The Underline plans revealed

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by Cubanchic

Please don't spend money on THIS and at least extend the metro rail to Caribbean Blvd.

If you have ever had to ride the busway from down south when a car was out of commission you would know what pain it is.

I feel really bad for the folks that live in homestead and have to go to work in either Doral, coral gables or downtown...the three major employment hubs.

Cubanchic? I support converting the Busway into a full fledged Metrorail line down to Homestead /Florida City. The EIS is complete & the ROW is owned by MDT already.

The "Underline" isn't a totally funded Government funded plan though.

From the website:

How will the project be funded?
We are fully funded for our master planning. Funders include the cities of Miami, Coral Gables, and South Miami and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Miami Foundation, the Health Foundation of South Florida and the Mitchell Wolfson Foundation.

We are currently seeking funding from both the public and private sectors for construction and ongoing maintenance.

https://www.theunderline.org/#join

[Cubanchic]

I understand that but really it is another pink sidewalk plan to keep us appeased. I am for all of this if it is partnershiper with a private company which it seems to be be. But... BUT this is why we said ok to a sales tax hike which effects EVERYONE, small and large.

Reality is we don't have any money to extend the metro rail and that money was spent......

The G man has to speak up, which he won't because he fights how soon can I vote his ass put."!!!!!!!!!

[Sugah Ray]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

The "Underline" isn't a totally funded Government funded plan though.

In a county where cars can barely move and people are spending all their lives commuting, it's hard to ask its residents to spend any money(however small) in a trail that would only benefit those that live close to Metrorail and the benefit is not even to help them make a living(commute), but just for their leisure.

This project sounds like it can only turn 2 ways: One is that not much money is spend, a bunch of vegetation and benches and some lamps are placed but people will have limited space to move because of the high traffic intersections.

Second possibility is that there would be raised paths at the intersections and I cannot possibly see how this is not gonna be very costly and a public institution, most likely Miami-Dade county, which is the only one who can collect a large amount of taxes, will be stuck with the bill.

I say NO, we need to address our traffic issues and lack of public transportation first. We are drowning here and this place is becoming inhospitable.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by Sugah Ray

In a county where cars can barely move and people are spending all their lives commuting, it's hard to ask its residents to spend any money(however small) in a trail that would only benefit those that live close to Metrorail and the benefit is not even to help them make a living(commute), but just for their leisure.

I'll remember this next time a local road drainage project comes up in west Dade....

Most of the people I see on bikes every day are NOT biking for leisure. They're actually trying to get somewhere--usually to work or school.

What do you expect people to do when they can't afford a car with the high rent, and the bus service simply doesn't work? Unless it's like Key Biscayne, do you really think people take the high risk of riding their bikes in Miami just for fun???

What we need is a County-wide network not just the M-path. A County-wide network can be done for less than a couple miles of urban freeway or Metrorail expansion. And this particular project is not even all public money! (when is the last time a private organization volunteered to pitch in for that drainage project, huh?). It wouldn't solve all of our transportation issues, but it would sure make a difference--especially to those who need it the most.

[Sugah Ray]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

I'll remember this next time a local road drainage project comes up in west Dade....

Most of the people I see on bikes every day are NOT biking for leisure. They're actually trying to get somewhere--usually to work or school.

Who is gonna be using the M-path for commuting when the darn train is above them?

What do you expect people to do when they can't afford a car with the high rent, and the bus service simply doesn't work? Unless it's like Key Biscayne, do you really think people take the high risk of riding their bikes in Miami just for fun???

I certainly don't expect them to ride their bikes underneath the Metrorail.

What we need is a County-wide network not just the M-path. A County-wide network can be done for less than a couple miles of urban freeway or Metrorail expansion. And this particular project is not even all public money! (when is the last time a private organization volunteered to pitch in for that drainage project, huh?). It wouldn't solve all of our transportation issues, but it would sure make a difference--especially to those who need it the most.

My problem is not what part of the city is getting the benefits, it's that it does nothing to shorten anybody's commute. This project contributes nothing. It's redundant for commute purposes. What's next? A bus or a light rail that goes underneath Metrorail also?

[oronzous]

i'm on the fence with this project. It looks very nice, but it doesn't expand our existing biking network.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by Sugah Ray

I certainly don't expect them to ride their bikes underneath the Metrorail.

Well, News Flash, people currently do this every day...have you ever been to the M-Path? Also, the Metrorail does not stop every 100 ft, it's more like every 2 miles, so you do need a "last mile" solution.

And remember that for some people (who are also tax payers, citizens, human beings), the issue isn't so much shortening the commute, it's about surviving the commute. This is sad and frankly, it's irresponsible.

Best way to shorten your commute is to live closer. Or ride Metrorail if it's an option. And if it's not, join the effort to get it expanded. If the distance is short, biking may be faster for some people. If you expand Metrorail and bike lanes, it makes it possible for more families to have one less car on the road during peak times. In contrast, as evidenced by the I-95 express lanes, expanding highways does not shorten commutes in the long term. When it first opened, my former commute from Aventura improved by 5 minutes for a few months, but soon after it actually took longer. We cannot build more roads to improve commute times--we're beyond that tipping point. Too much "density of cars" here, which is only going to get worse. People just adjust their plans and trip times to use up the additional capacity, that's all. Just look at LA and Atlanta with there very expansive freeway systems which are constantly backed up. And in the case of LA, you'd probably have to live even further from work with an even longer commute than you do now!

We would need to use congestion tolling like in central London or Singapore, and for that to work, we need viable alternatives like mass transit and biking. It's not politically popular yet, but it is the only proven method to manage traffic congestion.

[Sugah Ray]

No I have never been on the M path but I have seen it because I drive around US1. I have never seen many people there.

Again I don't see any benefit. Biking is not gonna solve many people's commute problems. This city's whether, especially the heavy rain in the summer doesn't make biking an easy option, and many people cannot ride their bike to work. Moving closer to work It's not an option for many people especially families with children. Most people don't work in the same company all their lives, many get laid off. People change jobs more often that than they change their residence.