Transit Miami

Commuter trains in Kendall? The tri-rail of the South can and should be a reality, if you ask me. But, gathering support for such an easy solution to the congestion in southern Dade may prove to be more challenging than just retrofitting some old cargo tracks for passenger DMUs. A potential firefight will likely evolve, as residents living along the corridor fight to keep the tracks in their backyards as underutilized as possible to benefit their pocketbooks.

As this saga begins to unfold, a reoccurring question keeps arising: At what point does community involvement in planning become a limiting factor for the benefits said project can deliver to the community? Or in laymen terms, how much community involvement is too much? We’ve seen it countless times; Baylink, West Corridor meetings in Sweetwater, Miami streetcar, etc. The list goes on and on. Countless projects cease to provide benefits to a majority of the population for the sake of pleasing a few. Who will finally step up and lead transportation initiatives in the right direction? MDT has proven to be ineffective in pushing projects into the community (evidence: Baylink, which was despised initially by Miami Beach residents, although this project would have likely improved the county’s transit system the greatest economically and in passenger figures.) Local politicians are too feeble to take a politically incorrect stance which could hurt their reelection bids (Metrorail, west corridor, Transit Oriented Development in the Grove and Pinecrest.)

Going back to what seems like the impending argument against a southern extension of tri-rail; why should homeowners along the railroad tracks have the right to deny a greater portion of the population an easier logical route for public transit? The tracks were likely there before anyone moved into the area, heck, the FEC corridor has existed as longer than any municipalities have, did it not occur that these tracks might be used once again? Will property values decrease? Well, perhaps, but probably not as much as if we continue to build westward, without accounting for public transit needs.

The problems lie in one of my main underlying causes: lack of vision. MDT doesn’t know where we’re headed. City planning is inexistent. Politicians could care less. Development runs rampant. Chaos ensues. There isn’t a uniform plan on how to redevelop the county. There isn’t a plan to reduce congestion. And there certainly isn’t a plan to control our county’s growth, just a mobilized and politically connected group of developers, eager to continue adding to the mess which initially placed single family developments alongside a rail corridor…

Hi Gabriel,

I work for Edelman and do online public relations for Shell, and I recently came across your post “Snazzy Gas” at the Transit Miami blog. I applaud your interest in testing a variety of fuels for better gas mileage – it’s certainly a worthwhile experiment.

I’m just writing to clarify a point made by one of your readers in a comment. Dave remarked about gas stations essentially offering all consumers the same product. I understand where Dave’s thinking comes from, but the reality is that all gasoline is not the same.

Here are the basics on “why”: Gasoline that comes out of the fuel dispenser at a service station is composed of two primary components – the base fuel and the additive. While the base fuel may be similar between two or more brands, the additive – in Shell’s case, a proprietary formula — may be different for each brand.

While all gasolines contain minimum levels of detergents as required by government standards, several companies – like Shell – use additives that feature higher levels of cleaning agents which help prevent harmful deposits from forming on critical engine parts. (More info at Shell’s website: www.shell.com/us/vpower)

Also, if you’d like to know more about high detergency, better quality fuels, check out Top Tier Detergent Gasolines: http://www.toptiergas.com/

At any rate, I hope that information is helpful. Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions!

Best,
Erin

I’ve always found come election time that a crucial question is often overlooked when examining which potential candidate to vote for:

What is your position on urbanization and urban growth? Are you for either of them, if so which ones or both and why?

In Miami more than anywhere else, this question is necessary to fully understand a candidate’s position on growth, the environment, and development. The answer I’ve most commonly received to this question is silence with hint of bewilderment upon the candidate’s face with perhaps a nervous twitch or mannerism. Most then say they didn’t know there was difference between the two before giving me a run-of-the-mill response which could have easily answered a question about their plan to solve global poverty or aids, whatever.

I guess to answer the question; we must first define the two terms.

Urbanization: This is the process of converting rural or underutilized land outside the general city limits into developed property. Urbanization is an increased extent of urban area. The negative connotations which are drawn up when we think of urbanization is due to the poor land use we have become familiar with when growth occurs to sustain the population growth. Um, Sprawl.

Urban Growth: Is the process of finding new uses for existing urbanized land. Urban growth has come to be associated with new the new urbanism movement to re-use our land more effectively and efficiently with greater density and functions. Urban growth is about improving our surroundings to minimize our impact on the environment while redeveloping urbanized space.

A candidate which is pro urbanization is thus far more likely to turn to moving the UDB westward as a method of sustaining the population growth of our area. An urban growth candidate is more likely to suggest denser housing solutions in the population centers, linked by public transit. Next time you have the chance to meet a possible political candidate, ask them what they believe in, it may be the difference between additional housing in South Dade rather than on underutilized land elsewhere…

• A Miami-Dade Transit project alongside Metrorail at the Douglas Rd. Station fell apart recently due to a failed agreement between the agency and the developer. Instead, the transportation agency is now looking to sell the off land, rather than open up the 5 acre parcel for new transit oriented development bids from other developers. The plan to sell the land is a shortsighted and a terrible decision by the transportation agency. The agency is clearly failing to see the big picture here, even admitting that a sale would allow a developer to construct on the land without including easements for buses or parking for Metrorail riders. The long-term benefits of retaining the parcel and leasing it out for development (much like the dadeland complexes) would maximize the potential earnings of the MDT owned land and usage of public transit facilities. Re-zoning the land which is considered a special transit zone, would likely significantly decrease the potential for a mixed use, high density development which would contain affordable housing and office space. Once again, we all lose when our local agencies lack a clear vision…
• Cirque Du Soleil has officially rescinded their bid to transform the Jackie-Gleason Theater into their latest human acrobatic circus. I always had mixed feelings about the plan, fearing that the circus was wrongfully seeking too much public money for their private venture. The contact breakout clauses they were also seeking were quite worrisome. However, I did see the potential ability for the venue to become a tourist attraction, something our area is in desperate need of to keep our tourism industry churning…MVB has an intersting idea…
• Broward County Officials have unveiled a spending plan for the possible transit tax money which could soon be flowing into the county’s transit agency. Aside from bus enhancements, though, the plan lacks a clear outline of any possible rail lines. It appears that BCT officials do not have a clear sense of what they wish to accomplish with their county’s tax either…
• Rebecca Carter of Greener Miami recently attended the Re-Energize America event; an event designed to increase awareness and educate citizens on the benefits of green policy and green technology in the United States. Mayor Diaz stressed the importance of conserving our natural resources in the city and talked about a possible adaptation of Miami 21 to include ecologically friendly regulations. And, as Alesh pointed out, not a single building in Miami can be considered green. Absolutely pathetic…
• Richard of Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space has an interesting article on the general failure of the pedestrian mall in the United States. Why have they failed? Because we don’t know how to build our cities properly; a successful pedestrian mall shouldn’t be a commercial enterprise, rather, a phenomenon which occurs on its own due to regular pedestrian traffic. You can relate it to the strip shopping center in today’s world which caters so well to vehicular traffic…
• You may notice a slight change in the format starting tomorrow…yes, on a Saturday…as I begin an attempt to post on weekends (I was encouraged by Rick to do so quite some time ago.) However, I plan on avoiding transit/planning issues over the weekend, choosing to go offbeat with other stories which often catch my interest…Suggestions are welcomed…
• As always, if you have comment, question, or idea feel free to send me a digital telegram (MoveMiami@gmail.com) Keep up the excellent discussions…

I’m thrilled to hear that the Miami Roads Neighborhood Civic Association is filled with transportation and urban planners which are going to save Miami from its quandary to build a $200 Million streetcar. Here come our knights in shining armor from the single family home area of the roads, distributing fliers full of propaganda speaking about the effects of streetcars in urban areas. Give me a break!

First off let’s talk about the benefits of Streetcars. They are clean, efficient, and environmentally friendly forms of transportation. Running on electric power (which, ok, may have been created by fossil fuels elsewhere) they remove the highly unattractive diesel buses from the streets. When implemented properly, streetcars have been known to bring further urban growth and revitalization to blighted neighborhoods. Removing the buses from the streets also creates a more pleasant atmosphere for pedestrians, sidewalk café establishments, and pretty much any other outdoor activity. Streetcars run on tracks built into the streets and are typically equipped with an intelligent street light timing device which keeps the lights changing in their favor, to ensure that the vehicle keeps moving at a constant rate. Lastly, (though I can’t find the article I read which supports this) streetcars make sense economically, requiring less maintenance/fuel than a bus traveling the same route.

So, what do the members of the Miami Roads Neighborhood Civil Engineering Civic Association propose? Buses! Typical NIMBY response…I swear it’s like a disease that has spread north from the Grove. Buses aren’t going to solve a thing kids…It’s been proven time and time again that people (North Americans in particular) have a severe aversion to riding a bus. It’s mental, I know, so let’s spend the $200 Million on some more buses and psychotherapy instead.

Winsome Bowing, a Transportation Planning Manager knows what he’s talking about:

”We’ve seen through studies that buses don’t generate riders,” Bowen said. “This is about bringing more pedestrians to our city streets, which we have to have to make our downtown work.”

It’s about creating a new urban fabric for our city. The streetcar makes urban life possible and permanently establishes an alternative which negates the use of vehicles as the primary mode of transportation in our urban core. The streetcar isn’t a step forward, but merely a correction of the catastrophic mistake made in the 1940’s when the original Miami Transit Company streetcar was dismantled in favor of buses.

• FDOT Meeting Notice- Monday, October 16, 2006 - Community Meeting on the upcoming construction project on Biscayne Boulevard, from N.E. 67^th Street to N.E. 78^th Street. Location- Legion Parl Community Center (6447 NE 7th Ave., Miami) 6:30 PM
  
• Miami Town Hall to address Oil Dependence and Global Warming Location- Storer Auditorium, UM Campus (5250 University Drive, Coral Gables) 6PM (Via Greener Miami)

My Saturday evening was spoiled as I surfed through the news channels only to see Miami’s finest athletes duking it out with one another at the Orange Bowl. I guess Miami Fight Night came a few months early this year. I’m disheartened not because I am a Hurricane or a Golden Panther, but because I am a Miamian and that game reflected poorly upon Miami more than anything else.

The Golden Panthers tarnished one of their greatest opportunities to enter the realm of the college rivalry through their actions this weekend. They should look north to their closest “rival”, UCF, which handled itself magnificently earlier this year at a 42-0 beat down by the Gators in the Swamp. Like the Golden Panthers, the Knights are a team looking to build a program within one of the most dominant football states in the country. The key to either team’s success will be the amount of respect they can gain from their peers; which can only be attained by winning games, not fights.

The crowd reaction was second on the scale of pathetic only to that of the commentating performance of Lamar. In who’s house Lamar? Last time I watched a great rivalry, I witnessed nothing but character, passion, and a great display of emotion from both teams and fans, even the losing team, not a ridiculous fracas. Someone should have cut his mic before he further humiliated himself, UM, and the whole city of Miami. As for the fans cheering throughout the madness, I see it as nothing other than a grim reminder of how much our education system needs to improve in the greater Miami area. As a fan of the game and someone who is pulling for the success of both teams, I was utterly ashamed of the way the stadium reacted and ultimately represented the character (or lack there of) of the students and alumni of both schools. By the way Canes’ Fans: Thug U, isn’t something you’d want to be proud of, it just further diminishes the value of your degree…

Thanks for the negative publicity guys. Here is one rivalry I won’t be looking forward to next year…

Note: Did anyone else notice that the Golden Panthers apparently decided to unleash their prowess on the mightiest Hurricane of them all: the kicker…

Video via SOTP…