Miami-Dade County is in discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation to explore cost-saving measures for a long-anticipated transit project connecting Miami and Miami Beach, estimated to cost $1 billion.
This project, which has been dreamt of for 40 years, faces scrutiny particularly regarding the Metromover elevated guideway’s entry point into Miami Beach along the MacArthur Causeway.
County officials are assessing the necessity of the planned pillars in this area, as reducing their number could cut costs and minimize disruptions to traffic beneath the structure.
Gabriella Serrado, chief of infrastructure planning for the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works, emphasized the importance of finding feasible cost savings to propel the project forward.
“Is there any easy cost savings that we can do on the project so that we can basically try to move the project forward?” she queried during a recent meeting with the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust, which oversees local funding sourced from a half-percent sales tax designated for new transportation initiatives.
Serrado expressed the county’s objective of moving forward with the new commuter transit by year-end. After completing value engineering, her department plans to hire a consultant to conduct a new traffic analysis, noting that previous traffic studies on the route are now outdated.
The expected duration for the forthcoming analysis is nearly a year.
In response to inquiries about the county’s pursuit of federal funding for the project, Serrado emphasized the necessity of completing the relevant studies first.
“We need to go to our federal partners with solid numbers,” she explained, indicating that vague estimates would not suffice in securing support.
“Our federal partners really scrutinize a project, every aspect of it, schedules, timelines, contingencies in every line item, and if we’re not ready they will just bluntly tell us,” she added, referring to prior setbacks the project has faced.
Despite overcoming previous objections from the City of Miami Beach and passing a National Environmental Policy Act Review, the transit initiative is still navigating a complex landscape.
The proposed route aims to provide a one-seat ride from downtown Miami’s Metromover to Miami Beach, with a secondary segment planned to link downtown with the Design District.
Notably absent from discussions during the transportation trust meeting were recent county administration comments indicating potential plans to revamp the entire Metromover system, which currently serves only downtown Miami. Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales revealed to the county commission’s Appropriations Committee that various options are being weighed, including the possibility of a rubber-tire system.
Additionally, there are indications that the county may accelerate the development of the Design District portion of the transit line, treating it as a standalone initiative rather than waiting for the Beach corridor segment to be completed.
“The Design District extension may be able to happen independently,” Serrado noted, reflecting a shift in the project’s timeline and execution.
Originally, the Beach Corridor plans aimed to replace a previously proposed $1.3 billion monorail, championed by private developers. However, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s administration opted for a government-financed Metromover connection that would integrate with existing county transportation systems instead of a standalone project.
In 2023, the planned timeline indicated a construction start for the Beach Corridor in 2025, with expectations for completion by 2029. However, these targets were disrupted when the City of Miami Beach passed a critical resolution addressing concerns about the route, traffic implications, environmental impact, and public security.
As Miami-Dade continues to navigate these complexities, the tantalizing prospect of enhanced connectivity between the two cities remains a focal point for local leaders and residents.
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