Transportation survey shows strong public support for rail

Transportation survey shows strong public support for rail
Transportation survey shows strong public support for rail
Pictured (l-r) are State Representative Kionne McGhee, Cutler Bay Mayor Peggy Bell, former Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, and Village of Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn.

The results of a telephone poll taken to gauge actual voter sentiment regarding their preferred mode of mass transit along the 20-mile South Dade Busway were released on July 7. Residents in the cities polled are overwhelmingly in favor of rail instead of buses, and would even vote to repeal the 1/2 cent sales tax for transportation that was put in place in 2003 if the county doesn’t provide rail.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has called for a vote on the matter Thursday July 19th at 1:30 pm, 111 NW 1st St., Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor. Concerned residents are encouraged to contact the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) at TPO@mdtpo.org and attend the SMART Plan meeting.

The poll results are as follows:

Palmetto Bay:
82 percent responded yes, the County did not keep their promise on the 1/2 cent sales tax.
83 percent indicated that they want rail.
74 percent would support repeal of the 1/2 cent transportation sales tax in the event we do not get rail.

Cutler Bay:
70 percent responded yes, the County did not keep their promise on the 1/2 cent sales tax.
77 percent indicated that they want rail.
75 percent would support repeal of the 1/2 cent transportation sales tax in the event we do not get rail.

City of Homestead:
60 percent responded yes, the County did not keep their promise on the 1/2 cent sales tax.
69 percent indicated that they want rail.
56 percent would support repeal of the 1/2 cent transportation sales tax in the event we do not get rail.

Florida City:
47 percent responded yes, the County did not keep their promise on the 1/2 cent sales tax.
80 percent indicated that they want rail.
60 percent would support repeal of the 1/2 cent transportation sales tax in the event we do not get rail.

“We polled our residents in Cutler Bay to ensure their voice was heard on this issue,” said Cutler Bay Mayor Peggy Bell. “We heard them loud and clear – Give Us the RAIL! Over 2 billion dollars have been spent in 16 years in more affluent communities, while our residents pay the same but only get inadequate bus service.”

District 8 Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava confirmed that repeal of the 1/2 cent sales tax eliminates funding for Palmetto Bay’s IBus, Cutler Bay’s Circulator bus, as well as the Golden Passport and Patriot Passport programs for seniors and veterans.

“Yes, the half penny is used for many useful programs,” she said.

Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn agrees that funding would be lost, but only out of the 1/2 cent sales tax.

“New funding sources would have to be located, but there would be no pretense that the 1/2 cent is providing transportation enhancements, because it has not,” said Mayor Flinn. “There have been many bus routes cut, then only partially restored. This has caused an actual limitation on the mobility of seniors and veterans who rely upon the Golden Passport and Patriot Passport programs. Transportation has suffered in recent years and it is not the fault of the municipalities. It is certainly not the fault of the taxpayers who have been paying this money to Miami-Dade County since 2003.

“But no, Palmetto Bay will not lose its circulator service should we lose the 1/2 cent sales tax. We are reviewing alternative funding sources, which include traffic impact fees. Again, I do want to emphasize that there is no effort ongoing to repeal the 1/2 sales tax, but the responses are a good indication of the level of disappointment among South Dade residents. Promises were made, and the 1/2 cent sales tax has been paid since 2003, yet there is no sign that the promises of better transportation, the rapid transit, will be delivered. That just is not right.”

State Representative Kionne McGhee echoes the frustration of his colleagues. “Denying the North and South Dade communities the opportunity to experience MetroRail is simply a continuation of the county suppressing our abilities to have public access to the best of what Miami-Dade has to offer.”


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4 COMMENTS

  1. This solution is not the solution. When you increase the number of intersections or obstacles to those intersections you great more traffic. Rail wouldn’t have had to be built elevated all the way down to Florida City. It would have had to been elevated for all the numerous intersections until Cutler Bay, then dropped down.

    What they need to do also is remove lanes of traffic on all the major arteries that feed into US-1 and implement a transit solution. This North South garbage isn’t going to help anyone. I live less than a 1/2 mile from the busway and I used it a handful of time when my car was in the shop. It saved no time. It took me longer to get to work.

    So a solution that is not going to get ridership, or help anyone is going to be worthwhile because it’s a waste of money, and time.

    There’s been numerous places where BRT has failed and been converted. This is one of those times that it will fail, and not succeed.

  2. People vote for rail with NO IDEA about the costs of implementation in a place like Miami. People also talk a good talk about global warming but don’t want to sacrifice. Until we reduce the use of cars, we will have bad traffic and a massive carbon footprint.
    If there were laws in South Florida that limited drivers to using their cars only 3-4 days per workweek, you would see people ride- sharing and using public transportation.
    You would also see an outcry for an efficient bus system, which could be implemented WAY faster than rail system.
    New York transit (which is a blend of train, bus, and taxi and Uber) works precisely because local BUS and rail routes stop at walkable distances AND because people can ALSO take buses where the subways don’t go.
    In Miami, major intersections are about a 1/2 mile apart for either the avenues or the roads (example: 87th Avenue to 82nd Avenue = 1/2 mile distance; 144th Street to 136th Street = 1/2 mile). That is the same as Manhattan (example Lexington Avenue subway stops.) BUT, they can go underground in NYC, we CAN’T.
    Buses are MUCH more practical.
    Did the survey respondents get ANY cost comparison – bus versus rail? I doubt it.
    When people “vote for rail” for Miami, thinking of places like Manhattan, they have NO CONCEPTION of the differences in distance in NYC and Greater Miami / South Dade / Greater South Florida.
    What works for may cities for mass transit, won’t work for Miami because Miami / Greater South Florida is SO spread out.
    Manhattan Island is 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles (3.7 km) wide, at its WIDEST.
    It is about 16.8 miles from the Palmetto Bay Village Hall to Downtown (the Courthouse) via US 1.
    It is about 4.1 miles from the traffic circle at Sunset Drive (SW 72nd Street) and Old Cutler Road, to the intersection of Sunset Drive and 826 (approximately 76th Avenue).
    Until we have reserved bus lanes for East / West traffic AND (where there is no busway) North / South traffic (which will also create a disincentive for driving cars, and an incentive for riding the bus) we only solve a FRACTION of the problem for mass transit.
    One of the GREATEST challenges is the East / West traffic!!
    There should be:
    High speed buses on the turnpike and other expressways from as far south as Florida City / Homestead to Miami Lakes and beyond.
    Reserved bus lanes for the Turnpike and other freeways.
    Safe, comfortable bus stops.
    Apps and technology to help riders find routes, and to know vehicle arrival – departure times.
    All of that could be implemented MUCH faster than “rail”.
    If the busway easement is supposed to be used for rail, why replace buses with rail? Rail can’t go any faster, if it is going to make frequent stops…
    Shunting rail off the tracks for service or to repair breakdowns is WAY harder than moving a bus…
    Is the rail supposed to be elevated the whole way? That’s CRAZY expensive! On top of all the other expense, you have elevators and escalators to the second level… The whole travel service has to be elevated and made storm-proof. Building and maintaining roads is easy.
    Buses on the busway do not sit that long at Red lights as it is… They could even be designed to send a signal that turns the light GREEN for them when they are approaching… (maybe they already work that way.)
    A LOT of the rail in European cities is street level. Most European cities also have an extensive bus system. They also have street level mass transit with enclosed trolley-like vehicles that are supplied with power with wires from above (safer than an electrified third rail).
    The buses could easily be hybrids – run on electric from above when on the busway, and then conventionally as needed.
    Rail will take FOREVER, cost TOO MUCH, we need bus-based solutions NOW.

  3. This is highly unscientific and flawed survey. How can you ask the public if they would like rail or BRT without mentioning the cost or time associated with the project? If you asked if you prefer a home on the water or in Kendall I am sure you would get the same results. As soon as you mention $1.3 billion, 8 years w/ a potential tax increase vs. $300 Million 3 years you may see a different result. McGhee, Bell and Flynn are all playing politics as usual…go ahead dig your heals in the ground and we get nothing….just more Fake News!

  4. Even if some sort of elevated rail (perhaps monorail?) system is approved, it will take a generation or more to be operational. The current computer controlled traffic signals from 104th south to 184th exacerbate east/west traffic and left turns from north/south U.S.-1 creating massive backups at certain times of the day. Expanding the ground level bus system with railroad type crossings and expanded north/south traffic signals quite simply will NOT work. While we are entertaining mass transit solutions we need to complete the arterial grid as per originally designed in order to at least get the traffic to flow thru bottlenecked Palmetto Bay.

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