The Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust applauds the voters’ decision to support the expansion of rapid mass transit and reaffirms its commitment towards this goal

The result of the recent straw ballot on the need to expand rapid mass transit shows the people of Miami-Dade County understand the benefits of rapid mass transit and want to see expansion of passenger rail service.

Robert Wolfarth, chair of the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust (CITT), praised the outcome of the straw poll, which had an overwhelming majority of nearly 80 percent of Miami-Dade County voters expressing their support for the expansion of rapid mass transit.

“The CITT is the quasi-independent entity that oversees expenditures from the half-penny surtax for transportation, and we work closely with our transportation partners to help ensure that rapid transit projects keep moving forward in a timely manner,” Wolfarth said.

“Passenger rail is envisioned in several of the transit corridors in the County’s Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan to bring transit to all parts of Miami-Dade, and this reinforces the community’s support of those plans. The people have once again spoken. Now, let’s get it done!”

The 15-member CITT was created by voters in 2002 as a quasi-independent entity to act as the watchdog in overseeing how surtax funds are spent in the voter-approved surtax to fund the People’s Transportation Plan.

Among projects funded by the surtax are the expansion of Metrorail to Miami International Airport, a new Metrorail and Metromover fleet, a modern bus fleet with battery-electric and compressed natural gas buses, fare-free Metromover service, the Golden Passport Program that allows senior Miami-Dade County residents (and low-income veterans registered in the Patriot Passport program) to ride the transit system free of charge, park-and-ride facilities, and municipal projects throughout the County, including trolleys, ride-share services and other local transportation projects.

For more information about the CITT, and the projects, programs and services funded with the half-penny surtax, visit the CITT website.