Comments on: The State of Miami Transit http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/ Moving Together, Faster Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:14:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Wild Style http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6646 Wild Style Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:57:42 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6646 I am from Brooklyn NYC and I can tell you. Mass Transit CAN get you anywhere in a city. But I think the problem with south florida is the lack of sensible city design. It is urban sprawl instead of New Urbanism. If things were packed in tighter like in NYC you could walk, bike or mass transit around the entire city with no issue. South Florida really needs to rethink how it is going to position itself going forward. I suggest those ignorant on the issue to watch the movie "end of suburbia" so you can see what is at steak should proper city planning get pushed to the back burner. I am from Brooklyn NYC and I can tell you. Mass Transit CAN get you anywhere in a city. But I think the problem with south florida is the lack of sensible city design. It is urban sprawl instead of New Urbanism. If things were packed in tighter like in NYC you could walk, bike or mass transit around the entire city with no issue. South Florida really needs to rethink how it is going to position itself going forward. I suggest those ignorant on the issue to watch the movie “end of suburbia” so you can see what is at steak should proper city planning get pushed to the back burner.

]]> By: Tony Garcia http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6560 Tony Garcia Mon, 26 May 2008 21:29:43 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6560 Stephanie, I appreciate your comment. I wrote the post in a fit of pissed off passion. We are usually better about silly errors, but it happens. Stephanie, I appreciate your comment. I wrote the post in a fit of pissed off passion. We are usually better about silly errors, but it happens.

]]> By: Stephanie Torres http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6558 Stephanie Torres Mon, 26 May 2008 02:22:49 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6558 I totally agree but dude...if you're going to post an article like this, please brush up on your spelling and grammar skills! Also, ever heard of spellcheck?? I totally agree but dude…if you’re going to post an article like this, please brush up on your spelling and grammar skills! Also, ever heard of spellcheck??

]]> By: DJ http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6545 DJ Fri, 23 May 2008 17:31:41 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6545 Will someone please explain the logic regarding MDT offering Free rides on the SOBE Local this weekend? It's one of the busiest weekends on SOBE with lots of tourist why make it free for them? Special Memorial Day weekend service on Metrobus Route 123 (South Beach Local): Free bus service starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2008, and all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 24-26. The regular 25-cent fare service resumes on Tuesday, May 27. Will someone please explain the logic regarding MDT offering Free rides on the SOBE Local this weekend? It’s one of the busiest weekends on SOBE with lots of tourist why make it free for them?

Special Memorial Day weekend service on Metrobus Route 123 (South Beach Local): Free bus service starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2008, and all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 24-26. The regular 25-cent fare service resumes on Tuesday, May 27.

]]> By: Tony Garcia http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6544 Tony Garcia Fri, 23 May 2008 15:56:33 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6544 Warmonger, your reply is funny because I left out an entire section in my first draft where I make the same point you did: building more rail lines means more people are working. We are going to have a lot of unemployed construction workers in the next few years. We could put them to work in a New Deal inspired public works program that would revitalize our infrastructure and keep our economy booming. Unfortunately, it's like you said, these 'win-win' situations never seem to convince people in charge. Maybe that's because their cost/benefit analysis is fundamentally flawed. Warmonger, your reply is funny because I left out an entire section in my first draft where I make the same point you did: building more rail lines means more people are working. We are going to have a lot of unemployed construction workers in the next few years. We could put them to work in a New Deal inspired public works program that would revitalize our infrastructure and keep our economy booming.

Unfortunately, it’s like you said, these ‘win-win’ situations never seem to convince people in charge. Maybe that’s because their cost/benefit analysis is fundamentally flawed.

]]> By: Warmonger http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6543 Warmonger Fri, 23 May 2008 14:22:35 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6543 I agree with Kordor but with a twist. Many to most folks don't raise their kids here and expect them to move back anywhere. For a city that touts its international, cosmopolitan nature, this is actually a rather insular and parochial place. The folks here don't send their kids away to school - they keep them in-state, if not in South Florida. This contributes to our public transit woes. You end up with a sizable population that has had no exposure to functional public transit, thinks buses are for poor people and old folks (not that those are mutually exclusive), and has no larger vision on transit issues beyond whining about the time spent crawling in traffic. It's disappointing. It's also why only the threat of $8 a gallon gas, rather than a desire to do the right and economically sound thing, will boost our transit system. What truly blows my mind is how such a win-win scenario is so hard to sell and to operate properly here. The construction jobs alone would be a boon. If done right, they would include apprentice programs that would serve as an entry point to get kids into the trades. They would be solid-paying jobs for hundreds, if not thousands, of local workers. Once built, the lines require service by skilled mechanics. The buses and trains require operators. Many to most of these jobs could/would/should be union jobs, not a bad thing if you want a workforce with a disposable income versus what we have now. I could go on about the environmental and health benefits and so forth, but I'd be preaching to the choir. If you read this blog, you know the benefits. Sorry to be long-winded, but I am in the amen corner on this post. Until our elected officials get it, we're spitting in the wind. Without better transit options - better public transit - we go the way of the dodo, figuratively, economically, and possibly one day literally due to our obsession with the automobile. I agree with Kordor but with a twist. Many to most folks don’t raise their kids here and expect them to move back anywhere. For a city that touts its international, cosmopolitan nature, this is actually a rather insular and parochial place. The folks here don’t send their kids away to school - they keep them in-state, if not in South Florida. This contributes to our public transit woes. You end up with a sizable population that has had no exposure to functional public transit, thinks buses are for poor people and old folks (not that those are mutually exclusive), and has no larger vision on transit issues beyond whining about the time spent crawling in traffic.
It’s disappointing. It’s also why only the threat of $8 a gallon gas, rather than a desire to do the right and economically sound thing, will boost our transit system.
What truly blows my mind is how such a win-win scenario is so hard to sell and to operate properly here. The construction jobs alone would be a boon. If done right, they would include apprentice programs that would serve as an entry point to get kids into the trades. They would be solid-paying jobs for hundreds, if not thousands, of local workers. Once built, the lines require service by skilled mechanics. The buses and trains require operators. Many to most of these jobs could/would/should be union jobs, not a bad thing if you want a workforce with a disposable income versus what we have now. I could go on about the environmental and health benefits and so forth, but I’d be preaching to the choir. If you read this blog, you know the benefits.
Sorry to be long-winded, but I am in the amen corner on this post. Until our elected officials get it, we’re spitting in the wind. Without better transit options - better public transit - we go the way of the dodo, figuratively, economically, and possibly one day literally due to our obsession with the automobile.

]]> By: transit | Lasts information http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6541 transit | Lasts information Fri, 23 May 2008 13:24:45 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6541 [...] The State of Miami TransitThe County Commission decided to delay its vote Tuesday on the proposed transit hikes. I commend Carlos Jimenez and others for seeing that the issue had to be reconsidered. As Gabe mentioned earlier in the week, the monthly pass really …Transit Miami - http://www.transitmiami.com [...] [...] The State of Miami TransitThe County Commission decided to delay its vote Tuesday on the proposed transit hikes. I commend Carlos Jimenez and others for seeing that the issue had to be reconsidered. As Gabe mentioned earlier in the week, the monthly pass really …Transit Miami - http://www.transitmiami.com [...]

]]> By: Tony Garcia http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6537 Tony Garcia Thu, 22 May 2008 18:54:45 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6537 Well, if we are here in 30 years (and not under water) I sure hope we have a better system than we do now. Well, if we are here in 30 years (and not under water) I sure hope we have a better system than we do now.

]]> By: Kordor http://www.transitmiami.com/2008/05/22/the-state-of-miami-transit/#comment-6534 Kordor Thu, 22 May 2008 16:39:55 +0000 http://www.transitmiami.com/?p=2439#comment-6534 We need transit if we want to be able to attract high wage jobs and give our children better lives. We need transit to reduce transportation costs and housing costs (no parking garage cost to pass through) to keep the cost of living down and our quality of life up. Isn't that the kind of sap that politicians can understand? I sometimes think these obvious and powerful arguments doesn't resonate because many voters don't actually expect their kids to stay in Miami anyway, but to move back to Latin America or north to Tennessee. We need transit if we want to be able to attract high wage jobs and give our children better lives. We need transit to reduce transportation costs and housing costs (no parking garage cost to pass through) to keep the cost of living down and our quality of life up. Isn’t that the kind of sap that politicians can understand? I sometimes think these obvious and powerful arguments doesn’t resonate because many voters don’t actually expect their kids to stay in Miami anyway, but to move back to Latin America or north to Tennessee.

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