We love trains and bicycles here at transit Miami. Since the FEC is currently making improvements to the existing rail line that will connect the port of Miami to an inland port in Hialeah, why not add a patch of gravel and create a greenway from midtown to downtown? This can be done very inexpensively.
Wouldn't this make a great greenway to connect midtown to downtown?
Come on FEC help us out on this one! Let’s make this happen together.
Friend of Transit Miami Brad Knoefler jumpstarted this idea a couple of years ago, but the momentum subsided. We should not allow this idea to die.
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11 Responses to The FEC Corridor Greenway?
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Back when the Miami-Dade MPO was accepting ideas on how to improve transportation in the county, I submitted this as an idea. What I’d like to see is a greenway that connects not only midtown but the upper east side of the county to downtown. I make this trip occasionally (~10 miles), and the amount of zig zagging that I have to do to keep off Biscayne (read: to make my trip safe) is hard to remember.
That would get more cars off the road.
Agreed Brandt. I live in the upper east side and would love to see the greenway run up to 79th street. The first phase should be midtown to downtown.
This sounds like a great idea but I doubt FEC or local government pony up the money (however little it may be) to do this. I think that the best bet would be to contact somebody inside FEC and let them know about this idea and find out if they would be willing so long funding came from somewhere else. Considering the good publicity and good will it could generate for them at no cost, I would like to think that they would agree. Then, we could just create a project on kickstarter.com or something to raise the funds.
I’m all for increasing the much needed green space in Miami while providing desperately needed bicycle corridors and transportation improvements in Miami urban areas. I’m not sure what the right-of-ways are for bicycle paths and rail, but I also question the safety of those using the greenway/bicycle path near an active railway corridor. I think it might be best to put all our efforts to the poorly planned Biscayne corridor and other major streets and avenues for a bike path.
That’s just it. Even if they do have to pony up more money, if the MPO allocates the funds correctly they could accomplish this. The question is finding the funds. Maybe if they attend the event below, we could see some action take place in regards to better transportation.
http://www.performanceweb.org/Miami/
Its complicated… the gov agencies really have no say in this since the right-of-way (ROW) has been owned by FEC since waaaaay back in the day (they were there first). Whatever happens on the FEC corridor will have to go solely through FEC. In terms of putting a green way on the ROW, from a business stand point, is a bad move because a greenway is considered a 4f resource by the state which is protected by many laws and regulations. So once they install a greenway it would be almost impossible, or at least very difficult, to remove or alter it in the future if they had make a track realignment or expansion. Since they are in the business of moving freight and not bicyclists and joggers, a greenway on the tracks would not be good move for operational longevity. Plus, by March of next year FEC will actively be moving large volumes of freight into the port, post Tiger II grant reconstruction of the bridge, and getting into the port requires that trains reach a speed of 30mph+ in order to make the inclination (hump) over the bridge. So we can be fairly confident that FEC does not want folks biking withing arms length of a freight train hauling several hundred tons of “stuff” at speeds over 30MPH… which is a lot faster most folks prefer run or bike…. the train is coming.
Tony the Tiger,
You make some excellent points and I agree with everything you say. It is an FEC decision and gov. agencies would have very little say.
On the other hand, nothing stops the FEC from creating a 10ft gravel “access road” for its service vehicles (wink, wink). Cyclists and joggers would then use the “access road” at their own risk.
What do you think?
I think it’s worth looking into, however, we’re simultaneously pushing for Tri-Rail service on the FEC, potential future Amtrak service from Jacksonville, as well as the eminent increased cargo rail from the port. Having pedestrians and bicyclists at such proximity to these fast trains, just says dangerous.
I’d rather push for Tri-Rail service on the FEC than a pedestrian greenway, rail is more important for us in this corridor at the moment.
Agreed Kyle. Rail is more important for us in this corridor at the moment. I believe the FEC owns about 100ft of ROW (please correct me if I’m wrong). Even if the FEC decided to lay down three tracks I think we could possibly squeeze in a 12 foot multiuse path safely.
[...] for this reason that the cycling community has been pushing so hard for a greenway along Biscayne, which would run parallel to the FEC rail line. Although this doesn’t seem [...]