I renamed the thread to Broward County Transit (BCT) to allow all projects and news in a single thread. The Fort Lauderdale Wave streetcar does have its own thread which can be found here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=81188984).

I will dedicate this first post to all recent maps, timelines, and links for major BCT projects to help keep this thread organized.

BCT official web site at http://broward.org/bct/



_______________________________________________

Central Broward Transit Project
Modern streetcar and improved bus service serving central Broward County.
Official website: www.centralbrowardtransit.com
Timeline:
http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com/images/Next-Steps_TIMELINE.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/sr7_alt.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/griffing_alt.jpg



_______________________________________________

595 Express Buses
Express bus service along the I-595 corridor with service from Sunrise and Weston to downtowns' Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Official website: BCT (http://www.broward.org/BCT/MapsAndSchedules/Pages/MapsAndSchedules.aspx), I-595 (http://www.i-595.com/About-Improvements-ExpressBusService.asp)
Timeline: Sunrise: Starting May 29th, 2012. Weston: Unknown.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/595x-sr-lauderdale.jpg (http://www.broward.org/BCT/MapsAndSchedules/Documents/595FLLweb.pdf)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/595x-sr-miami.jpg (http://www.broward.org/BCT/MapsAndSchedules/Documents/595MIAweb.pdf)



_______________________________________________

Broward Boulevard Livable Mobility Plan (Bus and Bus Livability)
Improve bus service along Broward Blvd between Central Broward Terminal in Fort Lauderdale and West Regional Terminal in Plantation.
Timeline: Begin early 2011
Key points:
*Purchase 9 hybrid-electric buses (Route 22)
*Transit Signal Priority
*Upgrade bus shelters and facilities to include real-time passenger information

Modern streetcars are long-term vision for east-west travel in Broward
Florida Department of Transportation is holding meetings over the next several months to get public input

By Michael Turnbell, Sun Sentinel
11:19 a.m. EDT, May 24, 2010



When Virginia Cox wants to go to downtown Fort Lauderdale, she gets in her car and drives.

Even if officials add a streetcar or rapid bus just blocks from her home, she won't use it.

"Why would I want to do that? I can drive and get there in 15 to 20 minutes," Cox said.

Cox's views present a challenge for state officials in a car-crazed region as they try to sell residents on the benefits of a "premium" transit service that would link the western suburbs, Nova Southeastern University, downtown and the airport.

Interstate 595, the only east-west expressway in Broward, gets an F from most commuters at rush hour. Congestion is even worse on east-west surface streets, with drivers hung up between an endless string of ill-timed traffic signals. While a $1.8 billion remedy of improvements to unclog I-595 is under way, officials say it won't be enough to keep up with growing traffic demands in 20 years.

That's where mass transit comes in.

Officials are looking at three ways to move commuters east-west – modern streetcars, bus rapid transit or express buses – although the streetcar concept was the clear favorite of 300 people who attended forums on the project last year.

The Florida Department of Transportation is doing an environmental study to examine the alternatives, costs and potential ridership. The study is required to secure federal funding.

The route was chosen several years ago. But specifics such as location of stations or which lanes would be occupied by tracks for the streetcars or dedicated for buses still are being reviewed, said project manager Khalilah Ffrench.

"Should we put it on the left side of the street or the right side or in the middle? These are the things we are looking at," Ffrench said.

The route starts at Sawgrass Mills, cuts through the Sawgrass Corporate Park west of 136th Avenue and then heads east along the south side of I-595 and S.R. 84. The route would swing south at University Drive to reach potential riders at Nova Southeastern University in Davie and then run north along State Road 7 and east on Broward Boulevard. The final leg would continue south from downtown to the airport.

A more direct route to the airport along I-595 was nixed early in the planning stages because few people live near the highway between S.R. 7 and the airport. By going up S.R. 7 and east on Broward instead, the route would connect riders with neighborhoods and workplaces plus the Tri-Rail station at Broward and I-95.

In 2006, planners shifted the route's westernmost leg away from 136th Avenue after residents didn't want trains or buses running close to their homes. Just how fixed the rest of the route is remains unclear.

Much of the opposition now is coming from the neighborhoods along Broward and S.R. 7. Cox, who lives in Lauderhill's Broward Estates neighborhood, said it will bring noise and crime and pose a danger to drivers if officials opt for a streetcar system that isn't separated from traffic.

Residents are lobbying the Broward County Commission to kill the project or build it somewhere else.

"We're all for modern transportation. We just don't want it running through our neighborhood," Cox said. "We're going to get the impact without the benefits."

Others think rail is a better solution to the county's east-west congestion woes than the express toll lanes that will be built in the median of I-595 and open to traffic in 2014.

"It seems that a rail link from the west to the airport and downtown would help congestion on the corridor more than the toll lanes, especially in the long term," said Tuomas Leone, who lives in Plantation.

Gloria Katz, executive director of Smart Growth Partnership and a former Fort Lauderdale city commissioner, said South Florida will be left behind other regions that are building modern transit systems if the project is shelved.

"We need to show people a picture of what could be vs. what is now so they can begin to see the benefits of having housing and jobs close to transit," she said. "People don't want to take an hour and a half to get to work."

Several years ago, officials were focused on light rail as one of the options for the east-west route. Now the conversation has turned to streetcars, which are cheaper.

In a modern streetcar system, tracks are flush with the street surface, and cars and pedestrians can cross them at any point, unlike a rail line that would run alongside the street. The vehicles are powered by overhead wires like light rail but are smaller and lighter. They travel up to 45 mph compared to 55 mph for light rail.

Bus rapid transit has roomier buses with front and rear doors running station-to-station, much like a train. Buses can run in bus-only lanes or in regular lanes and usually get priority at intersections, meaning traffic signals will stay green longer so an approaching bus can get through the intersection. It costs less to get up and running than streetcars or light rail.

But it's still a bus and it doesn't have the cache of a streetcar or light rail, which some transit experts say people are more inclined to ride vs. a bus of any kind. The development potential around stations also is said to be more attractive if it's a rail system instead of a bus line.

Before the environmental study is completed next summer, Ffrench said officials will have to identify a segment of the route that could be built first and a plan to pay for operating costs.

Both are necessary before submitting the study to the Federal Transit Administration for approval to begin preliminary engineering.

The federal government currently pays up to 50 percent of the construction cost for new mass transit projects. To get in line for money, a project must be backed by state and local funding to pay for the other half plus operating costs.

Even if federal officials bless the project, it could take years to build.

In the meantime, the state will roll out a much cheaper and more flexible alternative early next year to the premium transit service. Express buses will start carrying riders between park-and-ride lots in the western suburbs, Nova, Tri-Rail stations off Broward Boulevard and Griffin Road and downtown.

The express buses will cost about $2 million a year to run with a one-time cost of $13.5 million for buses. A streetcar system can cost up to $25 million per mile to build.

The public can comment on the premium east-west transit project during a series of workshops over the next several months.

Ffrench said another round of meetings will be held later this summer to address any concerns. "There is still room for modification," she said.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-east-west-transit-20100524,0,2614737,full.story


Pretty disappointing going from LRT to Streetcars, if rail is at all chosen. I'm guessing the elevated aspect of the project has gone, too...?

Pretty disappointing going from LRT to Streetcars, if rail is at all chosen. I'm guessing the elevated aspect of the project has gone, too...?

I think that's probably accurate.

Gotta love the quote from the woman who thinks streetcars would "bring crime" to her neighborhood. Oy vey...:ohno:

What Broward should concentrate on is restoring rail service to the Florida East Coast railway, or even implementing light rail along that corridor. That's where the densest communities in Broward are located. Broward should make baby steps with a light rail corridor moving people between east and west, but should concentrate first on communities east of I-95 first. They should try to make a spider web design of rail lines with Fort Lauderdale at the center, definitely make FLL airport and Port Everglades a priority to be connected, and not to make any leg of the rail lines more than a few miles long.

That's how I did it when I played Sim City, and then only when ridership and densities increased would I extend the lines into more suburban surroundings. That's how it worked in Boston & Philly & New York, too.

I love SimCity.

Broward County should first focus on its general street infrastructure, which they went crazy on in the late-1990s. Street lights, traffic control equipment, etc. look like they were bought from the lowest bidder. But, roads like Broward Boulevard west of University Drive and U. S. 411 south of the Plantation General Hospital have been done beautifully in recent years, and should be the new standard.

Right now, many street that are supposed to be community-friendly look like this: :puke:

http://www.southeastroads.com/florida800/fl-838_eb_app_us-441.jpg

595 Express bus service was supposed to start now/summer, but have been delayed at least six months. According to the spokeswoman, it is taking longer than expected to secure park & ride lots. They will supposedly start with the Sawgrass routes first -- see first post, 3rd map down. Also to note, those mapped routes are not finalized.

Broward considers tax rate increase, spending cuts
By Scott Wyman, Sun Sentinel
7:15 p.m. EDT, June 22, 2010


...

Libraries and transit each would take a hit under Henry's plans. Hours would be cut at the Main Library and at the library the county shares in Davie with Nova Southeastern University.

Bus fares would increase from $1.50 to $1.75 in October. The time between buses on some routes would increase, and some weekend service would be eliminated. Under-used late-night routes also would be stopped.

...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/elections/fl-broward-budget-taxes-20100622,0,6977991.story

Great news for BCT 22 and bicyclist/peds along Broward Blvd!!

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $293 Million for New Transit Solutions, Economic Development Nationwide
07-08-10
Contact: Paul Griffo
Telephone: (202) 366-4064

Project Selections Will Expand Obama Administration’s Livability Initiative Agenda, Fuel Economic Recovery for Local Communities

A $293 million investment announced today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood means that residents in dozens of communities nationwide will soon enjoy major transit improvements, including new streetcars, buses, and transit facilities.

The nearly $300 million investment is part of the Obama Administration’s livability initiative to better coordinate transportation, housing and commercial development investments to serve the people living in those communities. It is being made through two competitive grant programs, the Urban Circulator Grant Program and the Bus and Bus Livability Grant Program.

“This investment by the Obama Administration in our nation's communities will create jobs, boost economic development and recovery, and further reduce our dependence on oil,” Secretary LaHood said. “Our goals are to provide cleaner, safer, and more efficient ways to get around.”

Secretary LaHood, along with Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, announced the winners of the two competitive grant programs during a press conference call in Washington. Six new streetcar and bus rapid transit projects will be funded with $130 million from the Federal Transit Administration's Urban Circulator Program, and 47 additional projects aimed at upgrading bus services and facilities are slated to receive more than $163 million from the FTA's Bus and Bus Livability Program.

“Streetcars are making a comeback because cities across America are recognizing that they can restore economic development downtown – giving citizens the choice to move between home, shopping and entertainment without ever looking for a parking space,” said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. “These streetcar and bus livability projects will not only create construction jobs now, they will aid our recovery by creating communities with the potential to be more prosperous and less congested.”

The six cities that submitted successful Urban Circulator proposals include Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Cincinnati, Ohio. The six projects were selected from 65 applications totaling more than $1 billion in requests. Construction of bus facilities and new bus and bus-related purchases will move forward in the 31 states where 47 Bus and Bus Livability projects are located. These projects were selected from 281 applications totaling over $2 billion in funding requests.

Inaugurated in December 2009, the two programs are a continuation of the FTA's effort dedicated to carrying out the Obama Administration’s Livability Initiative, a joint venture of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Projects were eligible to receive up to 80 percent in federal funding, with a maximum of $25 million for Urban Circulator projects.

A complete list of projects can be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11820.html.

-----

Project: Broward Boulevard Livable Mobility Plan (Bus and Bus Livability)
Sponsor: Broward County Transportation Department
Amount: $8,034,017

In this environmentally-friendly project, Broward County will buy nine energy- efficient hybrid-electric buses to operate along the Broward County Route 22 and implement Transit Signal Priority along Broward Boulevard, make bicycle and pedestrian enhancements, and upgrade bus shelters and facilities to include real-time passenger information, car-sharing program and an Advanced Traffic Management System.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11823.html

Fare increase along with, I'm guessing, service reductions...

In preparation for a public hearing scheduled on September 14 by the Broward County Commission on service changes and fare increases, the followng community meetings have been scheduled to provide information on the proposed changes:
http://www.broward.org/BCT/NewsAndEvents/Pages/News.aspx

I dont come up that way too much. Whats really good in Broward yo?

20 routes - service reductions
3 routes - Saturday and/or Sunday service elimination
6 routes - total elimination

For reference, there are currently 41 routes.



Proposed Service Reductions

Discontinue Saturday Service:
After 9 p.m.: Routes 4, 5, 16, 20. 48, 83
After 10 p.m.: Routes 9
After 11 p.m.: Routes 7, 10, 11, 14, 22, 28, 30, 31, 40, 50, 81

Discontinue Weekday Service:
After 9 p.m.: Routes 16, 48, 83
After 10 p.m.: Routes 4, 9
After 11 p.m.: Routes 7, 10, 11, 14, 22, 28, 30, 31, 50, 60, 81

Eliminate Service:
Saturday/Sunday: Route 88
Sunday, Routes16, 48,

Eliminate Service:
Routes 3, 15, 17, 23, 56, 57

Proposed Frequency Reductions:
Increase Saturday Headway from 40 to 60 minutes - Routes 6, 42, 83
Increase Saturday Headway from 30 to 40 minutes - Routes 11
Increase Saturday Headway from 30 to 45 minutes – Route 31
Increase Sunday Headways from 40 to 60 minutes - Route 2

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/BCT-oct2010-fares.png
http://www.broward.org/BCT/NewsAndEvents/Pages/News.aspx

Great thread, it might be a good idea to fix the typo in the title from "Broward Count Transit" to "Broward County Transit". Great info though!

Steve

Thanks, fixed it:)

BCT's press release on Broward Blvd / Rt 22 upgrades (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=60131035&postcount=9) with a couple more details.

BCT Receives $8 Million Grant for Broward Boulevard Corridor
DATE: August 9, 2010
CONTACT: Doris Williams, Broward County Transit Division
PHONE: 954-357-6786


Broward County Transit (BCT) received more than $8 million from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Bus and Bus Livability Initiative Grant Program aimed at upgrading bus services and facilities. The competitive grant program is part of a nearly $300 million investment of the Obama administration's livability initiative to better coordinate transportation, housing and commercial development for citizens and their communities.

FTA's Bus and Livability Initiative Grant Program is investing more than $163 million in 47 projects around the nation. View Project Descriptions

BCT will apply the grant toward enhancements along the Broward Boulevard corridor between the Broward Central Terminal at Northwest First Avenue in Fort Lauderdale and the West Regional Terminal at Northwest 84 Avenue in Plantation.

The grant program goals are to improve transit travel time along the corridor, reduce reliance on automobiles and reduce emissions and improve air quality by increasing public transportation use.

As part of this program, BCT and its partners are in discussions on the following proposed projects: incorporate 'green' bus fleet enhancements with the purchase of nine, energy-efficient hybrid electric buses; implement transit signal priority; enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety; upgrade bus shelters and facilities, and make landscaping and other aesthetic enhancements along the corridor.

"Taken together, these new funds will allow BCT to integrate a safe, convenient and environmentally compatible system of public transportation improvements along a key transportation corridor for Broward County residents and visitors," said Chris Walton, Director, Broward County Transportation Department.

The grant application was submitted in conjunction with partner agencies, including the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), City of Fort Lauderdale, Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA).

It is expected that the funds for this grant will be available and project work to start in early 2011.

For more information about the Bus and Bus Livability Grant Program, call Broward County Transit at 954-357-6786. For information about Broward County Transit, visit www.broward.org/bct or call 954-357-8400.


Release Properties

Date: 8/9/2010 3:45 PM
Keywords: Awards or Recognition, Community, Economic Development, Transportation, District 1, District 9
News Type: News Release
http://www.broward.org/BCT/NewsAndEvents/Pages/BrowardCorridor.aspx

A wider view of the proposed fare increases...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/BCT-oct2010-12-fares.png
http://www.broward.org/BCT/NEWSANDEVENTS/Pages/News.aspx

^^ Sounds about right! Other cities charge way more than BCT. If only they change the face of Central Terminal....:ohno:

^^^ I wish that McDonalds and tire place was a nice building or some retail instead.

^^^ I wish that McDonalds and tire place was a nice building or some retail instead.

For sure...it's just about time! Look what happened behind that area...now he have Eclipse and thos Mills buildings...not tall I know but @ least decent...

Central Terminal is supposed to get a $24m overhaul in 2014-15.

Public Hearing Scheduled for Tuesday, September 28 at 2 p.m. in room 422 of the Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale to receive public comments on the proposed service reductions.

Proposed bus fares and passes increases approved by Broward County Commission, to become effective on October 1, 2010 (see below fare chart).

Fare Increases Effective October 1, 2010
http://broward.org/BCT/NewsAndEvents/Pages/News.aspx

Updated map along with potential station locations (Wave also shown).

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/alighment-tier1station.png
http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com/working_groups_about.html
RED = Central Broward
BLUE = Wave Streetcar

If you click on each Working Group (http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com/working_groups_about.html) presentation (PDFs), you can see the exact route along with how it will interact with traffic; differs slightly from the above map.

So is Central Broward a Rapid Bus or some sort of Light Rail?

Streetcar, BRT, or a combination of both.

^^ Excellent work Mr Jones! Any idea what's the status of this? Have the conceptual plans started? :cheers:

I honestly don't know. Back when the project was proposing LRT, I think we had operation around 2020-2022. Now that we've moved to Streetcar/BRT, the long term timeline isn't around, that I'm aware of...

:?

Planners to look at new corridors for east-west transit line in Broward
Buses instead of trains are recommended for most segments west of I-95

By Michael Turnbell, Sun Sentinel
7:28 p.m. EDT, October 14, 2010



Broward County basically is starting over in its quest for a mass transit line that provides an easy way for commuters from the western suburbs to get to downtown Fort Lauderdale and the airport.

After spending $4 million to study the project over the past decade, state planners are scrapping the idea of a rail system along most of the route because there wouldn't be enough riders to justify the cost.

Residents also vociferously objected to the idea of a train running by their neighborhoods.

Without public support, officials said it was time for new direction.


"It was clear the project was foundering at that point," said Jim Wolfe, the district secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation.

Now planners are looking at express buses or buses that run in their own special lane. Only one small segment would get rail -- between the Fort Lauderdale Tri-Rail Station, downtown and the airport via Broward Boulevard, then south along the Florida East Coast Railway.

The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization agreed Thursday to continue studying the project but also look at additional routes such as Griffin Road.

Some MPO members worried that maps of proposed routes were too vague or missing information. For instance, maps showed dotted lines for a mass transit line where no roads exist, or running along I-95 in the same place as Tri-Rail, potentially stealing riders from the 21-year-old commuter train.

"It's not cooked yet," said County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, a proponent of mass transit.

The idea of a premium east-west transit line that moved more efficiently than the existing bus system was born about a decade ago as a necessary companion to a major upgrade of I-595, the only east-west expressway in Broward County

While a $1.8 billion remedy of improvements to unclog I-595 is under way, officials say mass transit still will be necessary to keep up with growing traffic demands in 20 years and to give people alternatives to driving.

Several years ago, the Broward MPO, a body of elected officials that sets transportation priorities, approved a doglegged east-west transit corridor that starts at Bank Atlantic Center and Sawgrass Mills, cuts through the Sawgrass Corporate Park west of 136th Avenue and then heads east along the south side of I-595 and State Road 84.

At University Drive, the transit corridor would swing south to reach potential riders at Nova Southeastern University in Davie and then run north along State Road 7 and east on Broward Boulevard. The final leg would continue south from downtown to the airport.

So why wasn't a direct route to the airport along I-595 considered? Planners said any system has to go where people live and work and most of I-595 east of State Road 7 is wetlands and not ideal for a transit stop.

By going up State Road 7 and east on Broward instead, the route would connect riders with neighborhoods and workplaces plus the Tri-Rail station at Broward and I-95.

But here's the problem: Most residents in those neighborhoods don't want it.

Joe Major, an activist who calls himself a "community advocate, freedom fighter, truth teller,'' sent a letter to county commissioners in May with the subject line "STOP THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AND STOP IT NOW!''

Major argued in his e-mailed letter that black central Broward communities have opposed the project for eight years.

The new direction endorsed by the MPO Thursday will focus more on how an east-west system would tie into Tri-Rail, and not compete with it. Planners also were asked to show how running buses on I-595 would serve workers in Plantation's Midtown and teachers and students at the cluster of colleges in Davie, since both destinations are not within walking distance of the highway.

Planners also said they don't want to duplicate plans already under way for a streetcar system in downtown Fort Lauderdale and a commuter train on the Florida East Coast Railway.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-595-broward-transit-20101014,0,3532063.story

Broward County Commission to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed 95 Express
Bus Service Changes Effective January 10, 2011.

The Broward County Commission will hold a public hearing at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14, 2010, at the Broward County Governmental Center, Room 422, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, for public input on proposed changes to the 95 Express Bus Service. The proposed changes would become effective on Monday, January 10, 2011.

The proposed service changes are:

* Discontinued service to the Golden Glades Park & Ride stop
* Discontinued reverse commute trips from Miami during the morning peak hours
* Discontinued reverse commute trips from Pembroke Pines during the afternoon peak hours

The efficiencies resulting from these proposed changes will provide for an additional 95 Express route between Miramar and downtown Miami with a stop at the Miramar Transit Center, stops along the Miami Civic Center business district, and stops in downtown Miami with no additional funding. Buses will operate along Red Road, the Florida Turnpike Extension, and then proceed on I-95 in the managed high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to the downtown Miami Bus Terminal. The Miramar Transit Center will serve as a park & ride for the expanded service.

http://www.broward.org/BCT/NewsAndEvents/Pages/News.aspx

Express bus Miramar to Miami begins Monday
By Daniel Chang, The Miami Herald
6:01 a.m. EST, January 5, 2011


MIRAMAR —
Commuters will have a new way to travel from Miramar to downtown Miami and back when Broward County Transit launches a weekday Express Bus Service on Monday.

The new service, dubbed 95 Express Miramar, will start at the Miramar Central Station at Civic Center Place and Red Road, and travel along Red Road, Florida's Turnpike Extension and then proceed southbound on Interstate 95 in the express lanes to downtown Miami.

The southbound bus will depart every 30 minutes on weekdays only, from 6 to 8:30 a.m., leaving from the Miramar Central Station, while the northbound bus will operate from 3:40 to 6:15 p.m. and leave from the Overtown Metrorail Station at Northwest Eighth Street and First Avenue in Miami.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/fl-miramar-express-bus-20110105,0,5069395.story

^^ Damn you're fast! I was gonna post that...Now back to business, I think this is awesome. Def a sign that Broward Co wants integration (by offering services while crossing county lines) in the metro area to solve the lack of mass transit we have...

Updates from the CBT...

SR 7/Broward Boulevard
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/CBT_Map_1.jpg


Griffin Road
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/CBT_Map_2.jpg


I-595 to I-95
A
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/CBT_Map_3.jpg


I-595 to I-95
B
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/CBT_Map_4.jpg

Wait, so all possible routes show rail in Ft Lauderdale, am I right? I like the Griffin Rd better...

Yes sir, streetcar. And from my understanding buses would be similar to the 95 Express at the least.

What is the difference between The Wave and Rail on the map? Will they have a trolley and a light rail system?

What is the difference between The Wave and Rail on the map? Will they have a trolley and a light rail system?

Yes.


Of course we will like the Griffin Road option better because it has the most rail (as far as most of us urban people here on this forum) .......we all know how things go. Hopefully it happens! I wish instead of Griffin Road it was a U shape line from the Airport to downtown (via Andrews Ave downtown), then Broward Blvd West to University Drive, University South to Nova Drive to end at the schools.

What is the difference between The Wave and Rail on the map? Will they have a trolley and a light rail system?

Both rail and the Wave are supposed to be streetcars. The Wave is planned by the DDA and supposedly will be ready to ride late 2014. We have a Wave thread = http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1138311

According to Sun-Sentinel's Michael Turnbell, FDOT is installing 73 new bus shelters. Picture from his Twitter feed...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/NewbussheltersbeinginstalledinBroward73ofthem.jpg (http://twitpic.com/4x57vt/full)
http://twitpic.com/4x57vt

^^ Nice!!! :cheers:

According to Sun-Sentinel's Michael Turnbell, FDOT is installing 73 new bus shelters. Picture from his Twitter feed...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee19/mrjones12345/NewbussheltersbeinginstalledinBroward73ofthem.jpg (http://twitpic.com/4x57vt/full)
http://twitpic.com/4x57vt

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1807/eek.gif

I can't decide if it's right out of The Terminator, Saw, or Edward Scissorhands...But that's creepy.

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1807/eek.gif

I can't decide if it's right out of The Terminator, Saw, or Edward Scissorhands...But that's creepy.

LOL!!!!!!!!!! :lol: The roof is not on yet...just wait till it's finished...

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1807/eek.gif

I can't decide if it's right out of The Terminator, Saw, or Edward Scissorhands...But that's creepy.

I like it...........Finally some edgy architecture instead of the boring fake Mediterranean style we usually get here.

I like it...........Finally some edgy architecture instead of the boring fake Mediterranean style we usually get here.

AGREE. That style has been flaccid forever but it still gets used as the "default" South Florida style over and over and over.

It looks great with old-school Coral Gables...the Hollywood train station...some other originals. Not so much the derivative shopping plaza/condo project/parking garage/whatever all across the region that copycat it in the most boring way possible. 'Campaniles' were not intended to overlook Johnny Rockets or Chinese take-out.

Boring as shit at this point.

We get it. Barrel-tile roofs, curved archways, and ochre-colored paint on an unfinished surface. 9-million things from Jupiter to Key Largo already look like that.

Plenty DOESN'T, too...but it's still far too overused and tired. More of the modern and (at least moderately) edgy, agreed.

Best of Broward: Broward County Transit is Moving to the Future


Broward County Transit (BCT) is "moving to the future" with one of the very best and most productive public bus systems in the nation, director Tim Garling told County Commissioners on May 10 at the fourth in the "Best of Broward" presentation series. "Best of Broward" is presented monthly at the beginning of a County Commission meeting and showcases a noteworthy County project or program.

"When you combine our fixed bus routes, community buses and Paratransit service, BCT provides close to 40 million rides each year," Garling told Commissioners. "BCT plays a large role in the future economic development, livability and sustainability of our County and region."

BCT strategies for meeting the future transit needs of the community include advancing regional travel by appealing to new and existing commuters, promoting energy efficiency, connecting with passengers through smart phones and other technology, and providing for rider safety, comfort and convenience. "And, we're working hard to attract the next generation of transit riders," said Garling.

Examples cited include:

• Two new I-595 Express routes from southwest Broward to downtown Fort Lauderdale and Miami are scheduled to launch in early 2012. New 95 Express Route service from southwest Broward County to downtown Miami and the Miami Civic Center area has been highly successful. Since the service was launched in January, ridership has increased 126 percent to more than 450 rides per day. These popular routes have 60-foot-long articulated buses, Wi-Fi capabilities and hybrid diesel engines that reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

• BCT was the first transit system in South Florida to introduce Google™ Transit to assist riders with online trip planning.

• Social media has been incorporated to appeal to a wider audience. A Facebook page provides frequent system updates and information of interest to customers. A BCT YouTube site includes a informative new "Go Green" video that shares the environmental benefits of using public transportation.

• "Real Time" bus information will be available via handheld devices, laptops and personal computers no later than 2013.

• Easier ways to pay a bus fare are in the works. Garling said plans include an interoperable fare payment system where customers can use a bank card or even a mobile phone to purchase trips on the BCT system.

• New customer comforts and conveniences are on the horizon. An aggressive, $23 million construction program calls for an additional 680 new bus shelters by 2014, bringing the system total to 1,177 countywide. The new Northeast Transit Center will open this fall at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach. Future construction projects include a major renovation at the Ravenswood Bus Facility in Dania Beach, a Park and Ride Lot at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, and an updated transfer facility at the Lauderhill Mall in Lauderhill.

"Technology is key to our future," Garling concluded, "but the strength of Broward County Transit has been and always will be its employees. We are all here to get you there."

For more information on Broward County Transit, visit www.broward.org/bct. To view the "Best of Broward" presentation on BCT, click here.

About Best of Broward

Throughout the year, Broward County Mayor Sue Gunzburger plans to highlight the "Best of Broward" by inviting an Agency or Division Director to publicly showcase the quality public services they provide with a brief presentation.

Broward County Commission meetings take place the first four Tuesdays of each month beginning at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.broward.org/Commission. Commission meetings are Webcast on www.broward.org/VideoCentral and televised live on participating cable channels.
http://www.broward.org/BCT/NewsAndEvents/Pages/BestofBrowardBrowardCountyTransitisMovingtotheFuture.aspx

Broward bus ridership drops despite higher gas prices


By Brittany Wallman, Sun Sentinel
July 29, 2011

At a time when people in Broward County might have been more inclined to take public transportation as gas prices skyrocketed, Broward made its buses harder to catch.

Routes were eliminated, bus stops were abandoned and the fare went up 25 cents.

And fewer people got on the bus.

Video: 2 killed, Tri-Rail delays after motorcycle falls on tracks from I-95

Ridership has been on the decline in Broward County since 2008, a trend that clashes with the official goal of getting more people to ride.

"We have seen a decline,'' Broward Transit Director Tim Garling said outside the downtown Fort Lauderdale bus terminal Thursday. But, he added, "we still have a very robust system.''

Transit experts said that when gas prices go up, bus ridership almost always goes up, too. Trouble is, they said, an increase in fares and the slashing of service has the opposite effect.

For Broward, that meant the opportunity to snare more riders frustrated with high gas prices was lost in the past few years to county financial woes, statistics show. From the 2008 budget year to now, $20.6 million was cut from transit, reducing spending to $116.2 million. Ridership over the past decade peaked in 2007 at 39.2 million, but dropped yearly after that, losing 2.6 million rider-trips by last year.

Something similar happened to the south, in Miami-Dade, where ridership on buses soared initially from the 2008 gas price spike. But a Miami-Dade Transit fare increase that year shot down the gains.

Palm Tran raised its fares before that, in fall 2007, and saw an immediate decline in ridership, officials there said.

Both systems have since rebounded, though, with more people riding.

Broward's still lags.

Broward Transportation Director Chris Walton said he expects to turn around the flagging ridership in the coming year. But he said high unemployment combined with the budget troubles to erode ridership.

The vast majority of transit riders are using buses to get to or from work, says Virginia Miller, spokeswoman for the American Public Transportation Association.

Many of them have low incomes, she said, and dropping an extra quarter into the fare box each way eats into their personal budgets. The new Broward fare: $1.75 for a one-way ticket.

Even if Broward he seen a surge in riders, that wouldn't have staved off the budget problems, Walton and Miller said.

Even the busiest bus services, like New York's, are heavily subsidized by taxpayers, Miller said.

The public picks up 70 percent of the cost for bus rides in Broward, Walton said, with passengers paying only 30 percent. That's a tad better than the national average, according to Miller, but it's a giant gap that can't be made up with increased ridership, they said.

"Even though we are probably one of the more efficient transit operations in the country … there isn't a transit system in the country that's going to make money,'' Walton said.

In the total transit budget, charges for services, including bus fares, were expected to bring in only $28.2 million, just 24 percent. Taxpayers paid most of the remaining $88 million.

At the same time, Broward reached out for more riders in recent years.

Advertisements reminded car drivers to give transit a try and touted a new bus service from Broward to Miami-Dade. Broward spent $237,614 marketing its system in the past two and a half years, spokeswoman Phyllis Berry said. Like other counties, Broward promoted free Wi-Fi on some of its vehicles. And 27 new, modern, hybrid buses worth about $21 million were added to the fleet, using federal funds.

But that effort to attract riders was all undercut by the budget-chopping in the background.

It's not that buses are running empty.

In fact, they have even more people on them, on average, Walton said. That's because the county sends fewer buses out, or consolidated bus routes to save money.

The changes were noticed. Emotional and upset bus riders spent hours last year telling county commissioners how their lives would change for the worse.

"It was excruciating for all of us,'' Walton recalled Thursday.

The system will likely be protected from cuts this year, when the budget is finalized in September, he said. Ridership likely will tick back up, he predicted.

"We're status quo now,'' he said this week. "We're not cutting anything.''
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-bus-ridership-drops-20110729,0,5262546.story

Summer 2011 Newsletter...

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Broward County Transit Getting New NABI Buses
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In order to better serve its 410 square mile service area, Broward County has placed an order for 50 new buses with North American Bus Industries (NABI), of Anniston, Al. The initial delivery, which is underway, will bring the total number of NABI buses to in Broward's fleet to 170 buses. The new buses will consist of both 40 foot and 60 foot BRT articulated buses.

"The current fleet of NABI buses in Broward County is providing the citizens of Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area with a dependable and efficient means of transportation and we are very pleased to be increasing our commitment to Broward's future. The LFW and BRT are producing good results for our customers and the BRT buses are growing rapidly in popularity due to the highly advanced styling," says Chris Dabbs, NABI's regional sales manager. All of the new buses will have cleaner burning diesel engines and many will benefit from Allison Hybrid propulsion technology. The new buses will include energy saving features such as electrified cooling and A/C componentry as well as passenger friendly seating.

In addition to using the new buses as replacements for retiring vehicles, Broward County is initiating specialized services which will use the highly styled BRT vehicles. These buses with their advanced aerodynamic style will be easily distinguishable from the regular fleet buses. Many of the new buses will have features such as Wi-Fi capability and individual charging stations for customer laptops and other devices, thereby making the commute both pleasant and productive. Attracting riders to use its buses and relieving traffic is a natural progression toward achieving the County's goal of enhancing the lives of Broward's citizens and visitors.

Timothy Garling, director of Broward County Transit Division agrees that the new innovations and new vehicles will benefit the system and further their effort to provide the best services possible to passengers.
http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/10343513/broward-county-transit-getting-new-nabi-buses

Buses carry well-heeled from Broward to downtown Miami
Ridership exploding on 95 Express bus


By Brittany Wallman and Michael Turnbell, Staff writers
10:32 a.m. EDT, September 22, 2011


This bus route is like none other in Broward. Riders park their luxury cars before boarding. They carry iPads and laptops to enjoy free Wi-Fi. The line is lengthy, full of business and medical professionals, the buses standing-room-only.

Broward transit officials say it's their most successful new route, the "95 Express" ride from Miramar to downtown Miami. And it represents the future of mass transit here, they said: A bus ride that's actually faster and more convenient than driving.

Unlike the typical bus rider in Broward, the Broward-to-Miami riders are often high-income earners — doctors, nurses headed to hospitals downtown, courtroom employees, state and federal employees.

"If you get there early enough,'' Broward Transportation Director Chris Walton said of the bus stop, "you'll see the cars — the Mercedes, the Volvos, the BMWs.'

While ridership on Broward County buses declines overall, it's exploding on the Broward-to-Miami routes, Walton said. Officials say they are challenged to meet the demand, even with extra-long, 60-foot buses.

Wednesday morning on the 6:35 a.m. bus from Miramar, every one of the 58 seats filled up quickly, a dozen passengers had to stand for the 40-minute ride, and another dozen were left on the sidewalk to wait for the next bus.

In line to board, a supervisor in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Patti Ambrosio, gushed to another rider, "I'm never going to drive again!''

The county has a second route to Miami, in Pembroke Pines, departing from C.B. Smith Park. Between the two federally funded routes, some 20,000-plus riders took advantage of the easy ride to Miami in June.

Walton said the county hopes to get more "choice riders,'' people who could drive, but choose to ride a bus instead. To do so, he said, the bus must be competitive with driving times for those in cars. Buses that stop every few blocks aren't.

"Quite frankly,'' he said, "I would ride the bus every day if I could get to work faster. … It's hassle-free.''

To reach further into the "choice rider'' market, Broward Transit will launch two new, round-trip, state-funded routes to Miami in the spring — one from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, the other from Weston Road and State Road 84. Both routes will also send buses to downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Miami-Dade Transit runs I-95 express buses from Broward to Miami as well, leaving from park-and-ride lots at Broward Boulevard and at Sheridan Street. The buses carry 1,210 passengers a day, up 57 percent from a year ago.

By comparison, I-95 carries anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 drivers a day between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. In June, solo drivers at rush hour paid as much as $3.75 to use southbound express lanes and $7 in the northbound express lanes.

Officials expect the express buses to become more attractive to drivers who are fed up with congestion but are unwilling to pay tolls to commute in the express lanes, which will be extended north to Broward Boulevard by 2013.

No such service exists between Broward and Palm Beach counties. Commuters between those counties drive or take Tri-Rail.

Marc Cohen, an operations manager at a surveillance company, has been riding the Pembroke Pines express route to his downtown Miami office since the service began in January 2010. He estimates he's saved 16,000 miles off his speedometer, $2,000 in gas and $1,000 in tolls and parking fees over the last 20 months vs. $1,600 he's paid to ride the bus.

He's also watched episodes of the Sopranos on his laptop, read three novels and responded to hundreds upon hundreds of emails.

"I am signing on with my laptop and connecting to my desktop at the office. My clients are impressed. 'In the office already?' they ask," Cohen said. "It sure beats staring into a maze of thick traffic, fearing some lane changer is going to sideswipe you or the person behind who has been texting away is going to look up in time and stop before rear-ending you."

But some still find there's room for improvement.

While she likes saving money on gas, tolls and wear and tear on her car, Predencia Smith said the buses are too crowded. Smith, who works for Miami-Dade County government, rides the Pines route four times a week.

"The ads show the [extra long buses] but that's not always what we get," she said. "The ridership has increased so the smaller buses are cramped on such a long ride.''

The new express routes don't stop along the way. It's a straight shot from one county to the other, starting at 5:45 a.m., and back at the end of the work day, up until 7:30 p.m. Riders pay $2.35 one-way and park in Broward for free. Riders said they also get car insurance discounts for not using their vehicles for work.

The buses are locked at 65 miles per hour and can't go faster, Walton said. But they do take the express lane, without requiring drivers to pay the congestion-priced toll.

Riders like taking a single bus from Broward to downtown Miami without switching or stopping, like they'd they have to do on Tri-Rail.

About 12,000 people ride Tri-Rail and 30 percent of them switch to Metrorail to continue to downtown Miami. Some must then switch again to the Metromover.

"This is my book,'' hospital information technology employee Joanna Klipper said, holding up a paperback on the bus Wednesday morning.

"I read, I have my iPhone, I Tweet, I read my emails. … I can do whatever I want, that does not include driving.''
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-broward-buses4-wealthy-20110921,0,1041791.story

^^
And it represents the future of mass transit here, they said

Sigh....

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-broward-buses4-wealthy-20110921,0,1041791.story

We need weekend service as well.

Two October meetings...

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.
West Regional Library, Multi-Purpose Room
8601 W. Broward Boulevard, Plantation, FL
Brief presentation - 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.
IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum, Events Hall
300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL
Brief presentation - 6:30 p.m.


PDF news flyer - http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com/library/Flyerv01.pdf

I Miss the real BCT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBSNYAuDECM

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On the Griffin Road Alternative, by the S.F. Education Center I saw
the Griffin/University option, the Nova/Davie option, or the CW loop option.http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/cbts20111011pg2.png/http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/cbts20111011pg1.png/http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/cbts20111011pg2.png/

Residents warm to east-west transit plans

By Michael Turnbell, Sun Sentinel
4:50 p.m. EDT, October 15, 2011


When commuters from the western suburbs head to Fort Lauderdale or the airport, they drive if they want to get there on time.

In five years, they might be able to make the same trip on a bus or streetcar unlike anything that exists today in Broward County.

Residents say they've warmed up to the idea. That's because state officials dropped plans for a $1 billion east-west light rail system after nearly a decade of study and little progress.

Residents didn't want loud subway-style trains running by their neighborhoods.

Now state officials say the western half of the route would be served mostly by rapid transit buses. Modern streetcars would be used between the Tri-Rail, downtown Fort Lauderdale and the airport.

"With the price of gas, something like this is going to be needed by 2035," said Linda Anderson, who was among about 40 people who attended two public meetings on the project last week.

Unlike light rail, which operates in an exclusive lane, streetcars usually run in the same lane as automobiles. Streetcar vehicles are powered by overhead electric lines but operate as single cars. They are a bit larger than city buses, but smaller, less intrusive and cheaper to build than light-rail trains.

Neither exists in Broward today. Tri-Rail is classified as commuter rail, which is larger and runs on freight tracks.

"We've taken a step back and listened to the public and tried to give them what [residents] want," said Khalilah Ffrench, project manager for the Florida Department of Transportation.

Two routes are being considered.

Both start at Sawgrass Mills, run through the Sawgrass Corporate Park and east along Interstate 595 to Nova Southeastern University. From there, they differ in how they get to downtown and the airport.

One runs up State Road 7, east on Broward Boulevard by the Tri-Rail station and on to downtown, then south to the airport. The other would run south to Griffin Road, then to the Dania Beach Tri-Rail station, the airport, downtown and the Broward Boulevard Tri-Rail station.

The state will seek formal approval of the route in fall 2012, the last step before asking the federal government to help pay for the construction. Still to be determined: how the state and county would pay their share and the cost of running the service.

The idea of a premium east-west transit line that moves more efficiently than the bus system was born about a decade ago as a companion to a major upgrade of I-595.

Officials say mass transit will be necessary to keep up with growing traffic demands in 20 years when I-595 can't be widened any more.

Ffrench said a new I-595 express bus service to downtown Fort Lauderdale will lay the groundwork for the future premium buses or streetcars.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-east-west-mass-transit-20111015,0,2815876.story

Detailed view of proposed routes:

http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com/meeting_materials.php


Updated timeline on first post/page

Detailed view of proposed routes:

http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com/meeting_materials.php


Updated timeline on first post/page

So both options contemplate to have a street car at the eastern portion of the route! That's great!!! I'm not so sure about the middle section around NOVA/BCC/FIU Campuses. Is there enough ridership for a street car?

FL: Plan Seeks to Speed bus Trips Between Fort Lauderdale, Aventura

BY MICHAEL TURNBELL, SUN SENTINEL, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

Broward County received a $686,000 federal grant to help figure out how technology could speed up buses on its third-busiest route. Unlike some studies which drag on, officials hope to complete the process in a year, focusing on ideas that can be built...



Feb. 13--It's hard for buses to get anywhere fast in South Florida. They battle the same traffic lights and congestion that frustrate people who drive cars.

But what if buses were given a bit of an advantage over cars?

Broward County officials are looking to do just that on U.S. 1 between downtown Fort Lauderdale and Aventura.

The county received a $686,000 federal grant to help figure out how technology could speed up buses on its third-busiest route. Unlike some studies which drag on, officials hope to complete the process in a year, focusing on ideas that can be built quickly.

"The future is technology. We're going to have a lot of traffic no matter what. Our only hope to get traffic off the roads is to run the bus system better," said Tim Garling, director of Broward County Transit.

A growing number of transit agencies around the country are turning to tools like "queue jumping" lanes to cut bus travel times. A queue jump is a special lane that allows buses to leapfrog congested lines of cars at intersections. Buses in the lane get a green light about 10 seconds ahead of other motorists.

As a bus approaches an intersection with other cars, it goes into a right-turn lane with other turning traffic. As cars turn right, the buses continue through the intersection and then merge back into traffic. An existing lane also could be converted to a queue jump lane if room isn't available to add one.

Transit experts say it can save a bus up to 30 percent of its travel time on a route.

"As a bus pulls up to a bus stop on the near side of an intersection, it gives that bus the first green light," Garling said. "Instead of falling behind a platoon of vehicles, it gives the bus a chance to get out in front."

On one major bus route in San Diego, about $2.3 million was spent to build queue jump lanes, install a communication system between buses and traffic signals and build bus shelters that tell riders when the next bus is coming. Bus pull-out lanes have saved roughly six minutes of travel time on the six-mile-long route. The pull-out lanes are only for buses and drivers making right turns.

About 8,300 passengers ride buses along U.S. 1 between Fort Lauderdale and Aventura, including about 700 who ride a limited stop service called the Breeze. Major stops include Southeast 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Young Circle in Hollywood, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach and Aventura Mall.

"I'm for anything that could make the bus ride a little faster and on schedule," said Kimberly Houston, a cosmetologist who takes the bus from Hollywood to Aventura Mall. "If the bus is late, it's so annoying. Even worse when it's raining," she said.

The study also will look at bus stop locations -- the pros and cons of putting a stop before or after an intersection -- as well as equipping buses with sensors to control traffic lights along the route. The sensors would prevent a green light from turning red if a bus is close.

Currently, buses can only communicate with traffic signals on one route in the county that runs along Hollywood/Pines Boulevard.

"If we can get a bus from Point A to Point B faster than we do now, we'll save operating dollars. And it will allow us to use the same number of buses and run them more often," Garling said.
http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/10628113/fl-plan-seeks-to-speed-bus-trips-between-fort-lauderdale-aventura

Community Meetings on the proposed 595 Express Bus Service, at the locations below:

Main Library - Auditorium 1st floor
Tuesday, April 10 - 6 to 7:30 p.m.
100 S. Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale
All bus routes to Broward Central Terminal-short walk

Sunrise Dan Pearl Branch Library - Community Meeting Room
Wednesday, April 11 - 6 to 7:30 p.m.
10500 W. Oakland Park Boulevard
Sunrise
Bus routes 55, 56 Shuttle, 72

The 595 Express Bus Service is proposed to operate weekdays between the BankAtlantic Center in the City of Sunrise to Miami/Brickell and to downtown Fort Lauderdale during morning and afternoon peak traffic hours.

A public hearing by the Board of County Commissioners to approve the service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at the Broward County Governmental Center, 4th floor, 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.
http://www.broward.org/bct/newsandevents/pages/news.aspx

Express buses set to run from Sunrise to Fort Lauderdale and Miami

By Michael Turnbell, Sun Sentinel
4:01 a.m. EDT, April 10, 2012


Drivers fed up with construction on Interstate 595 and high gas prices could soon have have an alternative to get from Sunrise to downtown Fort Lauderdale and downtown Miami.

They'll be able to exchange their car keys for free WiFi, high-back seats and the ability to charge their laptops or mobile phones while someone else drives.

Barring any last minute changes, the newest express bus service – 595 Express – is scheduled to start May 29. It should take buses 40 to 50 minutes to travel the entire Sunrise to Fort Lauderdale route, and about 70 minutes to get from Sunrise to downtown Miami.

"It will be time well spent doing other things than driving a car," said Broward County Transit spokeswoman Phyllis Berry.

Another express bus route from Weston is planned but no start date has been announced.

Transit officials will seek public input at meetings Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale and Wednesday in Sunrise, then go to the Broward County Commission for final approval on April 24.

Plans call for buses to depart BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise every 30 minutes from 6 to 9 a.m. and return from Fort Lauderdale and Miami every 30 minutes from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays.

The route to downtown Fort Lauderdale will stop at Southeast 17th Street and U.S. 1, Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue and the Fort Lauderdale Tri-Rail station near Broward and I-95. The route to downtown Miami will stop at the Dania Beach Tri-Rail station en route to the Brickell Financial District.

Both routes will have a limited number of reverse trips for commuters traveling in the opposite direction, such as someone who lives in downtown Fort Lauderdale but works at Sawgrass Mills.

Broward County Transit, which runs 95 Express buses from Pembroke Pines and Miramar to Miami, will operate the new service.

The Pembroke Pines express buses carried an average of 366 riders a day in February, up 66 percent over the previous year. The Miramar express buses carried an average of 942 riders a day in February, up more than 200 percent compared to last February.

Buses have become crowded enough that the county has had to bring extra "day tripper" buses on the Miramar to Miami route so passengers aren't standing. "We can't keep up," Berry said.

Officials are trying to secure a park-and-ride lot location for another 595 Express bus route between Weston and downtown Fort Lauderdale and downtown Miami. The Florida Department of Transportation is covering the $2.1 million annual cost of both the Sunrise and Weston routes.

For now, the buses will travel the regular lanes of I-595 with other traffic.

But in 2014, once the reconstruction of I-595 is completed, the buses will be able to use reversible express lanes now being built in the median. Those lanes will carry traffic eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening on weekdays. The lanes will be open to solo drivers willing to pay a toll.

On I-95, the buses will use the carpool lanes between I-595 and the Golden Glades interchange, then express lanes en route to Miami. However, the carpool lane restrictions may go away later this year between I-595 and the Golden Glades as crews re-stripe and widen the highway to extend the express lanes north to Fort Lauderdale. In late 2014, the buses will be able to use the express lanes from Fort Lauderdale all the way to Miami.

Fares will be the same as the existing express bus routes: $2.35 a trip or $85 for a monthly pass.

Broward County Transit is holding public meetings to get comments on the new service. The meetings are 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Broward County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Dan Pearl Branch Library, 10500 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise.

The County Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposal at 2 p.m. April 24.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-595-express-buses-20120409,0,6539794.story

3 million likely to ride Broward east-west transit line, state officials say
Proposed route would cost up to $467 million

By Michael Turnbell, Sun Sentinel
6:27 p.m. EDT, April 18, 2012


A proposed east-west mass transit line linking the western suburbs and Fort Lauderdale would cost up to $467 million to build and carry about 3 million riders a year, according to state officials.

It's the first time the state has attached costs and ridership numbers to the plan, which relies on both "premium" buses and streetcars. It is a cheaper alternative to a $1 billion light rail system bashed by residents several years ago.

Broward County planners will consider the proposal and choose a route in June. After that, the state will ask the federal government to help pay for construction. There is no timetable for completion, but it would likely be 2015 or beyond.

There are two routes being considered. Both start at Sawgrass Mills and run east along Interstate 595 to Nova Southeastern University. From there, they differ in how they get to downtown and the airport.

One runs up State Road 7, east on Broward Boulevard to downtown, then south to the airport and the Dania Beach Tri-Rail station. The other runs south to Griffin Road, then to the airport, downtown and the Broward Boulevard Tri-Rail station.

Buses with high-back seats and outlets to charge laptops and phones would serve the western half of the route. Streetcars, running in the same lane as automobiles, would operate between the Broward Boulevard Tri-Rail station, downtown, the airport and the Dania Beach Tri-Rail station.

The Griffin Road portion of the route would be served by either buses or streetcars.

Some think the route won't lure people from their cars.

"These transit routes don't go from point A to point B. They hit the entire alphabet before getting to either downtown or the airport," said Howard Bakalar, of Plantation. "Do you really mean to tell me that reasonable people would actually choose this as a transit route to either get to their downtown jobs or get to the airport?"

Details about the proposal presented during public meetings this week will be available Friday at centralbrowardtransit.com.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-east-west-streetcars-buses-20120418,0,5303980.story

New, 595 Express Bus Service to Start on May 29

Complimentary Rides for Passengers During First Week of Service!

The new, 595 Express will provide two routes from the Sunrise park-and-ride located at the BankAtlantic Center: one to downtown Miami/Brickell Avenue and the other to downtown Fort Lauderdale, with reverse commuter trips to and from Sawgrass Mills Mall. Service will operate approximately every 30 minutes on weekdays during morning and afternoon peak traffic hours. Click here (http://www.broward.org/BCT/MapsAndSchedules/Pages/MapsAndSchedules.aspx) for schedule and route map information.
http://www.broward.org/BCT/Pages/Default.aspx