Miami-Dade cannot afford two-thirds of Metrorail projects promised to voters

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by Miami High Rise

Anyway, a Metrorail line even farther east of the FEC line seems like it would be great, why has no one proposed this?

It was proposed, years ago (running roughly up the us1 corridor to Aventura).

Never made the planning stage and there was never any funding for it.

No plans exist currently.

[CalleOchoGringo]

This guy's article nails it. At least, he nails what's been Miami's problem up until now. But doesn't mean it's gonna stay that way...

I do believe that the CBD is starting to make serious inroads that it never made in the entire lifetime of the city before. Inroads that make the main downtown worth living in (especially Edgewater and Brickell). Thrown in a few thousand rich retirees from Manhattan that don't wanna give up the dense urban and sophisticated lifestyle but do wanna give up snow for the rest of their lives, AND THEN throw in some rich (or at least up and coming middle class) people from growing economies in South America looking for a familiar (yet still international) culture in a stable country, and you have a recipe for a BOOMING residential market in the CBD coming years.

At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I would dare say that Miami is in more of a position to become the next Manhattan than just about any other city in the world.

The city of Miami should really start fostering growth of middle income high-rise developments in the coming years. The kind that don't have crap ton's of amenities and a ridiculous price. Nor the kind that are "affordable housing" (another word for projects/ghettos in this country, with all the negativity that entails). But housing for the true middle class (apartments around 100-200k). If I could build you a building like that even CLOSE to the CBD, I would fill it to capacity (with non-investors) immediately in the WORST real estate market!

[CalleOchoGringo]

Originally Posted by Miami High Rise

And as far as ridiculous commutes, I know people that drive all the way from northwest Broward to downtown miami every day just so they can have a "normal" two story house with a yard.

I live in a normal one story house with a yard that's 5 min's from downtown Miami. You can find them easy. They just aren't McMansions with cul-du-sacs out front, if THAT's your idea of normal. What I am having trouble finding though, is a well paid job in or close to the CBD. Almost every good job I have to drive out to a suburb for.

I find Broward to be the same. Most good paying jobs up there are Sunrise, Plantation, Miramar, that I-95/Coconut Creek interchange or Boca! Anywhere BUT the downtown FLL area!

[massp88]

Originally Posted by CalleOchoGringo

This guy's article nails it. At least, he nails what's been Miami's problem up until now. But doesn't mean it's gonna stay that way...

I do believe that the CBD is starting to make serious inroads that it never made in the entire lifetime of the city before. Inroads that make the main downtown worth living in (especially Edgewater and Brickell). Thrown in a few thousand rich retirees from Manhattan that don't wanna give up the dense urban and sophisticated lifestyle but do wanna give up snow for the rest of their lives, AND THEN throw in some rich (or at least up and coming middle class) people from growing economies in South America looking for a familiar (yet still international) culture in a stable country, and you have a recipe for a BOOMING residential market in the CBD coming years.

At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I would dare say that Miami is in more of a position to become the next Manhattan than just about any other city in the world.

The city of Miami should really start fostering growth of middle income high-rise developments in the coming years. The kind that don't have crap ton's of amenities and a ridiculous price. Nor the kind that are "affordable housing" (another word for projects/ghettos in this country, with all the negativity that entails). But housing for the true middle class (apartments around 100-200k). If I could build you a building like that even CLOSE to the CBD, I would fill it to capacity (with non-investors) immediately in the WORST real estate market!

I don't think Miami will ever become Miami, nor do I think any city in the world will. A city should have its own character/niche and not try to be a carbon copy of another city. Besides, I don't want Miami to become Manhattan. I think Miami is its own great and unique city. You come here and you know you are in Miami. Its different than most other bland and boring (in my opinion) southern cities like Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Orlando for example.

Manhattan does have one big thing that Miami lacks and that's a decent transit system. You don't need to own a car if you live in Manhattan. In Miami you do.


The city and metro area are only going to grow, we can only widen and add some many expressways. It's only a band aid, not a long term solution. We need to focus on building a widespread transit system or else traffic is only going to get worse. And as traffic gets worse, the air follows the same route.

Transit oriented development, which has been done pretty well in a city like Boston for example, should be a major focus going forward. Miami could learn a lot from a city like Vancouver. They have a ton of residential towers in their downtown core, but traffic is not bad at all.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by spellbound

It was proposed, years ago (running roughly up the us1 corridor to Aventura).

Never made the planning stage and there was never any funding for it.

No plans exist currently.

Always crushing my Metrorail dreams with facts!

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Always crushing my Metrorail dreams with facts!

Hey, I tried warning people years ago that 'No Funding of Colossus of Savalas = No Future Metrorail Expansion' but did they listen?

[Bobdreamz]

The idea of allowing cars to pay a toll and use the Busway is assinine & defeats the purpose of getting people out of their cars and using mass transit in the first place. The county owns the right of way all the way down to Florida City so why not extend Metrorail as was originally proposed?
By the way how can MDX even propose such a thing since they are a seperate agency that doesn't give a dime to the transit agency from all of the tolls they collect?
The southern portion of Metrorail south of the Government Center carries over 30,000 passengers a day. Imagine the increased ridership from the Cutler Ridge/Cutler Bay areas (the buses are always full in Cutler Ridge coming from the Dadeland South station) & from Homestead.
Allowing cars unto the busway defeats the purpose of allowing buses to move quickly.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

The idea of allowing cars to pay a toll and use the Busway is assinine & defeats the purpose of getting people out of their cars and using mass transit in the first place. The county owns the right of way all the way down to Florida City so why not extend Metrorail as was originally proposed?
By the way how can MDX even propose such a thing since they are a seperate agency that doesn't give a dime to the transit agency from all of the tolls they collect?
The southern portion of Metrorail south of the Government Center carries over 30,000 passengers a day. Imagine the increased ridership from the Cutler Ridge/Cutler Bay areas (the buses are always full in Cutler Ridge coming from the Dadeland South station) & from Homestead.
Allowing cars unto the busway defeats the purpose of allowing buses to move quickly.

Agree one trillion percent!!!!

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[CrimsonCane]

Originally Posted by Miami High Rise

Also, as far as the AirpotLink, is it true that the trains will run straight through to Dade Land South, therefore there will be no notorious "transfer at Earlington Heights?"

I thought this was a little clearer in its explanation:

With the opening of the Miami International Airport Station scheduled for spring 2012, the Metrorail system will have two rail lines: the Green and Orange Lines.

The Orange Line will take passengers to the future Miami International Airport Metrorail station, whereas the Green Line will follow the original route of the Metrorail system. Each train on the track will be identified as either a Green or Orange Line train by signage and through announcements made by train operators to ensure that passengers are aware of the route they are on.
Passengers beginning their journey from Dadeland South Station have two travel options: they can hop aboard an Orange Line train that will take them northbound directly to the Miami International Airport Metrorail Station without any transfers necessary; or they can utilize a Green Line train and transfer from any station between Dadeland South and Earlington Heights Stations to an Orange Line train.

Please note that the Earlington Heights Station is the last transfer point between the Green and Orange Lines if passengers wish to arrive at the Miami International Airport Metrorail Station.

Those passengers whose destination is not the Miami International Airport Metrorail Station can simply stay on a Green Line train or transfer to it from an Orange Line train at any station between Dadeland South and Earlington Heights Stations when traveling northbound.

Each train identified as a Green Line train will take passengers to all 22 existing Metrorail stations.

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/improve_signage.asp

If you ride Metrorail, you'll see that they already put up the new signs for the two lines. Here's the signage as a PDF. http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/lib...n_Line_Map.pdf

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[CalleOchoGringo]

I never understood why the Metrorail didn't just expand one station at a time. Pay a much smaller amount for only one station expansion, slowly creeping Westward over the years like they do with roads (heck they just expanded 836 out to 137th St recently for God knows how much).

Rising costs of gas should make expansion a more politically popular option.


Also, regarding the vacant space around Northside and others. The do need to continue the infill with TOD for the poor. You certainly can't change those neighborhoods economically with any development, but at least you can provide more affordable housing for Miami's poor ethnic minorities around an existing system that is being underutilized in that area.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by CalleOchoGringo

I never understood why the Metrorail didn't just expand one station at a time. Pay a much smaller amount for only one station expansion, slowly creeping Westward over the years like they do with roads (heck they just expanded 836 out to 137th St recently for God knows how much).

Rising costs of gas should make expansion a more politically popular option.


Also, regarding the vacant space around Northside and others. The do need to continue the infill with TOD for the poor. You certainly can't change those neighborhoods economically with any development, but at least you can provide more affordable housing for Miami's poor ethnic minorities around an existing system that is being underutilized in that area.

I like your thinking...I am ALWAYS for a growing Metrorail...no matter how incremental. I have written this till I am blue in the face---the current configuration of Metrorail is only a phase of what was promised to us in the 60s and 70s. Without going to the airport....FIU....south dade...Joe Robbie Stadium...not to mention Broward or Miami Beach---is it any wonder that ridership was low...?

[CalleOchoGringo]

Using the assumptions of how much it cost us per mile to build the MIC extension (2.4/mi @ $290 mil), then it would costs us a mere $223.5 million to build a 1.85 mile extension from Overtown to Midtown. To put it in context the 836 extension we built recently out to 137th St. was $137 million total. Surely the city would be able to pull together money for this or a loan without the need for Federal financial help.

This extension would not only allow for those who live in Midtown a car-less commute to downtown. But it would connect the existing midtown businesses Target (Walmart soon?) to those who live downtown (a place that severely lacks big box retail and always will). This extension while not the sexiest would clearly be the most pragmatic and cost effective short extension we could build in the relatively near term future. Also it would setup the possibility of that extension hanging a right turn along the Julia Tuttle out to Miami Beach. I believe Gabe mentioned this to be the most cost effective way to get out there once. And of course, aside from the bridges, the line could be brought to grade to drastically lower the per mile cost to get out there.

[brickell]

Originally Posted by CalleOchoGringo

I never understood why the Metrorail didn't just expand one station at a time. Pay a much smaller amount for only one station expansion, slowly creeping Westward over the years like they do with roads (heck they just expanded 836 out to 137th St recently for God knows how much).

This. But at this point I wouldn't mind seeing some money go towards an expanding light rail network too.

[brickell]

Originally Posted by Miami High Rise

Yes, but how would that line operate?

I would get shot in Hialeah, but I'd make the Green Line extend north from Overtown station towards Midtown. Orange line would go to the airport as currently envisioned. The Hialeah/Palmetto line would terminate at Government Center or Brickell and turn around.

[South Florida]

What about a line to coral gables from the airport?

[theEmbarcadero]

If only one new line ever got built...it HAS to be...downtown...east west...marlins stadium....and then on to fiu---run it right over the dolphin expy if u have to....

[South Florida]

Originally Posted by Miami High Rise

On the way to FIU is as close as it would get. The Green Line already technically goes through Coral Gables/borders the south/east side. With the FIU line it would be bordered twice by Metrorail. Coral Gables doesn't want Metrorail going through it's city. It has a successful, free trolley.

Do you think that upon the completion of miami intermodal center copiled with higher gas prices, an attempt to look at extending metrorail may be proposed in the years after the Miami Intermodal Center opens?

I commute daily east to west on the dolphin, and get stuck in the traffic jams caused by daily traffic as well as construction on the palmetto and dolphin interchange, if their was a metrorail line parrael to the dolphin, i would use metrorail instead of commuting.