Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As for the half penny increase in sales tax, that's not near enough. I'm sure as heck willing to pay more for a great system. I'm in favor of a 4.5 cent increase to the half penny. Up to a 9.5 cent increase if it would make the system world class.
A 4.5 cent increase is only $5 extra dollars per hundred spent (on taxable products.) That's not bad at all, IMO.
to Miami taxpayers who, for the most part, have little to no interest in the metrorail.
i loved the metrorail & used it for a couple years to get to/from downtown when i worked there. i lived a few blocks from the south miami station and my office was close to government center. i had moved to miami from nyc & so was accustomed to mass transit. but try as i did to convince co-workers to do the same (those who lived close enough to other stations for it to make sense), i was unsuccessful. 2-3 days per week i would see my boss (who lived relatively close to the dadeland station) driving thru the intersection of US1 & Sunset as i was crossing to get to the station. I would consistently arrive at our office a full 15 minutes before he did. my ride never took more than 13 minutes station to station. i saved money on gas & wear & tear on my car. but no matter how much he hated being stuck in traffic on US1 he refused to take the metrorail. There's just something about people in Miami - they can't get out of their cars!
to Miami taxpayers who, for the most part, have little to no interest in the metrorail.
i loved the metrorail & used it for a couple years to get to/from downtown when i worked there. i lived a few blocks from the south miami station and my office was close to government center. i had moved to miami from nyc & so was accustomed to mass transit. but try as i did to convince co-workers to do the same (those who lived close enough to other stations for it to make sense), i was unsuccessful. 2-3 days per week i would see my boss (who lived relatively close to the dadeland station) driving thru the intersection of US1 & Sunset as i was crossing to get to the station. I would consistently arrive at our office a full 15 minutes before he did. my ride never took more than 13 minutes station to station. i saved money on gas & wear & tear on my car. but no matter how much he hated being stuck in traffic on US1 he refused to take the metrorail. There's just something about people in Miami - they can't get out of their cars!
I know, it's so hard to convince people to take the transit. We had a similar battle here. The city of Virginia Beach refused to take part in a light rail project and the voters even passed a 10 year moratorium on talking about it. The system was stripped so badly down it basically goes no place. I know when it comes on line it won't be a success and the naysayers will claim victory, thus ending any expansion possibility for years, if not decades.
I equate it to children and medicine. What kid enjoys talking medicine? None. When they do though, they get better and feel better much quicker then if they didn't take it.
The naysayers of Miami need a dose of medicine. I would like to see them get the tax through some way besides a vote. Unfortunately some politician would have to have the bees to do it, which I'm sure we all know what that means... zero chance.
I'd like to get together a grassroots campaign for the Metrorail and take it to the county. If we have a big enough voice I know it would make a difference. (or if there already is one somebody knows about, let me know so I can join!)
Unfortunately, I don't think it's purely lack of interest that prevents people from using the rail. Apart from lack or access to a reliable, convenient transit line, you simply need to be more than one place in a given day. For example, you need to drop your child at school or pick up drycleaning, or you want to stop to get breakfast on the way to work or dinner on the way back. God forbid you should work a second job. If you need a car for any of these things, am you really going to drive back home, park, walk to the station, just so you can take the metrorail? Your time lost would surely be more than that 15 minutes stuck in traffic!
Unfortunately, I don't think it's purely lack of interest that prevents people from using the rail. Apart from lack or access to a reliable, convenient transit line, you simply need to be more than one place in a given day. For example, you need to drop your child at school or pick up drycleaning, or you want to stop to get breakfast on the way to work or dinner on the way back. God forbid you should work a second job. If you need a car for any of these things, am you really going to drive back home, park, walk to the station, just so you can take the metrorail? Your time lost would surely be more than that 15 minutes stuck in traffic!
I agree with this, too. That's why I'm in such favor of expanding the system to reach a lot of place.
I want to see Miami's Metrorail rival that of the NYC/NNJ Transit system. There's no reason Miamians should have to depend on a car to get where they need to go. Miami-Dade County is NOT a big place and getting this up and running should be our first priority.
I agree with this, too. That's why I'm in such favor of expanding the system to reach a lot of place.
I want to see Miami's Metrorail rival that of the NYC/NNJ Transit system. There's no reason Miamians should have to depend on a car to get where they need to go. Miami-Dade County is NOT a big place and getting this up and running should be our first priority.
Miami's transit system will never rival NY's simply b/c of the way Miami is laid out. NYC is condensed....you can find virtually every type of store, restaurant, etc. within easy walking distance of practically any given subway station. Miami is obviously not like that at all, so there will never be the same ridership. And the previous post is correct, it really ony works if you don't have multiple stops to make, if you're only going from home to work and back. What always amazed me though, was that alot of people i knew who only needed to do just that - home/work/home - still refused to use metrorail. And the one person i knew who actually did use it occasionally - she lived in country walk - she would try to drive to dadeland to park & ride - she almost never found a parking space at dadeland so she had to drive up to south miami station to park. after doing that a couple times she mostly gave up and went back to driving the whole way to work. there's going to have to be alot of work done on the metrorail to make it user-friendly enough to get Miami out of it's cars.
Another problem Miami has is the oppressive heat 9 months out of the year. You can't expect any one to get all dress up to go to work and walk a few blocks to the station, when the temperature outside is already 80 degrees at 7:30 AM and the humidity close to 100%. What about those days in the summer when it rains cats and dogs at exactly 5 PM, that person would have to walk those two blocks under the rain. The weather is too harsh down here to be outside.
I used to take Tri-Rail, then Metro-Rail and finally walk 6 blocks to my job, but in the summer time, I would prefer to drive. Anyway it would take me longer to ride the train than to drive.
Another problem Miami has is the oppressive heat 9 months out of the year. You can't expect any one to get all dress up to go to work and walk a few blocks to the station, when the temperature outside is already 80 degrees at 7:30 AM and the humidity close to 100%. What about those days in the summer when it rains cats and dogs at exactly 5 PM, that person would have to walk those two blocks under the rain. .
This.
The only places I would extend and open Metrorail stations are:
- Doral NW 36 st & 87 ave
- Hialeah 103 st & Palmetto
- Maybe Kendall Drive & 107 ave by Miami Dade College.
All these places have horrendous traffic, excessive amount of condos or businesses and are not every far from other metro rail stations.
Miami's transit system will never rival NY's simply b/c of the way Miami is laid out. NYC is condensed....you can find virtually every type of store, restaurant, etc. within easy walking distance of practically any given subway station. Miami is obviously not like that at all, so there will never be the same ridership. And the previous post is correct, it really ony works if you don't have multiple stops to make, if you're only going from home to work and back. What always amazed me though, was that alot of people i knew who only needed to do just that - home/work/home - still refused to use metrorail. And the one person i knew who actually did use it occasionally - she lived in country walk - she would try to drive to dadeland to park & ride - she almost never found a parking space at dadeland so she had to drive up to south miami station to park. after doing that a couple times she mostly gave up and went back to driving the whole way to work. there's going to have to be alot of work done on the metrorail to make it user-friendly enough to get Miami out of it's cars.
I think it could certainly rival NY. That's not to say it'll beat it, but it could be right up there. I think downtown is already really on the up and up and pretty soon that will spread over *more* to Midtown.
Downtown, Midtown and Brickell will all become even more condensed in the future. The rest of Miami would be like New Jersey and other NYC 'suburbs.' There will be rail lines going out there but you'll have to get to them either by bus, bike or hoof.
In NNJ my town overlooks NYC. You still have to take a bus to get to the train lines, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CLTKing
Another problem Miami has is the oppressive heat 9 months out of the year. You can't expect any one to get all dress up to go to work and walk a few blocks to the station, when the temperature outside is already 80 degrees at 7:30 AM and the humidity close to 100%. What about those days in the summer when it rains cats and dogs at exactly 5 PM, that person would have to walk those two blocks under the rain. The weather is too harsh down here to be outside.
I used to take Tri-Rail, then Metro-Rail and finally walk 6 blocks to my job, but in the summer time, I would prefer to drive. Anyway it would take me longer to ride the train than to drive.
I don't think the heat is oppressive 9 months out of the year. If more of the Metrorail stations had parking garages you could simply drive to your station (if you lived out in the 'burbs) park in the garage, go to the train and head to work. When you get off the train if you have to walk a few blocks, just keep your umbrella handy. I think people living in SoFla know about the summer rains
If you lived within walking distance to a station but it was too hot you could always bike there. Many Metrorail stations have bike lockers. Even with high humidity a brisk bike ride isn't too awful.
I guess it will have to be acts of nature to get people on board. i.e.- back to $4 a gallon (or higher,) the ever rising cost of car insurance in FL, and ever more congested roads.
The reason Metrorail is being expanded to the airport is because it's the only extension Miami Dade county & the state could pay for without Federal dollars. The county already owns the right of way for the North line extension on the median of NW 27 ave. but the Feds refused to grant the county monies based on the financial condition of the transit agency and unreliable ridership numbers. As for the North line it would serve the North Campus of MDCC, another Tri-Rail stop and the Dolphins stadium plus serve many south Broward commuters.
Ever since Metrorail was completed in the mid 80s the county has been asking for a half penny tax to fund transit and the voters kept saying NO until the traffic became so bad that voters eventually caved in 2002. I blame the voters for this.
In the meantime the county was running huge operating deficits that they had to divert money from the tax for expansion into keeping the transit agency running.
Another mess was giving individual cities a share of the tax money so they could run their own buses which many times overlaped Metrobus routes. This should have never been done in the first place.
Sadly there will be no further Metrorail expansion without the Feds kicking in 50% of the cost unless the county builds in increments like they are doing with the airport extension.
The reason Metrorail is being expanded to the airport is because it's the only extension Miami Dade county & the state could pay for without Federal dollars. The county already owns the right of way for the North line extension on the median of NW 27 ave. but the Feds refused to grant the county monies based on the financial condition of the transit agency and unreliable ridership numbers. As for the North line it would serve the North Campus of MDCC, another Tri-Rail stop and the Dolphins stadium plus serve many south Broward commuters.
Ever since Metrorail was completed in the mid 80s the county has been asking for a half penny tax to fund transit and the voters kept saying NO until the traffic became so bad that voters eventually caved in 2002. I blame the voters for this.
In the meantime the county was running huge operating deficits that they had to divert money from the tax for expansion into keeping the transit agency running.
Another mess was giving individual cities a share of the tax money so they could run their own buses which many times overlaped Metrobus routes. This should have never been done in the first place.
Sadly there will be no further Metrorail expansion without the Feds kicking in 50% of the cost unless the county builds in increments like they are doing with the airport extension.
I agree that the voters are a large part of the blame. Like I said, kids and medicine.
I also agree that giving a share to the cities is a mistake. The whole idea, I thought, was to expand rail, not just add on buses. It doesn't make any sense that if traffic is so bad you add bus routes.
Hopefully either the Feds will match funds, the tax gets increased or some philanthropic billionaire comes in and donates the money to build the lines. Personally, I'm hoping for one or two
I'd still like to see the Northeast corridor (the at grade CSX defunct tracks) get up and running.Those 6 miles from North Bay Village down to the Port of Miami would be a great (and cheap) expansion opportunity.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The system was stripped so badly down it basically goes no place. I know when it comes on line it won't be a success and the naysayers will claim victory, thus ending any expansion possibility for years, if not decades. 
