Back on Track

• It’s nice to be back online. I hate ignoring my cyber audience, even if it is on a temporary basis. Much has happened during my brief absence, so I created this overview to wrap up some thoughts…

• Check out thisa amazing video by James Good…

• I’ve cleared up my issues with Miamista, though we realized in the end it was all one misunderstanding. He had some kind words to say and confused my name for Gael Garcia Bernal…Its all good…

• Had there been a Maricon Monday award today, our definite winner would have been none other than Senator Mel Martinez, the oil sellout himself. Now, some of you may accuse me of picking on republicans in my weekly installment, however, they are the majority right now with spotlights cast upon their every move. I’m sure if and when we see a change in power; we’ll see some admirable democrats win the prize. Now, back to Martinez and the ridiculous extent he will go to, to keep the politics as bi-partisan as possible. There’s no other way to say it but; he backs Katherine Harris up in her bid to unseat Bill Nelson. The Governor, the President, and even the Republican Party turned their backs on her, in May! Her staff has absolutely no confidence in her ability and campaign scandals continually surface, yet, Martinez still thinks she’s fit to represent us…

• Broward is looking to create an East-West LRT to begin to unify the public transit in their sprawled out county. Some are calling for a BRT to be implemented instead, which, I hate to say it will do absolutely nothing but run some empty buses east-west. The LRT is a long shot, considering there currently isn’t a funding plan. By placing it on its own right-of-way, it will enable the train to traverse the 21 mile section rather quickly, taking passengers from the Everglades Office Depot Center to the Airport. I’ll keep an eye on this for any updates…

• I’ve received quite a few e-mails from urban planners and readers alike asking me what I think about the planned FEC corridor. Though, I’ve always intended to get around and write about it, I never have, until now that is. Running trains along the more easterly FEC corridor is a good idea, but not a brilliant one. Now, it’s a good idea that should have always been pursued much more aggressively by legislators because it is the route that runs closest to the three primary city centers and has the best chance to actually improve daily commutes. It’s not a brilliant one because it’s at least twenty years too late. Now, it shouldn’t give us any reason to celebrate or laud a lame-duck governor who just now in his final year in office is looking to exit with a bang; by becoming the governor who sliced a couple of last minute deals with the SEC and FECI. No way, not now, it’s eight years too late for him to begin that legacy. The FEC corridor has been for too long been the obvious choice for improving our local mass transit. It runs fairly close to the SEC tracks in much of Palm Beach and Broward counties; however, it runs through city centers and much closer to major passenger destinations like seaports and airports. In Miami-Dade the two routes take completely different routes with the SEC heading westward to MIA and probably enough out of the way to discourage enough people to not ride. The FEC proposed southern terminus would be in downtown Miami, likely somewhere near the freedom tower or Miami arena, precisely where our central transfer station (MIC) should be…

Technorati Tags: Miami, South Florida, Transit, Sprawl, LRT