South Florida Transportation Part II

[dave8721]

Flat screen TV's for the Gables Trolley and a new trolley for Homestead:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/080918/fyi.shtml

TV ON TROLLEYS: Coral Gables is gearing up its Gables Trolley with interior flat screen TVs, which the city says are to display "informative entertainment." The city is starting an aggressive marketing project with Arcoart Plus/Trolinet, a local company that produces visual advertising, public service announcements and content, to help market Gables' hot spots such as restaurants, art galleries, shopping option and cultural events. These new source of revenues are to help support operations of the bus route. The city commission approved the proposal last month to aid the trolley service, which began in 2003.
ANOTHER TROLLEY BY GOLLY: Miami-Dade County's transit committee approved Sept. 10 a measure to run trolley routes in Homestead. Commissioner Katy Sorenson said "this is a great project, and it will really add mobility in that city."

[kevinkagy]

Are the flat screens really necessary? I mean, I'm sure it could be viable with the advertising, but at the sime time it could be a financial burden with improvements and the like. Thanks for the update though.

[kevinkagy]

From Miami Today:

http://miamitodaynews.com/news/080918/fyi.shtml

"QUESTIONING HEAVY RAIL: Fish or cut bait on the planned North Corridor Metrorail extension, Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson said at a Transit Committee meeting last week. "We have to be realistic," she said. "As of today we don't really have a funding source." Because of funding constraints, "heavy rail may not be in the future for this county," she said, suggesting fast buses or light rail instead. The county is projected to need $9 billion over the next 30 years to maintain current systems and build planned projects like the extension. Fare hikes passed this month are to help close the gap. Though she said she understands plans may need to change, Commissioner Barbara Jordan maintained that, until the commission officially decides to switch gears, it's important to stay in line for federal funding for the Metrorail project. "Why should we hold back not being part of the game if there's a shot? At least we have an application there," she said. Ms. Sorenson suggested someone write legislation to offer direction in the back and forth. "Maybe we need to have it out once and for all."

[spellbound]

As much as we transit fans may not want to hear the kind of thing Sorensen is saying, you have to give her kudos for being honest. She may be the first county commissioner to be so frank (at least publically) and say that Metrorail has hit a brick wall with expansion and it's time to explore other alternatives. Even the North corridor seems like it's dead in the water at this point---with no indication its downgraded status with the feds is going to change anytime soon. The other stuff like the E/W line may as well be a proposal to colonize Mars at this point. Not happening.

But good for her that she didn't just say 'more buses' as an alternative. She mentioned light-rail and more than ever that's where I think the emphasis MUST move towards. It may not be the kind of transit expansion many of us dreamed of but it's certainly more cost-effective...clean...and (most importantly) viable from a federal funding standpoint in ways that the sadly dying Metrorail dream never could be.

I think the challenge now is to put pressure on MDTA to once and for all come up with progressive, viable light-rail plans that make sense...and much as I hate to say it, pretty much mothball Metrorail (except for what already exists and the MIC, obviously). We really have hit that juncture and unless they get moving the 'more buses' scenario will wind up being the only thing that actually happens.

[AddictedToSpace]

I have an idea. Lets sell some bonds, our soul, to China and finance our entire Metrorail dream. Hey it works for the Federal Government why can't it work for the city with the most beautiful people in the world?

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by AddictedToSpace

I have an idea. Lets sell some bonds, our soul, to China and finance our entire Metrorail dream. Hey it works for the Federal Government why can't it work for the city with the most beautiful people in the world?

If it meant expansion I could deal with transferring at the "Lao Tse Zhuyong" station.

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by AddictedToSpace

I have an idea. Lets sell some bonds, our soul, to China and finance our entire Metrorail dream. Hey it works for the Federal Government why can't it work for the city with the most beautiful people in the world?

Did you know the U.S. is now auctioning off more of it's national debt in order to raise the funds needed for the $85 billion bailout loan of AIG? Our deficit has gotten so bad that our AAA credit rating is really in jeopardy. We need to change this, vote Obama.

[AddictedToSpace]

Originally Posted by Endeavor305

Did you know the U.S. is now auctioning off more of it's national debt in order to raise the funds needed for the $85 billion bailout loan of AIG? Our deficit has gotten so bad that our AAA credit rating is really in jeopardy. We need to change this, vote Obama.

Don't forget the $200 Billion for Fannie & Fredie, $27 Billion for Bear Sterns and the possibly, no most likely $50 Billion for GM and who knows how much for WaMu!

[Endeavor305]

I think WaMu will need to merge with someone. From what I've read it doesn't seem like WaMu is goning to get bailed out by the Fed. There were talks earlier this week about merging with JP Morgan. All I know is this economy has gotten real ugly.

[AddictedToSpace]

Originally Posted by Endeavor305

I think WaMu will need to merge with someone. From what I've read it doesn't seem like WaMu is goning to get bailed out by the Fed. There were talks earlier this week about merging with JP Morgan. All I know is this economy has gotten real ugly.

But worry not my country men, the fundamentals are sound.

[theDirector]

HAHA

[Exploratus]

Biden was on the train being followed by the press. He was chatting with the press about how he goes home every day, and appologizing to other riders for the commotion. When someone passed by, he told them to vote for Obama/Biden and then he said that if they get elected, this will be the friendliest train administration ever. From what I gather according to their policy, they are going to push for public transportation and sustainable urban development.

[kevinkagy]

Tri-Rail ridership skyrockets while some local expressways see less-dramatic decrease in traffic
http://miamitodaynews.com/news/080925/story6.shtml

For months, public transportation ridership has climbed by double-digit percentages locally, probably in response to high gas prices and a weak economy.
The shift has thinned traffic on some local expressways, though not as dramatically as transit ridership has jumped.
Tri-Rail last week posted its second-highest ridership day in the system's nearly 20-year history: 17,241 riders rode the trains Sept. 18.
The only single day more riders used the service was June 23, 2006, when a downtown Miami parade celebrated the Miami Heat's NBA championship victory.
Thus far, September's weekday ridership is tracking 33.2% above September 2007.
Also this month, Tri-Rail is averaging more than 16,100 passengers on weekdays, the highest monthly average ever, spokesman Bonnie Arnold said.
In August, Tri-Rail weekday ridership was up 30% from August 2007.
"The whole industry is seeing tremendous growth," said Joseph Giulietti, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which runs Tri-Rail.
Transit ridership in Miami-Dade has been climbing, though data are not as up to date.
In June, Metrorail ridership was up 11.5% over June 2007.
During the same period, Metrobus ridership jumped 6.4% and Metromover 1.5%.
June data are the most recent Miami-Dade Transit has now, spokesman John Labriola said.
David Clodfelter, chief of budget, audit and reporting, attributed the delay in statistics to a lengthy auditing process.
"Ridership data is extracted from bus fare boxes and turnstile readings, which are tabulated at the end of the month and then audited for accuracy, which includes reconciling fare-box data with revenue that comes in," he said in an e-mail.
A planned automated fare-collection system is designed to change that.
"The new EASY Card automated fare collection system that will be implemented over the next several months will greatly reduce the time it takes to produce ridership reports while increasing their accuracy," he said. "Data will be available immediately by means of electronic passenger counters."
The regional Tri-Rail system already tabulates daily data.
More than 17,000 passengers traveled Monday, Ms. Arnold said.
Tri-Rail runs from Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade and serves commuters within the tri-county area.
Many who make the commute in their cars travel Florida's Turnpike.
Average Turnpike traffic counts at three Miami-Dade toll plazas dropped this summer by 3.8% to 8.8%.
An average of about 3.6 million drivers passed through the Bird Road plaza in June and July of 2007. That number fell by 8.8% to about 3.3 million the same time this year.
At the Golden Glades toll plaza, an average of about 2.2 million drivers passed in June and July of last year. This summer, traffic decreased 6.2% to about 2 million drivers.
The change at the Homestead toll plaza was less dramatic: a 3.8% drop in drivers in June and July of this year compared to last.
"We have noted a [system-wide] dip of about 4% in traffic and revenue to the Turnpike between fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008," which ended in June, said spokesman Sonyha Rodriguez-Miller.
But it's mostly truckers, not necessarily commuters, that have caused the change on the 460 miles of roadway, she said.
She attributed about 3% of the dip in revenue to fewer trucks on the road, and the other 1% to more participants in the SunPass program, which allows members to pay less for tolls.
"In terms of passenger cars, it's been flat," Ms. Rodriguez-Miller said.
Still, fiscal 2008 was the first year in the roadway system's 50-year history that traffic counts and revenue didn't rise.
"Every year, the trend has been up — a higher number of vehicles, higher revenue," she said. "This is the first time where we see a dip or a flat."
Increased transit ridership does not have much impact on Miami-Dade Expressway Authority roadways, said spokesman Cindy Polo, as most of the local public transportation systems run north-south, and the authority's highways run east-west.
Still, she said last month, "we have noticed a from 2% to 4% decline, but it's not during peak hoursÖ people aren't driving as much if they don't have to."
And, as they are on the Turnpike, more expressway drivers are using SunPass, she added.
Illustrating the dip in leisure traffic, holiday travel on the Turnpike was also down, with 10% fewer drivers this Memorial Day than last, Ms. Rodriguez-Miller said. Fourth of July saw a nearly 5% dip.
"You could take that as a reflection of the overall economy," she said. "I think those numbers tend to indicate that that's the case."
Travel organization AAA observed the same, a trend officials attributed to the economy.
Pre-holiday surveys this summer showed fewer drivers nationwide planned to travel.
After dips over both Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekends, a national phone survey of more than 2,000 people showed the number who planned to travel by car in the Southeast over Labor Day weekend this month dropped by .8%.
"What we've found from the last three surveysÖ is that the travel projections for this year is less than what we've seen in the previous year," spokesman Gregg Laskoski said.
He attributed the change to high gas prices, as well as increased food and necessities costs.
"People are realizing they're still paying a lot more, and they've paid a lot more all year long," he said. "Even though we did have a significant number of travelers, it was down slightly. Some of the discretionary travel that might have existed before — they're making more of an effort to consolidate errands."
With fewer drivers on the road, 511 — a travel information service by the Florida Department of Transportation — has seen a dip in calls, said spokesman Vicky Mixson.
In July, 148,724 calls came in from South Florida, she said. In August, that dropped to 140,442.
These numbers are down from 152,003 calls in July 2007 and 158,550 in August of last year.
As more drivers use the 511 Web site, it may negate the need for them to call as frequently or at all, contributing to the drop in calls, Ms. Mixson said.
But in general, "there are fewer drivers out thereÖ it kind of stands to reason that would be a contributing factor to a reduction in phone calls."
Local Florida Department of Transportation officials also say drops in traffic could be attributed to more than simply a single factor.
The department reports annual daily traffic averages by collecting data once a year for three days, with some data stations that collect information continuously, said District Statistics Administrator Jennifer Barrow.
Whether gas prices and increased public transit ridership have affected local traffic is "something that we wouldn't see or know until next year," she said last month.
In general, though, "the traffic patterns follow the same pattern, just at a slightly reduced volume."
Spokesman Brian Rick said it's difficult to attribute the volume change to any one factor, such as gas prices.
"It is highly speculative."

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by Exploratus

Biden was on the train being followed by the press. He was chatting with the press about how he goes home every day, and appologizing to other riders for the commotion. When someone passed by, he told them to vote for Obama/Biden and then he said that if they get elected, this will be the friendliest train administration ever. From what I gather according to their policy, they are going to push for public transportation and sustainable urban development.

What can I say? Obama-Biden are in touch with today's reality for the need of public tranpotation while McCain will continue to push for Big business and big oil companies. This country can't afford 4 more years of the same or similar doctrine. Vote Obama for a (good) change.

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by Endeavor305

What can I say? Obama-Biden are in touch with today's reality for the need of public tranpotation while McCain will continue to push for Big business and big oil companies. This country can't afford 4 more years of the same or similar doctrine. Vote Obama for a (good) change.

McCain is just the incredibly shrinking candidate at this point.

First he gets steamrollered by the evangelical crowd into swallowing the wholly unqalified Palin as a running mate and now he's taken the absurd position of "suspending" a campaign in order to rush back to Washington to eagerly approve a bi-partisan deal only to apparently stick a finger in the political breeze 24 hours later and completely flip course...while at the same time launching the ludicrous notion that a mere 90-minute debate SIX WEEKS before we elect a president somehow interferes with reaching any sort of agreement that in reality needs virtually zero phsical presence of either candidate to accomplish.

This is the guy still trying to sell himself as a 'maverick?' Please. It's political hackery at its worst.

I think Obama is on the verge of nailing this down. The one caveat being how many 'Archie Bunker' Democrats there really are basically lying to pollsters about how race won't matter in their vote. Still...I think the tide is rolling his way now and McCain is making the choice easier by looking so damn malleable, cynical, and downright confused.

[Aceventura]

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/081002/story4.shtml

........The green plan also highlights land-use changes that would encourage construction around Metrorail stations and other transit stations and support building mixed-use projects that bring an array of services to residents' doorsteps, Mr. Ruano said.
Another aspect of MiPlan is a bicycle action plan aimed at improving city infrastructure to make it more bike-friendly.
Under the bike plan, the city looks to add bike lanes on some neighborhood streets, set up more bike parking and educate drivers about sharing roads with cyclists.
City commissioners are to vote on the plan Oct. 16. An educational event, Bike Miami, is set for Nov. 9.
Mayor Diaz said the biggest challenge is the struggle among traffic engineers, city public works and county public works, which he said for years have only focused on designing streets for cars alone.
But now the mentality is changing, Mr. Diaz said. "If we can change that mentality, there will be a paramount shift in urban planning."

[skyscraperhighrise]

Originally Posted by spellbound

McCain is just the incredibly shrinking candidate at this point.

First he gets steamrollered by the evangelical crowd into swallowing the wholly unqalified Palin as a running mate and now he's taken the absurd position of "suspending" a campaign in order to rush back to Washington to eagerly approve a bi-partisan deal only to apparently stick a finger in the political breeze 24 hours later and completely flip course...while at the same time launching the ludicrous notion that a mere 90-minute debate SIX WEEKS before we elect a president somehow interferes with reaching any sort of agreement that in reality needs virtually zero phsical presence of either candidate to accomplish.

This is the guy still trying to sell himself as a 'maverick?' Please. It's political hackery at its worst.

I think Obama is on the verge of nailing this down. The one caveat being how many 'Archie Bunker' Democrats there really are basically lying to pollsters about how race won't matter in their vote. Still...I think the tide is rolling his way now and McCain is making the choice easier by looking so damn malleable, cynical, and downright confused.

I Could care less, I'm not voting for either party, so neither of them represent me as far as I Concerned.

[xerxesjc28]

well at least your voting lol. Which is more to say the the 50% of us who never vote in presidential elections.

getting back on topic, so now my bus passes cost more, without one I now have to pay $2 to ride the bus + $ .50 for transfer. Meaning I would be paying $30 per week if I didn't have a student bus pass $42.50 ( non student bus pass now cost $100.00).

Oh and the best part is yet to come. They cut my bus route from every 20-30 minutes to every 40 minutes. Last week a bus broke down making me wait 1:20 minutes for a bus.

Needless to say I am at my limit, a car never looked so good.

[southfloridamiamian]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/brea...ry/715262.html

Miami rides a green wave toward a 'bike friendly' city

Miami leaders have ambitious plans to turn the city into a bicycle-friendly metropolis. They start with Bike Miami, an event next month the city hopes will become a regular happening.


BY ANDRES VIGLUCCI
aviglucci@MiamiHerald.com
• A: It's the traffic, stupid!

• Q: What's the reason so few people in Miami bicycle even though it's warm all year and the terrain perfectly flat?

Whether it's out of fear of getting crushed by two tons of speeding metal, the clueless motorists or the near-total lack of bike lanes, Miamians have long been notoriously bike-averse.

So what's a car-choked town to do if it wants to join a growing trend and foster safe cycling for recreation and transportation?

You do what the city of Miami -- incredibly, perhaps -- is starting to do.

First, you draw up a bike plan for the first time ever: identify suitable streets, create bike lanes and signage, provide bike parking and print up ''bike-friendly'' maps.

And then, to show that people do want this, pick a day when main streets in the center of town can be closed to cars and turn them over to the citizenry to freely bike, walk, skate, jog, congregate.

Say, Sunday, Nov. 9.

That day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the city will close off Flagler Street from the Miami-Dade County Courthouse to Bayfront Park and South Miami Avenue from Flagler over the Miami River to the new Mary Brickell Village dining and retail complex.

Bike Miami, an event the city hopes will become a regular happening, is modeled after the famed Ciclovía in Bogotá. Some 70 miles of main streets in the Colombian capital are closed to cars every Sunday and holiday, drawing hundreds of thousands of people -- an example cities from New York to San Francisco and, yes, Miami, are now trying to emulate.

''We know this is our chance,'' said Mike Lydon, an urban planner and bicycle commuter who as a volunteer has worked closely with city officials on the bike plans. ``If we can get a couple thousand riders out, that will be a big statement.''

The event will mark the public debut of a months-long effort by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, eager to burnish his ''green'' legacy as his tenure draws to a close, to transform Miami into a bike-friendly city.

His aides say it's an extension of the mayor's goal of improving the city's quality of life by luring residents downtown, revitalizing neighborhoods and making streets welcoming to pedestrians, thereby reducing auto dependency and carbon emissions.

And they say there is no better time: Across the country, bicycling has spiked as urban living becomes more popular and people seek alternatives to cars amid sharply rising gas prices. New York City and Chicago, among others, have big plans to create miles of bike lanes and encourage bike commuting.

On Oct. 16, Diaz's Green Commission and Office of Sustainable Initiatives will present a Bike Action Plan to the City Commission that outlines where new bike lanes, bike ''boulevards'' and other designated bike routes should be created, including, among other possibilities, parts of Coral Way, Northeast Second Avenue and South Bayshore Drive.

Some, in fact, are already underway: When city officials recently realized the state was getting ready to redo part of Coral Way, it persuaded road planners to add bike lanes at the last minute. That means some 16 blocks, from Southwest 15th Road to Southwest 12th Avenue near the Vizcaya Metrorail Station, will likely be striped for bikes. Designated lanes will also be added when Northeast Second Avenue is repaved from Wynwood through the Design District and Little Haiti.

''We want to get these things done,'' said Robert Ruano, director of sustainable initiatives for the city. ``These are short-term solutions we can take now. It's not about doing a beautiful map that will sit on a shelf.''

This is all the result of a groundswell of bike-activism, led by small grass-roots groups -- Emerge Miami, TransitMiami.com and the Green Mobility Network -- pining for more space for cycling and walking as an alternative to cars. Activists got Diaz's buy-in at a meeting in February after delivering a briefing paper and a big binder with examples of other cities' bike plans and ordinances.

The activists say they are impressed by city staffers' follow-through, but acknowledge that making Miami bike-friendly will require far more than slapping stripes on asphalt.

The city, they say, has agreed to supplement the mapping with public campaigns to educate motorists and cyclists alike on how to safely share roadways. (Bicycles are vehicles under state law, meaning cyclists have the right to use roadways, as well as the obligation to observe traffic laws.)

''This is an uphill battle, because Miami grew up around the automobile.'' said Hank Sanchez-Resnik, a member of Green Mobility's board and Diaz's new Bicycle Action Committee. ``The entire street grid, the buildings, it's all designed for cars to move quickly. It's a city for cars, not for people.

``We have an awful lot of catching up to do, but at least it's happening.''

The city's goal is ambitious: to earn a designation as a bike-friendly city from the League of American Bicyclists by 2012.

That would be quite a turnaround. In its June issue this year, Bicycling magazine named Miami one of the worst cities for cyclists in the country.

The action plan is meant as a precursor to a more-comprehensive bike master plan the city pledges to develop within five years. In time, the idea is to have a network of safe, mostly on-street bike routes linking major corridors, neighborhoods, parks and schools, supplemented by widely available bike racks and covered parking.

The routes would include not just bike lanes but also ''bike boulevards'' -- side streets made safe for bikes through traffic-calming approaches such as narrower lanes.

The plan would require all city-sponsored events to provide bike parking. It would also seek ways to encourage developers to include showers and lockers in new or renovated buildings for bike commuters.

Routes would be coordinated with Miami-Dade County, which has an existing bike program. Miami-Dade planners are working on plans for commuter bikeways as well as greenways that would link neighborhoods and the county's far-flung parks.

The aim, activists say, is to allay the average Miamian's fears about cycling, not the Lycra lizards who already brave the city's mean streets.

Thus Bike Miami, which is designed to both gauge and stoke interest in cycling in the city. And, not incidentally, to show off the gradually revitalizing downtown.

Plans are still coming together, but the city and its supporters hope to create a family-friendly, fair-like atmosphere.

They encourage attendees to take public transit and visit new restaurants and shops, Bayfront Park and the new art-filled baywalk at the mouth of the Miami River. Free bike-valet parking will be available at Bayfront Park and Mary Brickell Village.

'We hope people will say, `Hey, it's safe, it sounds good, I'll bring the kids and the family,' '' Sanchez-Resnik said. ``It has great potential to galvanize the community and let people know Miami is doing something to promote bicycling.''

[AddictedToSpace]

I believe this plan would work and could signal the miracle that the Metrorail expansion needed.

Democrats call for massive economic stimulus plan

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...49B35B20081013

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States needs a new economic stimulus plan that pumps billions of dollars into infrastructure projects and budget relief for cash-strapped state and local governments, Democratic lawmakers said on Sunday.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told ABC television he will put together an economic stimulus bill when Congress returns to Washington after the November 4 elections, while a key Republican said he would support an effort that "makes sense."

Rep. Roy Blunt, the Missouri Republican who serves as House minority leader, said he would support a stimulus plan if it did not include massive public works spending and budget bailouts for states that overspent on health care and other social programs.

"A stimulus plan that makes sense is something that I'll be helpful with," Blunt said, also on ABC television.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week said a $150 billion economic stimulus plan was needed to help counteract a faltering economy shaken by a paralyzed banking system and steep stock market falls.

On Monday, Pelosi and House Democratic leaders will meet with key economists to discuss a jobs creation and recovery plan that will complement the recently passed $700 billion rescue legislation for financial institutions. Participants will include former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Arthur Levitt and former Federal Reserve vice chairman Alice Rivlin.

The Congress earlier this year passed a $152 billion stimulus package that provided tax rebates of up to $600 per adult to support consumer spending at a time of rising energy and food costs.

Most of that money has already been spent, and many economists say financial turmoil will squeeze the economy into recession in the fourth quarter.

"Not only is Wall Street frozen, but Main Street is in real trouble. A stimulus aimed at Main Street makes sense," New York Sen. Charles Schumer told CNN.

He said the plan should "get into the guts of the economy" by boosting spending on infrastructure such as roads, sewer and water projects.

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who served under President Bill Clinton, told CNN that an infrastructure plan that could quickly pump money into the economy was the most important action that U.S. authorities could take to help deal with the current economic crisis.

"I would put in place an infrastructure piece... bridges, water systems roads, highways, but not new projects that are going to take a long time to set up," Rubin said. "There are a lot of existing projects where states and cities are having a hard time finding a lot of financing where you could funnel that money right into existing activities where you would be able to act very very quickly."

Schumer also urged the Treasury to move quickly on its plan to buy equity stakes in banks.

"I am hopeful that tomorrow the Treasury will announce that they're doing it. And they have to do it quickly," said Schumer, a New York Democrat.

"This cannot be two, three, four weeks. The markets are waiting, the country is waiting, and we're beginning a downward spiral, not just in finance ... but in the whole economy. We need quick action," he added.