South Florida Transportation Part II

[brickell]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

Tri-Rail and its 3 million passengers set a record in 2006


Tri-Rail set a record in 2006 when it carried more than 3 million passengers in a single calendar year, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority said on Tuesday.

The total passenger count for 2006 was 3,177,573, a 21.2 percent jump over last year's ridership of 2,619,693, the authority said in a prepared release.

The highest annual passenger count before that was the 2,911,560 riders recorded in 1993, when commuting patterns changed due to the impact of Hurricane Andrew.

Another record was set by the South Florida commuter train line last June 23 when Tri-Rail carried the most passengers in a single day in its history -- 18,452 -- the day of the Miami Heat victory parade, the authority said.

"While these year-end comparisons are certainly impressive, even more so is the fact that since double tracking was completed in March, we have been seeing growth in excess of 30 percent," authority Executive Director Joseph Giulietti said in a prepared release. "We look forward to even higher passenger counts as we expand our service this spring, when the completion of the New River Bridge will allow us to increase service to 48 or 50 trains a day."

[brickell]

While you're at it, here's another Tri_Rail story I came across.

http://newtimesbpb.com/Issues/2006-1...jefe_full.html

[Doodlebug]

Why that's only a daily average of 8705 riders! The highest ridership ever on a non-event day was 11,300 in July of 2006. That's when gasoline peaked at $3.75 a gallon. Ridership has always followed gasoline prices because the people who use Tri-Rail travel from far away, not locally.

It's not a surprise that a writer from Palm Beach thinks Tri-Rail suits him. 70% of the Tri-Rail ridership originates in Palm Beach County and disembarks at the Metrorail station by the Miami Airport where they continue to their jobs in Downtown Miami.

75% of the Metrorail ridership originates at the Dadeland stations and goes to work in Downtown Miami.

The difference is that those Dadeland commuters cash their paychecks in Dade County and spend their money in Dade County and pay their taxes in Dade County.

And those taxes subsidize the Tri-Rail system for the benefit of those Palm Beach commuters. Not only do those commuters take jobs that would have gone to Dade County residents, and not only do they siphon that money out of the Dade County economy, but the Dade County taxpayers get the bill!

Tri-Rail is of little use to Dade County.

[dave8721]

In case anyone wondered where your transportation taxes go:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070104/fyi.shtml

FLYING HIGH: Miami-Dade's Aviation Department is eating 53% of the county's $1.25 billion transportation project capital budget. By comparison, mass-transit projects, including buses and rail lines, get 26% and public works, including streets and sidewalks, gets 17% of the funds. Only 4% of the capital-improvements budget is set aside for the Port of Miami-Dade

[mileageman]

Audi: The Miami area market set records for the month of December, as well as during each of the four quarters and for the calendar year. The four Miami-based dealers – The Collection (Coral Gables, Fla.), Champion Audi (Coral Springs, Fla.), Prestige Imports (North Miami, Fla.), and Champion Audi (Pompano Beach, Fla.). – were all top 10 sales leaders nationally for Audi.

http://www.media.audiusa.com/article...rticle_id=9818

[Roark]

Originally Posted by dave8721

In case anyone wondered where your transportation taxes go:
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070104/fyi.shtml

Very interesting numbers.
Notice the blurb just above that one...

FRESH: County Manager George Burgess says Miami International Airport ranks No. 1 in handling perishable products that fly into the US. In his 2006-07 budget report released a few weeks ago, Mr. Burgess said the airport handles 88% of all cut flowers, 66% of all fish, 55% of all fruits and vegetables and 69% of all other perishable goods flown into the nation. He said Miami International Airport's total trade volume was $26 billion last year.

Miami International Airport's total trade volume was $26 Billion. They are "eating 53% of the county's $1.25 billion transportation project capital budget" but that equates to 4.8% of their trade volume.
I'm sure that once this massive expansion project at MIA is complete the spending will be reduced a bit and the revenues will have increased.

[brickell]

Not quite sure what to think of this one.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16387048.htm

County considers steering Metrorail to airport
Miami-Dade is looking at scenarios to supplant a people mover into MIA, which could save the airport $180 million and shift responsibility to another agency.
BY LARRY LEBOWITZ
llebowitz@MiamiHerald.com
MASS TRANSIT POTENTIAL: Plans to extend Metrorail into the airport would link it to tourist destinations downtown and Dadeland, but financing the project is still cloudy.
MIAMI HERALD FILE

Miami-Dade Transit is quietly trying to find a way to run Metrorail directly into Miami International Airport, a move that could potentially save the financially strapped airport $180 million.

Transit consultants are working on an array of scenarios to add to the current $523 million plan to extend Metrorail 2.4 miles from the Earlington Heights station into the Miami Intermodal Center, under construction east of the airport.

If county officials succeed -- and it's a very big ''if'' at this point -- by 2012 a passenger arriving at MIA might be able to catch a single train all the way into downtown Miami or the popular Dadeland stations at the southern end of the original Metrorail line.

''I've always felt that Metrorail should have gone into the airport, and I'm hoping that's what we can do,'' Transit Director Roosevelt Bradley said in a telephone interview.

Cost estimates won't be available for another four to six weeks, said Assistant Transit Director Albert Hernandez.

The proposal will not lack controversy or critics.

Taxpayers might cast a wary eye if the project moves from the airport's ledgers to Transit, because the burden for paying for it would probably shift as well: from the gate fees paid by passengers using MIA to the half-cent local sales tax for transportation and other state taxes that underwrite mass transit projects.

Even before this latest Metrorail plan, critics have openly wondered how the county will be able to keep all its promises to voters who supported the half-cent tax in 2002 and who are expecting widespread rail expansion over the next 30 years.

COST OVERRUNS

If Metrorail replaces a planned people mover between the intermodal center and the airport, it would be a boon to the county Aviation Department, which has been struggling with mammoth cost overruns at the North and South terminals.

Aviation would save approximately $180 million of the $260 million budgeted for the people mover and funded by gate fees airlines pass along to passengers. The $80 million balance is being paid by FDOT.

''I definitely would want to see Transit take it over,'' said Aviation Director José Abreu.

In one scenario being studied, Metrorail passengers heading from downtown into the airport would arrive at the intermodal center from the north, stopping on the second level. The same train would continue through the center, fly over Le Jeune Road and drop passengers near the moving walkways on the third level of the airport at a new station that would be built between the Dolphin and Flamingo garages.

Another scenario would require airport-bound passengers to exit at the intermodal center and walk directly across the platform to another train that would be timed to shuttle between the airport and the intermodal center every three to five minutes.

CRAMPED QUARTERS

Transit consultants are trying to find a way to incorporate an airport Metrorail station into designs for a proposed $2.1 billion East-West corridor from the intermodal center to Florida International University's main campus.

But this scenario is proving very difficult because of limited space between the garages to accommodate Metrorail tracks and platforms for trains running in both directions, said Bill Houppermans, project manager for Transit consultant URS Corp. The consultants are also trying to solve a number of other operational problems, such as:

• How to incorporate an automated farecard system so rental car patrons can ride for free to the intermodal center, while anyone who stays on Metrorail will pay a regular fare;

• How to reconfigure the seating patterns on Metrorail trains to be more user-friendly for luggage-toting tourists heading to and from the airport.

All the Metrorail options under consideration would replace a driverless, rubber-tired train similar to the downtown Metromover that was supposed to be built and largely financed by Miami-Dade Aviation.

Inbound passengers at MIA would have picked up their luggage on the lower level, then taken elevators up to the third-floor moving walkways to catch the people mover.

The mover was supposed to drop them on the third level of the intermodal center at the grand lobby to a new $440 million consolidated rental car facility.

The other half of the intermodal center is envisioned as Miami's version of Grand Central Station, a retail, hotel and transportation hub where Metrorail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak, Greyhound, Metrobuses and taxis would converge.

BEHIND SCHEDULE

Originally slated for completion in June 2004, the 3,800-space rental car garage is now set to open in fall 2009, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. But that best-case scenario, based on construction starting next month, will likely slip because FDOT is still haggling with contractors.

Intermodal center spokesman Ric Katz said the gap between budget and construction bids is $140 million.

The slipping schedule at the rental car center has given the county more time to delay its selection of a vendor to design, build, operate and maintain the people mover.

The county is obligated to finish the train linking the airport and the rental car center within two years of its opening.

But the contest between three teams of construction firms armed with high powered lobbyists has been beset with controversy.

All three were eventually disqualified for a variety of technical and procedural miscues, the last as recently as September after it had already started negotiating a contract. Bid protests are expected.

Whether the people mover is eventually built by the aviation department or becomes part of a larger Metrorail expansion, one thing is certain: Traffic patterns around the airport, the intermodal center and Le Jeune Road will continue to resemble a war zone for the foreseeable future.

[pantherpaddler]

So I suppose replacing the people mover with a mile-long Metorail line with modified cars to basically act like a shuttle is better than any other more-ridiculous idea.
But its fun to dream... like building a Metrorail bridge diagonally over the runways to complete the link to the E-W line, how tall would that have to be? A tunnel in the same spot would be just as ridiculous.

[FTL Beach Bum]

Originally Posted by pantherpaddler

like building a Metrorail bridge diagonally over the runways to complete the link to the E-W line, how tall would that have to be?

Looks like they'd simply run it at ground level, parallel to the existing freight tracks when in the vicinity of the runways, based on that map.

They certainly couldn't have it elevated just at the edge of runways 12/30 and 9/27...


(Google Maps)

Bryan

[Doodlebug]

I don't know which is more ridiculous: $523 million to extend Metrorail 2.4 miles or $260 million to build a people mover to go one mile. And rental car customers ride for free while locals pay full fare!

[elisokool16]

is this a money issue because if so, just pick the cheaper thing (btw metrorail or metromover typer car). Honestly it doesn't matter because they would both be doing the same exact thing: going from intermodel center to airport. It doesn't matter which is built .

[Roark]

Originally Posted by elisokool16

is this a money issue because if so, just pick the cheaper thing (btw metrorail or metromover typer car). Honestly it doesn't matter because they would both be doing the same exact thing: going from intermodel center to airport. It doesn't matter which is built .

It's never that easy...
Not only is it a money issue, it's a whose money issue.
Airport Authority money or Miami-Dade Transit Money.
As agreed, the Airport would pay the $180M from the user fees that air travelers pay in their ticket price, but the Airport Authority can't afford the $180M.
If transit takes responsibility, you and I pay for it through that lovely 1/2 cent sales tax increase.
It is extremely complicated, and will only be worked out with some big brains and strong Leadership. Yes, Leadership with a capital L.

[jamesinclair]

On January 2007:

Originally slated for completion in June 2004, the 3,800-space rental car garage is now set to open in fall 2009, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. But that best-case scenario, based on construction starting next month, will likely slip because FDOT is still haggling with contractors.


Ah, so thats whats been going on in Miami since I last went in 2005. Business as usual.

[qbanaso86]

Check out this article from the Miami New Times. It pretty much sums up what Sweetwater is and why they will never progress.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by jamesinclair

Ah, so thats whats been going on in Miami since I last went in 2005. Business as usual.

It's not fair to be that cynical. That is what is going on in the $10 Billion Airport expansion. Lack of leadership and very complicated power struggles amonst stake holders is going on at the Airport...elsewher in Miami, things are going great!
Tourism at an all time high. Unemployment at an all time low. Airport expanding. Cruise ship and Cargo Port expanding. Downtown redeveloping....etc.
See you in a few weeks for the Superbowl!!!

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by qbanaso86

Check out this article from the Miami New Times. It pretty much sums up what Sweetwater is and why they will never progress.

Pretty disturbing article.

Honestly, I can't recall a time when Sweetwater WASN'T a completely dysfunctional and corrupt fiefdom. It's just too bad the place can't be "de-incorporated" for the sake of both residents and the community-at-large. It's definitely an embarrassment.

As a whole, though, I think the political scene down there has matured considerably since the "bad old days" of incompetent morons like Joe Carollo making Miami look downright silly and Demetrio Perez, Jr. claiming a TOOL SHED as his legal residence in a School Board bid.

Not that there aren't plenty of embarrassing moments and/or people unqualified to lead, of course, but you could say the same everywhere...including the White House.

One politician down there that I WISH would crawl into a cave and disappear is Natacha Seijas. She's genuinely stupid, corrupt, and incompetent. Not to mention mean-spirited and vindictive. It's a travesty that she's wasted space on the Dade County payroll for so many years---and sad that people can't (or won't) demand a better representative.

But regardless...I sense a general uptick in professionalism and educated management down there. People like Seijas and the Sweetwater crew seem like fading vestiges of the past.

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by jamesinclair

On January 2007:

Originally slated for completion in June 2004, the 3,800-space rental car garage is now set to open in fall 2009, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. But that best-case scenario, based on construction starting next month, will likely slip because FDOT is still haggling with contractors.


Ah, so thats whats been going on in Miami since I last went in 2005. Business as usual.

Being optimistic (NEVER an easy proposition with transit-related issues) perhaps the changing political climate in Washington will help Miami secure some much-needed Federal help in pushing projects like this forward.

Aside from New York (maybe), I don't think there exists a city in the country that can "fast-track" mass-transit projects without IMMENSE help from Washington.

They are prohibitively expensive...and nearly always money-losers despite their obvious benefits.

As always, the question with Miami remains why the ORIGINAL Metrorail planners didn't have an airport station as an obvious essential component. It was like making a banana split without the banana, y'know? Feeble and incomplete as it is, the original line would have always been a LOT more useful with that one missing component.

Maybe (hopefully) it'll happen by the time I'm 60. I'm past 40 now, so that's probably being realistic...

[Songoten2554]

yeah but the Metrorail will expand its part of Miami it needs to Expand i mean it can look at other places like Washington DC i mean it grew really fast with there Metro i mean wow in 30 to 40 years wow it grew why can't Miami do the same the Metrorail means alot to Miami its used everyday i use it sometimes and its a great metro system problem is its short for the city and well it needs to be expanded to reach other places in Miami like the Grand Central Station of Miami which will have the Tri Rail, Amtrak, Future High Speed Rail, Metrorail, People Mover to the Airport, Buses and well it will be awsome

and since the Superbowl is coming to Miami i mean it would be awsome to have the Extension being built right away to be completed in 2008 or 2009 like other Cities mass Transits also it would be cool because i can catch the train in 183 st to get the metrorail to the city and i go on bus from 183 st to my house

[Songoten2554]

i heard the Tri Rail will have more Routes of a Track route that is closer to the beach cool i had a vision that the whole Tri Rail system and Amtrak system will be elictified and well that also there would be a TGV service to Miami and well that it would follow Amtraks route all the way to i am thinking after Golden Glades Station and then it will go on a elveted route like the Shinkansen speeding to Ford Ladndeure and well to points north and that can form the High Speed Rail in the United States and North America

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by Songoten2554

and then it will go on a elveted route like the Shinkansen speeding to Ford Ladndeure and well to points north and that can form the High Speed Rail in the United States and North America

Ford Ladndeure??

There's typos, I know...but...Ford Ladndeure?