Golden Glades Intermodal Center

[Aessotariq]

If you've been following this forum, you may be aware of the Miami Intermodal Center, or the MIC (pron. "mick"). The MIC is to become the "Grand Central Station" for Miami and it will be where Miami's major transportation systems converge, including Metrorail, Tri-Rail, bus, taxi, and rental cars. MIC is the first step in getting the county's transportation network coordinated and centralized.

There is also another project being planned for the north end of Miami-Dade County. This project will be located at the Golden Glades Interchange. The Golden Glades is Florida's busiest interchange, where Interstate 95, the Palmetto Expressway, State Road 9, the Florida Turnpike, and US 441 intersect.

The interchange's importance extends far beyond its role in connecting South Florida's major highways. The southwest portion of the interchange is also a major public transportation hub for Miami-Dade County. There are at least nine major bus routes from Miami-Dade, three from Broward, and a Tri-Rail station that serve this interchange. A park-and-ride lot and Greyhound terminal are also on site.

As important as this interchange is to the county's public transport network, its facilities leave much to be desired. The bus terminal is a narrow concrete pavilion built in the 1970s, sitting amidst a sea of parking. The Tri-Rail station is completely disconnected from the bus pavilion, requiring a walk across the parking lot and then a walk over the pedestrian bridge to the station, and finally, the Greyhound bus terminal sits in the far east of the site and is housed in a modular building. In the summer heat, this can be very uncomfortable.

The Florida Department of Transportation is studying the design of a future modern station at the Golden Glades. Currently coined the Golden Glades Multimodal Facility, this center will be a state-of-the-art terminal, one that will make switching from bus and rail seamless and convenient.

http://www.gdi-pde.com