Long Range Transportation Plan meetings in Miami (Miami Beach, Kendall: sales, 2009)

[Wild Style]

You are invited to attend a Public Meeting to review and comment on the draft Needs Alternative of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The LRTP is being developed to guide federal, state, and local transportation funding allocations through the Year 2035 and the Needs Alternative is a list of needed improvements to the County’s transportation system that will form the basis for the LRTP. This comprehensive plan will consist of highway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other types of improvements for maximizing local and regional mobility of people and goods. Solutions will include new, creative, and innovative approaches to current transportation challenges. The final draft of the LRTP will be presented for approval to the MPO Governing Board in late 2009.

Who:Miami-Dade MPO
What: 2035LRTP Public Meetings
When and Where: The following meetings will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM:
·January 29 - Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139
·January 29 - West Kendall Regional Library, 10201 Hammocks Blvd. Miami, FL 33196
·February 3 - Homestead Branch Library, 700 N Homestead Blvd. Homestead, FL 33030
·February 3 - Coral Gables Library, 3443 Segovia St. Coral Gables, FL 33134
·February 5 - Gwen Margolis Center, 1590 NE 123rd St. North Miami, FL 33161
·February 5 - Miami-Dade College West Campus, 3800 NW 115th Ave. Room 1121 Doral, FL 33178
Why: To encourage citizens to become familiar and get involved with the transportation planning process.
For more info: www.miamidade2035transportationplan.com.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Solution = expand MetroRail, regardless of cost. Miami cannot continue along the path of car-centricism. Traffic here is already as bad as Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston -- can it get any worse?

[Cougar Beach]

Originally Posted by BCreass

Solution = expand MetroRail, regardless of cost. Miami cannot continue along the path of car-centricism. Traffic here is already as bad as Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston -- can it get any worse?

Yes, it can get worse, and it will. I did not favor the idea of light rail service to Miami Beach when it came up a few years ago, because it sounded like a political mess, but now I'd be willing to reconsider, if the politicos come up with an idea that makes sense.

I lived in downtown Boston for a year, parked my car behind someone's house, and only needed it a few times. The Boston T (MBTA trains) were fantastic. They took me close to pretty much everywhere I couldn't just walk to. I can't imagine how the city could have functioned without the trains.

Miami is pretty spread out, but it will eventually be in the same boat.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by Cougar Beach

Yes, it can get worse, and it will. I did not favor the idea of light rail service to Miami Beach when it came up a few years ago, because it sounded like a political mess, but now I'd be willing to reconsider, if the politicos come up with an idea that makes sense.

I lived in downtown Boston for a year, parked my car behind someones house, and only needed it a few times. The Boston T (MBTA trains) were fantastic. They took me close to pretty much everywhere I couldn't just walk to. I can't imagine how the city could have functioned without the trains.

Miami is pretty spread out, but it will eventually be in the same boat.

Cougar, Boston and other cities are light years ahead of Miami. Miami will never have a mass transit system akin to places like Boston, NY and Chicago. People are too selfish and car-centric here for that to ever happen. People in Kendall are so dumb that they'd rather choke in traffic and deal with reckless drivers than have a mass transit alternative on their doorstep, trust me on that.

For a metro area of 5+ million people, mass transit here is pathetic (and that's putting it kindly).

Didn't they jack up sales tax in Dade County for the purpose of funding Metrorail? What happened to that? Heck...only in Miami....only in Miami would such a FRAUD be tolerated and swept under the rug.

[Cougar Beach]

Originally Posted by BCreass

Didn't they jack up sales tax in Dade County for the purpose of funding Metrorail? What happened to that? Heck...only in Miami....only in Miami would such a FRAUD be tolerated and swept under the rug.

Yes, that is part of our political nightmare, although there is plenty of fraud in other localities.

[Wild Style]

I think Miami could pull it off. Have you guys seen Miami 21? It is a new approach to development in Miami and sustainability, much like NYC PlaNYC. I think it is a great step toward making Miami far denser than what it is now. I think they need to start getting businesses to center their head quarters downtown. It is easier to move people form point A to point B if the businesses and other destinations are concentrated in close proximity to each other and people live closer together.

You guys should make sure you go to one of those meetings. People like you who have lived in dense cities that have advanced transportation systems could give good insight to the powers that be in Miami. Hopefully they will take note and implement positive changes in Miami. I honestly think Miami has TONS of potential, they are just missing good leadership and a more informed/engaged population.

Originally Posted by BCreass

Cougar, Boston and other cities are light years ahead of Miami. Miami will never have a mass transit system akin to places like Boston, NY and Chicago. People are too selfish and car-centric here for that to ever happen. People in Kendall are so dumb that they'd rather choke in traffic and deal with reckless drivers than have a mass transit alternative on their doorstep, trust me on that.

For a metro area of 5+ million people, mass transit here is pathetic (and that's putting it kindly).

Didn't they jack up sales tax in Dade County for the purpose of funding Metrorail? What happened to that? Heck...only in Miami....only in Miami would such a FRAUD be tolerated and swept under the rug.

I was speaking to a coworker about this very topic. He is from NYC (like myself). He always tells me how its better we are here in Florida now than in NYC because of the economic crisis. He based this on the fact Governor Paterson has been VERY upfront with whats ahead for the city and what needs to be done. I told him, its not that NYC is in so much more trouble than Florida. it is that the politicians are far more upfront with telling people how things are going. The citizenry in the north are far more politically sophisticated than down here. So the politicians here can go do all sorts of silly things and the people not do something about it. In the north people will act on the issues and be far more engaged. But hopefully that will change.

[Cougar Beach]

Wild Style, I agree. I plan to attend the meeting at the Miami Beach Regional Library.

Thank you for putting up the info.