- Go Tom! DCA Director Tom Pelham says that SB360 doesn’t apply to large metropolitan areas (like Miami):
According to Pelham’s interpretation, issued last week, SB 360 cannot override local governments’ home-rule authority, granted in state law. He cites this provision in the bill:
“The designation of a transportation concurrency exception area does not limit a local government’s home-rule power to adopt ordinances or impose fees.”
Pelham argues further that if cities and counties want to end the practice, they have to change their comprehensive growth plans, a process that takes months and numerous public hearings.
- High Speed Rail moves forward: “Unlike Orlando’s SunRail commuter-rail proposal, high-speed rail has no connection with the CSX railroad and no need to share tracks.”
- The Northbound I-95 Express lanes are not as popular as FDOT would like, while Broward toys with its own HOT lane plans.
- Miami-Dade is getting new hybrid buses with the help of the EPA.
Great news! I’m glad about the Hybrid buses and High Speed Rail and I have mixed feelings about the Express Lanes (I’m glad about their lack of popularity because it may be due to the number of people who instead take Tri-Rail, while I feel bad about it because it also means less people are carpooling than previously expected and because this may just mean that people rather do the same old thing they’ve been doing for years). One question: any news on the ramp metering and whether it has been successful or not on the I-95 onramps?
One final bit: Here’s a heads up for two meetings taking place in August by Miami-Dade Transit to discuss their 10-year transit development plans.
Link: http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/pdfs/misc/public_meetings_tdp_aug09.pdf
95 Express will go down as one of the biggest shams ever. The number of false, unmet promises made by FDOT staff in order to get MPO and county support for the HOT lanes is staggering. I’m glad Broward officials are finally asking hard questions. There are a gazillion unmet transit needs in Dade and Broward, and NONE of them are on I-95. This is just another underhanded FDOT move to add highway capacity, but with a different wrinkle to confuse those care about transit. Tell me again how this project improves livability or will promote smart growth?