| REPORT: |
First Assistant County Attorney Abigail Price-Williams read the foregoing proposed discussion item into the record.
Commissioner Diaz pointed out that he and Commissioner Zapata recently discussed this item in a Sunshine Meeting, noting it was imperative that a bus rapid transit system be implemented for this route as soon as possible. He said he believed, after discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, and Miami-Dade Transit, that the service running on State Road (SR) 836 could be operational by August 2015. Commissioner Diaz mentioned that a potential property for a park and ride facility located on the west end of the Dolphin Mall was identified; that this property could be accessed from the Florida Turnpike; and that it could also be used for multiple purposes. He mentioned possible park and ride sub-stations at Zoo Miami, another further south and another in Kendall. Commissioner Diaz said he believed that this project was feasible and would cost much less than other alternatives. He indicated that the intent was not to take away from any other project but to finalize a long-promised solution to help commuting along the east-west corridor.
Commissioner Zapata noted the Sunshine Meeting was very productive and Commissioner Diaz’ efforts on this project were appreciated. He pointed out that the expansion of Krome Avenue would allow for additional access to SR 836 from the western portions of the County, would relieve congestion on Kendall Drive, and would help out the entire corridor. Commissioner Zapata stressed the benefits of moving traffic further north rather than just east in order to obtain a more efficient east-west corridor. He suggested that rail options running parallel to SR 836 should also be considered. Commissioner Zapata mentioned the possibility that the proposed park and ride located at S.W. 147 Avenue and 8 Street be relocated to another location further west in order to avoid any additional impact associated with the charter school adjacent to the west side of that property. He stressed the need for traffic solutions to the east-west corridor.
Commissioner Jordan commented that Commissioner Moss previously requested that the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) provided him with a report on all of the corridors; and asked when this report would be finalized.
Ms. Ysela Llort, Director, Transit Department indicated that the requested report would be presented to the MPO at its meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 19, 2014.
Commissioner Jordan said that she was anxious to receive the MPO report on the corridor plan of action, including timelines and funding sources. She pointed out that although comments were made that the residents had been waiting for more than twelve years for an east-west corridor, they had been waiting for 35 years for the County to resolve the access and traffic issues of the north corridor. Commissioner Jordan mentioned that she would like the Public Works Department to address issues pertaining to turn signalization along NW 57th Avenue.
Commissioner Moss pointed out that the MPO had an agenda item directing them to hire a consultant to develop a plan for all corridors. He said that the Peoples Transportation Plan (PTP) promised some form of rapid transportation along each corridor. Commissioner Moss indicated that bus transit was the most financially feasible mode of travel. He said the plan was to provide information on costs and implementation for all corridors. Commissioner Moss mentioned that the plan was not presented at the previous MPO meeting due to a lack of quorum. He spoke about the need for a bus rapid transit system with a dedicated lane at the minimum.
Commissioner Bell welcomed additional rapid transit, noting a 45 minute drive for residents at the far south end of the County to reach the Dadeland South Metrorail station.
Commissioner Suarez concurred with his colleagues’ statements. He pointed out the need for elevated mass transit for the north corridor; however, he noted this would be costly and the Commission needed to identify a revenue source. Commissioner Suarez stressed the need to actively pursue rail transit along the corridors as mentioned by Commissioner Zapata, noting this method was a less expensive option.
Commissioner Diaz said that any rapid transit effort was important for this community. He indicated that there was a bottleneck of traffic coming from the west, the north and the south. Commissioner Diaz noted he concurred that rail could be a viable option; however, he expressed concern about passenger and freight operations utilizing the same tracks. |
