Mr. Russell also thanked school officials and representatives for community outreach efforts and a willingness to continue to work with neighbors to address concerns including lighting, traffic, parking and more.

Neighboring property owners over the years have complained about traffic congestion on narrow and busy Main Highway.

In 2016, the school announced the purchase of the 6.9-acre La Brisa adjoining its Upper School campus. School officials said the purchase was made with the goal of improving educational spaces while respecting the land and extensive hammock.

The bayfront purchase, made possible through donations, reflects the school’s longstanding ties to Coconut Grove and its history, officials said.

The purchase will help the school to improve its facilities, add greenspace “and continue our long tradition of respecting, protecting and learning from the treasures of Old Florida and Miami’s precious coastal ecosystems,” school officials said then.

The price tag on the La Brisa property was just shy of $35 million.

The latest expansion plan went before the city’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board in April.

The board approved a special certificate of appropriateness to amend the existing SAP for the Upper School, a locally designated historic site, which included several conditions: Trees that are subject to be affected by developmental activity fall under requirements of the Tree Protection Ordinance.

Due to location within a high-probability Archaeological Conservation Zone, the school needed a Certificate to Dig prior to receipt of building permits.

All design had to assure continued preservation of The Pagoda, the Paul Ransom Cottage, and the specimen trees.

The school had to apply for local designation as an historic resource of the original Kiehnal and Eliott house on the La Brisa property.

There could be no construction staging on the La Brisa property.

The school had to comply with an April city memorandum that detailed provisions with regard to trees and vegetation.

The school was to spend 60 days working closely with the members of the Camp Biscayne Homeowners Association to attempt to reach a compromise and resolution over homeowners’ associations concerns about light pollution and noise pollution.

Those talks were still ongoing in late July, which played a role in a planning board deferral until October.

The La Brisa land was originally deeded in 1886 to Kirk Munroe, a noted conservationist and founding member of the Florida Audubon Society.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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Transportation Commission looks at rolling circulator buses across county

By Gabi Maspons

Though many municipalities provide low fare and free bus circulators to their residents, unincorporated Miami-Dade residents are left to rely exclusively on the Metrorail, Metrobus and Metromover systems. To provide more options to residents in unincorporated areas of the county and make existing systems more accessible, commissioners are asking the mayor’s office to explore county-run bus circulator routes.

The original legislation sponsored by Barbara Jordan was specific to her District 1, but Rebeca Sosa requested at last week’s transportation committee meeting that the report be expanded to include all unincorporated areas of the county.

“I love what Commissioner Jordan is doing,” Ms. Sosa said. “I would love to see an amendment to examine the unincorporated areas countywide so all districts can see where it is needed.”

After Ms. Sosa asked county attorneys if she could amend and expand the legislation to include all unincorporated areas, a county attorney informed Ms. Sosa that a request was already issued to apply the legislation to the entire county.

The legislation directs Mayor Carlos Giménez’s office to provide a report to the

Cities throughout the county, like Doral, have circulators that only serve municipalities.

commissioners within 90 days proposing a circulator bus route within the unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade.

The legislation says traffic circulators could help relieve congestion by “providing safe and efficient means of connecting to major transit hubs.”

The circulators wouldn’t replace any transportation infrastructure but would

make the existing system more accessible to residents and provide more options to begin and complete trips.

Municipalities have been using circulators with increasing popularity, “and [they] should be extended to unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County,” the legislation says.

Ms. Sosa reminded the other commis-

sioners in the transportation meeting that the county hasn’t been able to create as many circulators as municipalities because it doesn’t have the extra cash municipalities have from distributions from the People’s Transportation Plan.

The People’s Transportation Plan is funded by a half-penny transportation surtax that voters approved in 2002 for major mass transportation improvement projects, but the money has historically been used to cover operational costs after a decline in transit revenues. In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, only $75.8 million of the $251.6 million collected went toward capital reserve projects in the county, though the original tax was intended to exclusively fund expansion projects.

Though the county has used the surtax money to cover operational costs of the transit system, municipalities also receive an allocation, and many have used the money to create local bus circulators.

“We see cities implementing circulators with the half-penny, but the difference is the [county] commission decided to use it for the operations and maintenance” of the transit system, Ms. Sosa said.

The Transportation and Public Works Committee approved the legislation, recommending that the full commission vote to have the mayor’s office report on countywide circulator routes.

High-flying air cargo industry looks to build on e-commerce

By Marcus Lim

Miami’s air cargo industry has soared higher annually and is experiencing heavy traffic this year as Miami is being hailed as the number-one place for transit of perishables and pharmaceuticals.

The next big thing to capitalize on, according to experts, is e-commerce, which many air cargo companies still have been unable to do.

Most air cargo that enters and leaves Miami goes through Miami International Airport, which had a record cargo month in October, up 8.4% over last year, recording 207,000 metric tons of freight compared to last December’s 202,000.

A huge success for the airport has been the handling of pharmaceuticals, being certified by the Air Transport Association as the first airport in the US and second in the world to be a pharmaceutical freight hub. The designation highlights that the airport’s facilities are being held up to a certain standard to handle the highvalue, temperature-sensitive drugs and medicine.

“Miami has been incredibly innovative in positioning itself, and what they do with pharmaceutical products is phenomenal.

They have done everything they can do to attract that traffic,” said Lewis King, associate editor of Air Cargo World. “The certification is what shippers want, and makes a huge difference.”

According to Mr. King, the air cargo industry struggled with shipping high-value goods because there was no guarantee the product would be treated in a certain way. Now the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma Certification Program ensures that the airport is expert in handling sensitive pharmaceutical products.

“Knowing pharmaceutical was a grow-

Air cargo sector looks to team up with maritime commerce to fly perishables to Europe.

ing industry that is not going away, we worked very hard to be designated as a pharmaceutical hub,” said Joe Napoli, MIA chief of staff. “We came up with a program and aggressively pursued to be the place pharmaceuticals could trust.”

In 2015, MIA worked with Brussels Airport, the first to receive the CEIV, to establish Pharma.Aero, an international association made up of other certified airports and transport industries, to create strategic air routes for the movement of pharmaceuticals.

Others in the organization includes DHL, Johnson and Johnson, and Singapore airlines. Since then, MIA’s pharmaceutical business has grown over 40% and last year had $4.4 billion in value that came through the airport.

One innovation Mr. Napoli aims to

capitalize on is e-commerce, hoping that MIA can be the e-commerce freight hub of the Americas, but officials are still unable to quantify the value of that. E-commerce has been a disrupter for the retail industry, Mr. Napoli said, and customers now want their products quicker.

Instead of the product going from business to business, which was the traditional model for cargo, it now is from business to consumer.

Murilo Amaral, co-founder of Cargo42 based in Miami, said that companies will thrive by understanding new technology and the e-commerce world.

“This is affecting and will continue to affect or even further their business,” Mr. Amaral said. “We believe Miami is the perfect location to try out these new technologies for the trade and logistics industry

because of its relevance and importance as a hub for international freight.”

Experts say the air cargo sector was “stagnant” until five years ago, when new technology was successfully implemented. Companies started tracking packages to improve visibility on where the product was, assuring providers where the products was and alleviating any hesitancy, which was the main reason the industry did not do as well as it is doing now.

“The industry was once reluctant and slow to adapt to technology to automate a lot of the paperwork and tracking,” said Wally Devereaux, senior director of cargo for Southwest Airlines. “Now it is early adopters to technology. With investments on it to the system, a lot of efficiencies gain from technology investments.”

Technology and innovation helped MIA, which was awarded the “best freighter hub” award in the world at the Freighter’s World Conference Awards in September. Miami’s airport beat out top cargo hubs such as Frankfurt Airport in Germany, Liege Airport in Belgium, and Singapore’s Changi Airport.

The airport’s next initiative, currently in the pilot stage, is to team up with maritime cargo, currently the air cargo sector’s biggest competitor. The program would have perishables sent by ship to a South Florida port and be transported directly to the airport without customs, put directly into an aircraft and flown to Europe. This would trim a 16-day journey today to just a week.

“Some of the innovative initiatives we have undertaken made us the best, and we hope to continue that with this program and by quantifying e-commerce,” Mr. Napoli said. “In Miami, we are well positioned because of our geographic location and great cargo connectivity. If we do well, it will be beneficial for the county.”

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

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Save the Date Transportation Summit Implementing the Community’s Vision for Public Transportation

Jan. 25-26, 2018 Thursday: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Friday: 8:30 am – 12 noon

Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus Chapman Conference Center 300 N.E. 2nd Avenue Miami, Florida 33132 Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Transportation Trust

@GoCITT

#GoCITT

Take part in the discussion on developing a comprehensive public transportation system in our community.

Featuring: ■ Keynote address by Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez ■ Breakout Sessions ■ Opportunities to interact with community leaders and transportation professionals Additional information: ■ www.miamidade.gov/citt ■ citt@miamidade.gov ■ 305-348-3759 ■ People who require assistance and/or would like to request materials or other means of communication to participate because of their disabilities, can call 305-375-1357 or email nlake@miamidade.gov.

TTY users can call 711.

Registration: www.miamidade.gov/citt Take transit to the meeting! www.miamidade.gov/transportation

This event is organized by the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust in conjunction with Miami-Dade County, the Board of County Commissioners, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade County League of Cities, Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

13

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TRANSPORTATION

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Signal technology launches to speed buses along Transitway

By Rebecca San Juan

Miami-Dade is launching signal enhancement on the South Dade TransitWay this week that eventually will speed flows at 300 intersections along 10 corridors via an $11.1 million investment that transportation Director Alice Bravo said should help buses on dedicated express lanes arrive on time.

The new signal technology on the South Dade corridor covers all from Homestead to the Dadeland North Metrorail Station.

Econolite Control Products Inc. continues to install the programming, a technology that helps current transit signals detect buses on the corridor in advance and maintains a green light, allowing the bus to continue on its route without stopping.

The program is beginning over a month later than expected due to Hurricane Irma, Ms. Bravo said.

“We didn’t have power; we had to repair a number of signals and so that impacted us a few weeks.”

Her department hopes to expand the technology into the remaining nine corridors within five years.

Within 2018, officials look forward to the improvement in transit with the enhancement and revamping their bus fleets.

The project thus far took over a year.

County Mayor Carlos Giménez initiated the improvements first with the Traffic Management Center that includes a computer system connecting all signals in the county.

The next step focused on the new signal technology to allow signals to better cater to the traffic flows in real time rather than rely on pre-

Mayor Carlos Giménez and Alice Bravo review all connected signals at the Traffic Management Center.

programming.

Luis Espinoza, transit department special projects administrator, said, “Since June 2016, [the department] has been testing the 2070LX controllers to enable ‘smart signal’capabilities along Northwest 36th Street, between 71st and 84th avenues, to see how traffic flow would improve along one of the county’s busiest corridors. Travel time data collected demonstrated a 10% reduction in travel time along the corridor.”

The department is connecting for the first time its adaptive signal technology with the Transit Signal Priority technology within these 10 corridors, including all of SouthDade TransitWay. The adaptive signal technology relies on detectors to capture what occurs on roadways. Ms. Bravo said, “Those detectors help the signals do two things: see what’s happening at the intersection in real time, so

if a certain direction is backing up more than others, that direction will receive more green time to flush out those lanes.

“The other thing is the signal communicates with other signals and has a good idea about what the travel speed is so that we can improve synchronization of the signals. So, when you’re driving through you can hit as many green lights as possible.”

The $11.1 million one-year contract includes the first 300 intersections along 10 corridors.

Mr. Espinoza said, “The annual operation and maintenance cost of the new smart signals is covered under the current Traffic Signals and Signs operations budget, which allocated approximately $5,500 per traffic signal, including an average cost of $1,200 for preventative maintenance.”

County commission Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr. has supported the

program since it was proposed and hopes to see its expansion. He expect shorter commutes on the bus system.

He focuses on the shortening of commutes as the main factor of the program’s success.

“I’m going to use a hypothetical: An hour-long ride turns into a 20-minute long ride. That’s the measuring stick,” Mr. Bovo said.

“Does your ride improve? Does your length of time on our system shorten itself?”

He expects these improvements to encourage more use of the bus system.

The transportation department is looking to expand the Transit Signal Priority program within five years to the remaining nine corridors, including: Northwest 183rd Street from Red Road to Northwest 79th Avenue. Northwest 163rd Street from US 1 to Northeast 10th Avenue.

Indian Creek Drive between 63rd and 81st streets.  Biscayne Boulevard from Northwest 11th Terrace to Northeast 82nd Street.  West Flagler Street from LeJeune Road to Milam Dairy Road. LeJeune Road between Southwest Eighth Street and Northwest 14th Street. Southwest 27th Avenue between West Flagler and Northwest 20th streets. Southwest 88th Street between US 1 and Krome Avenue. US 1 between Southwest 16th and 98th avenues.

Plans for the coming year include updating current fleets. Buses will include technology alerting drivers of nearby bicyclists and pedestrians in the vehicle’s blind spots. The buses will also contain environmentally friendly modifications.

“The new fleet, of both Compressed Natural Gas and 100% electric buses, will help us provide better service while spending less on maintenance,” Mr. Espinoza said. “This is our direction for a more reliable future for our transit system.”

Mr. Bovo urges the county to continue investing in technological advancements and other enhancements to public transportation.

“The hope is that within the next two to three years we start seeing actual capital projects being undertaken,” Mr. Bovo said.

“The transformation of the way we move in Miami-Dade County will probably happen over a 15- to 20-year period if we stay consistent with the message that we need to give folks alternatives throughout Miami-Dade County.”

Key Biscayne may hop off the bus plan and onto golf carts

By Katya Maruri

The Village of Key Biscayne, which is still in the developmental stages of implementing a trolley service months after a resolution to approve the village’s use of county transit surtax funds to run its own trolleys, may change its plans altogether and implement low-speed vehicles such as

golf carts instead of trolley cars beginning as early as next year, according to a Village of Key Biscayne official.

“Our goal is to have the trolley up and running by the beginning of the New Year,” Ana de Varona, capital projects and procurement director for the village, said in an email.

“We will be using low-speed vehicles such as golf carts instead of a trolley car.”

The reason for the delay, she said, was due to the golf carts needing to be retrofitted to meet federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

When asked for further comment, Ms. de Varona chose not to respond.

Until the new trolley service is up and running, visitors and residents can utilize FreeBee on the Key, the village’s free on-

demand ride service, which made its debut Dec. 15, 2016. The on-demand service operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Details:http://keybiscayne.fl.gov/index. php?src=gendocs&ref=FreeBee_OnDem andShuttleService&category=About.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

TRANSPORTATION

MIAMI TODAY

15

County to work with state to get traffic lights up after storms

By Gabi Maspons

In an effort to make Miami a more resilient city after Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade commissioners are interested in partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation to get traffic lights repaired more quickly after storms and create backup systems for down signals to keep traffic flowing smoothly.

When recovering from Hurricane Irma, the county was unable to repair many down traffic lights, as they were under the state’s jurisdiction. The legislation sponsored by Commissioner Rebeca Sosa would allow the county to make any necessary repairs and be later reimbursed to keep traffic problems from escalating.

After Hurricane Irma “we had to wait for FDOT to come and repair their own roads,” Ms. Sosa said at a county transportation committee last week. “We should work together as to not delay a problem that can be solved more quickly. The county really moved fast on repairing and the delays were on state roads.”

The state and the county are already parties to a Traffic Signal

‘When we have a traffic light that is out, we have accident after accident.’

Rebeca Sosa

Maintenance and Compensation Agreement. The agreement defines the county’s role and says it is “not liable for failing to repair” state traffic lights after hurricanes, but does not describe the protocol if the county does choose to help repair state lights to address traffic concerns.

The new agreement would create a procedure for reimbursement when the county fixes state

traffic signals and “establish a schedule of prioritization for such repairs,” the legislation says.

“When we have a traffic light that is out, we have accident after accident,” Ms. Sosa said.

“We then need police officers to be there instead of helping [the residents] when we already have so many problems throughout the county” that they need to be addressing, she said.

Fixing the traffic lights more expeditiously, Ms. Sosa says, will free county law enforcement officers to focus on more pressing issues.

Alice Bravo, county director of the Transportation and Public Works Department, said four to five police officers were on duty at some of the larger signals.

“We are looking at using less manpower and recovering more quickly after the hurricane,” Ms. Bravo said.

Commissioner Bruno Barreiro then suggested “metering” the traffic lights to identify where the source of the problem is when they are shut down.

“We are working on several initiatives,” Ms. Bravo told Mr. Barreiro. “We are exploring un-

‘My only concern is to make sure we get paid for whatever we do.’

Dennis Moss

interrupted power supply equipment like a cabinet of batteries at signals, so when the power goes out, the signal continues to function. Those cabinets can be modified to be hooked up to a propane generator or a running car.”

When Mr. Barreiro asked for more specifics on the transportation department’s plans to better recover from hurricanes, Ms.

Bravo said the department is coming up with a holistic plan for the entire system.

“We have over 2,800 meters at this point and we will come back to the board with the price breakdown” of updating the meter technology, Ms. Bravo said.

For now, the department is prioritizing intersection repairs after storms based on the number of lanes that flow through the site.

Commissioner Dennis Moss supported the agreement but worried that the county would fix state-owned traffic signals and not be reimbursed.

“My only concern is to make sure that we get paid for whatever we do,” Mr. Moss said.

To account for his concern, Ms. Sosa agreed to a friendly amendment that requires that all agreements between the county and the state’s transportation department have “a method of compensation for the county repairs.”

The legislation to partner with FDOT on fixing the traffic lights passed in the Transportation and Public Works meeting and was moved forward to the full commission for a vote.

Innovative diverging diamond interchanges to debut on 836

By Rebecca San Juan

The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) plans to debut South Florida’s first diverging diamond highway interchanges – which for short stretches have drivers cruising down the left side of the road rather than the right – by late April or early May on Northwest 27th and 57th avenues at State Road 836.

The authority’s Deputy Executive Director and Director of Engineering Juan Toledo says he expects to launch a public awareness campaign of the innovative traffic patterns in February as construction continues.

MDX includes the diverging diamond project in its $799 million improvement plan for State Road 836. The upgrades, which date back to 2005, are being funded by toll collections.

The South Florida debut of the diverging diamonds will force drivers to drive momentarily on the left instead of on the right. Mr. Toledo said he plans to oversee a public awareness campaign costing about $20,000 to educate the public on how to drive responsibly when approaching one of these two interchanges.

Staff from nearby hotels said the construction may increase reservations despite presenting some inconveniences. Businesses in the area and Mr. Toledo agree that the temporary setbacks are worth the long-term benefits that the diverging diamond model offers.

Mr. Toledo describes the model as efficiently moving traffic. He said drivers move to the left when approaching the interchange in a free-flow movement into and out of the expressway. The plan focuses on north-south movement and, as a result, separates traffic with less chance of collision or congestion.

The model also makes it easier

Diverging diamond will send traffic left when approaching the interchange focusing on north-south flow.

for the driver to make U-turns.

“It gives you more time to clear traffic through the interchange,” Mr. Toledo said.

The diverging diamonds on Northwest 27th and 57th avenues include pathways protected by barriers at street level for pedestrians to cross through the interchange.

“You’re doing it in conjunction with the traffic signals,” Mr. Toledo said, “It’s all done in a safer mode.”

He plans to inform drivers about ‘We want to make sure the changes in an extensive public awareness campaign two and a that people are educated half months prior to the opening. so that they drive through “Sometime in February,” Mr. this area cautiously and Toledo said, “we would start the campaign, and that would consist safely. The first time you of newspaper ads, radio, TV. We drive through it you want have videos that educate drivers to avoid confusion.’ on what to expect when they come Juan Toledo through the interchange either exiting or entering the expressway or if you’re on the local road.”

“If we need to put more money The campaign will reach Creole, English and Spanish-speaking into it, we will,” Mr. Toledo said. locals. The campaign budget is “We want to make sure that people are educated so that they drive about $20,000.

through this area cautiously and safely. The first time you drive through it you want to avoid confusion.”

The MDX team continues construction work and anticipates closures over the next few months. Mr. Toledo said workers are currently preparing exits and entrances to allow for this new configuration. Intermittent closures should be expected closer to the spring.

“Over the next two to three months,” he said, “you’re probably going to be seeing closures at the entrances and exits of the ramp. It’ll go on until we open it.”

MDX plans to close entrances and exits when traffic flow typically declines during the evenings and weekends.

Hotels near the construction site don’t expect the ongoing project to slice into business as they enter their high season from January through April.

Katiane Gonzalez, sales manager at Hampton Inn & Suites

by Hilton Miami Airport South Blue Lagoon, said construction

may increase guest reservations.

“It sometimes benefits us because we do get business from venders that participate in the construction and they might stay at our hotel,” she said.

She said reservations at the hotel, at 777 NW 57th Ave., increase on average by 28 to 65 room nights per month with nearby construction.

Hotel guests could expect minor inconveniences, according to Sara Bravo, the director of sales at the Hyatt House, 5710 Blue Lagoon Dr. Ms. Bravo said the nearby diverging diamond interchange project in conjunction with other street improvement plans might cause unwanted nighttime noise.

She also said that Hyatt House might need to change its shuttle routes if the diverging diamond project, in concurrence with other construction work, disrupts their typical path.

“The biggest concern for us would really be our transportation back-and-forth to the airport,” Ms. Bravo said.

However, she said, despite the temporary inconveniences, the diamond configuration will improve traffic in the long-term. “They have to do this for the wellbeing of the area, for the upgrade of the highway, the convenience of our hotel shuttles and guest safety,” she said. “That’s a good thing.”

Mr. Toledo said he believes the diverging diamond interchange is an innovative approach to traffic jams.

“I’m not going to say that it’s going to solve the congestion problems, but it’s going to help reduce travel time through that area and improve safety,” he said. “I think it’s an opportunity to show that there’s a lot that we can improve to help traffic. This is one of them.”

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MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017