Black Creek Trail gets funding for expansion

Expansion of bike trails in southwest Miami-Dade continues with a $1 million award from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to extend a 2.5-mile section of the Black Creek Trail Project.

While still two to three years away, Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan C. Zapata hailed the announcement as a key step in his connectivity plans for the “West End” area of West Kendall.

“I’m thrilled to announce that the FDOT has approved initial funding for one of the West End Connectivity Plan’s high priority projects,” Zapata stated in a newsletter to residents. “The Trail extension will encourage residents to stay fit by enjoying a healthy walk, jog or bike trek along beautiful Black Creek.”

The 2.5-mile segment is the first phase of the 9.2-mile Black Creek Trail Segment B which goes from SW 137th Avenue to the L-31N Levee, parallel to the west side of Miami Executive Airport.

The phase also will provide a direct connection to the 18.5-mile Krome Trail that FDOT is building along Krome (SW 177th) Avenue in its road expansion project and provide connections to proposed trails along SW 120th Street and SW 136th Street on the perimeter of Miami Executive Airport.

This extension also will directly connect to the proposed 157-acre West Kendall District Park and the existing 6.5-acre West Kendall District Dog Park, as well as the newly designated West End Innovation District, initiated by Zapata for the airport and surrounding commercial area.

The design of the 12-foot-wide section is for shared use of bicyclists, pedestrians, wheelchairs, inline skating and other nonmotorized uses, according to Mark Heinicke, senior park planner with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces.

Construction of one mile of the shareduse trail combines an FDOT Transportation Alternatives Program grant with $237,228 in local funding from the Building Better Communities bond issue.

Actual construction will take around 12 months but will not begin for at least two to three years, allowing for contract execution, consultant selection, design (1.5 to 2 years), review, agreement execution and contractor selection. The program schedule will take two years in design prior to an agreement execution, selection of contractor.

As currently envisioned, Miami-Dade is planning two other major southwest Miami-Dade biking trails, including the Ludlam Trail for 6.2-miles in East Kendall and the Underline Trail extending from South Miami to the Miami River in the Brickell area of Miami.


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