The Miami-Dade County Commission Agenda for March 3 is out and it is full of fun items…here are some that I found interesting:
- Improvements along Old Cutler based on the Old Cutler Charrette including roundabouts at 87th and 97th avenue, along with pedestrian/bike path upgrades and facilities from Cocoplum Circle to 224 Street.
- Commissioner Jordon wants to tinker with the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust this time to ensure that the Trust reviews and recommends award contracts within 45 days and that it meet with the Commission at least quarterly. Interesting…
- Approving $37 Million in additional FDOT funding for MIA’s people mover, connecting the MIC with the Airport (this is the much needed connection between Metrorail and the Airport.)
- Th
e City of Doral is expanding its free trolley service. 
This is a biggy (and another Barbara Jordon sponsored item): Officially allowing transit surtax dollars to be spent on the system maintenance and operations, while increasing General Fund contributions by 3.5% every year, and dedicating 10% of the surtax yearly to capital expansion. Wasn’t all of the surtax to be used for expansion? Sorry, but these numbers are still off….seems like more should be put aside from the General Fund, and for expansion (7% and 25%?)- Developing an elderly TOD at the Okeechobee Metrorail site.
- The County is looking to cut 20% of its energy consumption (estimated at 1.17 million-megawatt-hours..wow)
- Awesome:
MDT is updating its bus-tracking software to allow for real-time infomation to be sent to wireless devices. MDT is also deploying a real-time bus tracking system on the new Kendall BRT pilot project, scheduled for May 2012. This line will extend from 166 street and Kendall Drive to Dadeland Station, and include 27 stations that will connect with the GPS based tracking system. 
A resolution urging the President to rethink Federal transit funding when Congress looks at the surface transportation spending act later this year – specifically allowing for use of the funds for operations. This would finally move the Orange line forward.
Implementation strategy for Miami-Dade Parks Masterplan. Also awesome. (Noted in this item is a growing program me and some collegues started called the Native Carbon Cure – a carbon tax that mitigates our business’ carbon footprint through local habitat restoration projects.)
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I am very excited about that bike/pedestrian path being improved. Driving to Key Biscayne and the Everglades gets old fast.
Also, in regards to the people mover, thank god! How was this not done ages ago?
• I agree with Christina, the bike/pedestrian improvements contribute to the “smart growth” movement that will only lead to the betterment of communities all over the United States socially and economically, and is also supported by our president.
• This one is interesting. Hopefully those quarterly meetings will spur talks about the actual power of the CITT, which has had virtually none over the allocation of funds within MDT since the 2002 half-penny tax was implemented.
• Needless to say, this is great. The MIA Mover is a key component for the MIC project and this ensures that the temporary bus shuttle service from the MIC to the airport terminals -while the Mover is being constructed- does not become permanent.
• As a Doral resident, I would love to see the Trolley expanded. It, along with the Gables Trolley will hopefully let the MPO see the light on these systems. Here, I drew the 87 Route and the Trolley line. The 87 ends at Palmetto Station, but to get there from where I live, I have to transfer from Trolley to Bus to Metrorail. Its not a big deal, but if the Trolley was expanded to Palmetto it would be a great change for us.
• I’m not so sure about this one, as it would do great things, but it may be very little money to help realize the bigger expansion projects.
• This is great news, I pass Okeechobee all the time and it could use something like this. Great news for the elderly as well.
• Good to hear that Miami-Dade County is taking this initiative. This could free up funds for other things while having a more efficient system overall.
• This bus-tracking system is already in place in Broward and would be an immense improvement here. Hopefully, this would be accompanied by a similar system on Metrorail. Its almost embarrassing that the only display of this kind is at the Government Center ticket lobby (doing little good for people already on the platform)
• This is also great news, and we could become a good example for other County leaders to follow in our push for transit funding reform.
• Mr. Garcia, I commend your program and researched this kind of a tax a few weeks ago for the debate portion of the Fairchild Challenge, it is a great idea that would definitely change the mentality of many businesses and people here in terms of the environment.
Overall, I like these developments and hope there are more to come.
Sorry, I forgot to add the link to the map in my fourth bullet point. Here it is: (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=25.843138~-80.376663&style=r&lvl=15&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=35084705&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1&cid=FEDE1F736F999B20!272)