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In a recent episode of the Mobility Matters podcast, Javier Betancourt, Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) executive director and host, welcomed back Aileen Bouclé, executive director of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), to discuss the power of long-range planning, innovation, and partnership in shaping the region’s transportation future.
As the largest TPO in Florida, the agency manages federal transportation funds and sets investment priorities for a rapidly growing region. Bouclé highlighted the TPO’s unique role in aligning federal, state, and local funding to deliver major projects like upgrades to I-395, Golden Glades Interchange, and advancing rapid mass transit projects such as the Northeast Corridor and the South Dade TransitWay (South Corridor), which are part of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Program.
“We have a good mix and really the only area in the state (of Florida) that has the type of modality and mix of different modes…there is really no other place in the state that has the type of work program that we have going on here,” Bouclé said.
But the TPO’s work goes far beyond highways and transit corridors. Bouclé detailed the agency’s commitment to expanding safe, multimodal transportation through programs like the SMART Demonstration program, which launched in 2018 with support from CITT and now power first/last-mile services across all 34 municipalities.
The conversation also emphasized the importance of safety in transportation. Bouclé described how Miami-Dade has adopted a Vision Zero approach to reduce fatalities and serious injuries related to mobility, and how the TPO is leading efforts to improve infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and micromobility users.
“We all start out every single day in our commutes as pedestrians…Unfortunately, the state of Florida is the No. 1 state with the highest fatalities and injuries when it comes to (cyclists) and pedestrians,” Bouclé noted, underscoring the need for safe and accessible streets for all.
She added, “My governing board has been focused in wanting to reverse this trend… We have gone above and beyond to start introducing additional infrastructure investment to start reducing these types of incidents. Our goal is zero fatalities and zero injuries. This is what we call Vision Zero.”
Looking to the future, Bouclé outlined how the TPO is preparing for transformative technologies — from autonomous vehicles and robotics to urban air mobility.
“You want to look at robotics and artificial intelligence and how that’s going to take us to the next level with our freight and logistics,” Bouclé said.
These innovations, she said, must complement existing transportation networks and infrastructure to make the most of what has already been funded by taxpayers.
With a strong focus on youth outreach and safety education, the TPO is also empowering the next generation of transportation users and advocates. Through its Transportation Safety Influencer program, students make creative campaigns that promote awareness and safe travel behavior among their peers.
To learn more about the Miami-Dade TPO and the SMART Program, visit www.miamidadetpo.org. To learn more about the CITT and the People’s Transportation Plan, visit www.miamidade.gov/citt .
To watch the full episode, visit Miami’s Community Newspapers YouTube channel: communitynewspapers1946.
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