Northeast Corridor

The Northeast Corridor marks the first segment of the 85-mile Coastal Link commuter rail, designed to seamlessly connect Miami-Dade with Broward and Palm Beach counties. This 13.5-mile project will establish a new rapid transit route from Miami Central Station in downtown Miami to West Aventura Station, utilizing the existing railroad corridor shared with Brightline and freight services. The goal is to provide residents, businesses, and visitors with a reliable and efficient transportation option.

The project will utilize the existing Brightline Miami Central and West Aventura stations, while also adding five new stations in Wynwood, Design District, Little Haiti, North Miami Beach, and FIU North Campus. Trains will operate every 30 minutes during peak hours and every 60 minutes during off-peak times and weekends. In addition, a new vehicle maintenance and storage facility is being built at the Florida Department of Transportation’s Hialeah Yard.

The SMART Program represents a vision for our region that is both strategic and far-reaching, creating a system of multiple transportation options by leveraging existing infrastructure, and integrating technology at the highest levels. The program is comprehensive, proactive and supports future population and employment growth.

Northeast Corridor Fact Sheet (Nov. 2024)

The Northeast Corridor will create a new route from Downtown Miami to Aventura. The municipalities within the corridor are Miami, Miami Shores, El Portal, Biscayne Park, North Miami, North Miami Beach and Aventura.

The proposed stations will be located at:
- MiamiCentral (Existing - 600 NW 1st Ave., Miami, FL 33136)
- Wynwood (New Station - NE 27th Street)
- Design District (New Station - NE 39th Street)
- Little Haiti (New Station - NE 61st Street)
- North Miami Beach (New Station - NE 125th Street)
- FIU North Campus (New Station - NE 151st Street)
- West Aventura (Existing - 19796 W Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33180)
- Weekdays:
  - 60-minute headway off-peak
  - 30-mininute headway between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays
- Weekends: 60-minute headways
- Service Span: 5 a.m. - Midnight
- New convenient rapid transit service option for over 100,000 residents
- Reduces auto travel by nearly 8,000 trips per weekday, easing traffic congestion
- Offers more reliable travel times, especially during peak traffic hours, compared to driving
- Increases access to economic opportunity for over 65,000 low-income residents
- It links the cities of Aventura, North Miami Beach, Miami Shores, and El Portal, plus Wynwood, Design District, and Little Haiti, to Downtown Miami and other major destinations and regional attractors
- Potential improvement in air quality through reduced emissions.
The Northeast Commuter Rail is the first segment of the 85-mile Coastal Link corridor connecting Miami-Dade with Broward and Palm Beach counties. In 2016, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) completed the Coastal Link Study which analyzed the need for and viability of enhanced transit service in in the historical Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway corridor within the tri-county area. The study provided critical information to document the range of alternatives considered and to help inform the decision on the alternatives that will advance into the FTA Project Development process.

The Miami-Dade TPO was tasked to conduct the Land Use Scenarios and Visioning Planning study which integrated the vision of the corridor with the land use and the development of strategies to maximize the effectiveness of the transit infrastructure investments. In March 2021, the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) selected Passenger/Commuter Rail as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the corridor.
The total project investment is $927.32 million inclusive of track, stations, vehicle maintenance facility, rolling stock, rail grade crossing improvements, and right-of-way easements.

The FTA New Starts Capital Improvement Program (CIG) set a funding limit of $389.5 million (42%) for the project. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has committed $200 million (22%), with the remaining funds of provided by the People’s Transportation Plan (PTP), completing the local funding commitment. Together, these contributions ensure the project will move forward without major financial obstacles.
DTPW entered into the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts grant Project Development phase in September 2022. During this phase, the project team collaborated closely with FDOT Districts 6 and 4, as well as Broward County, to evaluate environmental impacts and complete the NEPA Categorical Exclusion (Cat-Ex) document. In November 2023, Cat-Ex was approved by the FTA, marking a significant milestone for the project. By March 2024, the project was identified in the President’s FY2025 Budget, marking the FTA’s future funding commitment to the corridor.

In October 2024, the FTA approved granted DTPW approval to enter the engineering phase for the Northeast Corridor. This approval is part of the New Starts program under the Capital Investment Grants (CIG). The project received a “Medium-High” rating and can proceed with pre-award activities, such as commuter rail vehicle acquisition and procurement, under specific guidelines.

Engineering design efforts are progressing with enhanced coordination involving FDOT Districts 4 and 6, Brightline, FECR, SFRTA/Tri-Rail, CSX, and Amtrak. During the Project Development phase, the team completed 30% design plans and has since continued to advance design. With FTA’s approval, the design team can now confirm key planning assumptions and incorporate necessary adjustments to submit the 60% design package for stakeholder review.
During the Project Development phase, the project team conducted multiple in-person and virtual community outreach events to raise awareness and gather input from residents, businesses, and other stakeholders. At these events, the team distributed project fact sheets, collected feedback, answered questions, and showcased a project video available in three languages: English, Spanish, and Creole.

Virtual Project Kick-Off Meeting on Feb. 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.
- NE Corridor Presentation (English)
- NE Corridor Presentation (Spanish)
- NE Corridor Presentation (Creole)
Pop-up events
- Little Haiti Cultural Center; Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 5 p.m.
- Florida International University (FIU) Biscayne Bay Campus; Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 11 a.m.
- Miami-Dade College (MDC) Wolfson Campus; Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
- North Miami Beach Public Library; Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 3:30 p.m.
- Tri-Rail/Metrorail Transfer Station; Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 7:30 a.m.
Vehicle Maintenance Facility Open House; June 12, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.
- Miami-Dade County North Central Branch Library
  9590 NW 27th Ave., Miami, FL 33147
  NE Corridor Open House Boards

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