County Moves Forward with Heavy Rail Airport Conne

[Brickell]

http://www.miamisunpost.com/forthstoryfrontpage.htm

$100 Million Per Mile

County Moves Forward with Heavy Rail Airport Connector

The Power of Three: Commissioners Barbara Carey-Schuler, Dennis Moss and Dorrin Rolle at the MIC press conference.

[bobliocatt]

Its great to see this moving along. Will this route be the first of the planned metrorail expansion to get underway? Just building Baylink and extending the metrorail to MIA, alone, would instantly add thousands of commuters to metrorail's daily numbers.

[Urban_Legend]

I'm glad to see some progress. I can't wait til the MIC is finally finished. It'll definitely help the mobility in that county. BTW, did Baylink pass? Weren't they gonna vote on it on the 2nd?

[bobliocatt]

Yes, Baylink passed!

MIAMI BEACH STRAW BALLOT - No. 1: Bay Link Streetcar Rail System

Yes 13,718 55.0 %

No 11,456 45.0 %

[Urban_Legend]

YAY!!!

[Brickell]

yes, baylink straw vote passed, but it doesn't really mean that much.

I think it would have meant more if it lost. The politicians are still for the most part against the project i think. The straw vote was bascially just asking the citizens opinion without any binding rules. That being said, the future of baylink does look a lot brighter than it did last week.

Also, I believe this will be the first metrorail expansion. It'll be pretty big to have a connection to the airport, especially as the MIC finishes.

[Dale]

Will this metrorail expansion connect the airport to downtown, or just to MIC ?

[Aessotariq]

The existing Metrorail "green line" vs. the proposed expansion:

In case the pictures don't display:

• Existing:

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/images/k-railmap.gif

• Expansion:

http://www.miamidade.gov/trafficrelief/ima...ailcorridor.gif

The Earlington Heights connector will be a short two-mile branch line that will connect the MIC to the existing Metrorail line, providing a connection to downtown from the Airport (via the MIC) for the first time, until the east-west line is completed. It's the L-shaped orange line above the MIC in the diagram below. It would also be the first piece of a future north-south line.

Connector zoomed in:

http://www.miamidade.gov/trafficrelief/rai...oEarlington.gif

The red loop that goes between the MIC and the Airport is the MIC-MIA Connector, a people mover line that will connect the terminal to MIC's Consolidated Rental Car Facility and the ground transportation terminal.

http://www.miamidade.gov/trafficrelief/updates_rail_mic.asp

As for the straw ballot vote, the Miami-Dade MPO has overriding authority on transportation projects (so they could have done it regardless), but they clearly expressed that they would gladly spend the money elsewhere (where federal matching funds would be appreciated) if Miami Beach didn't want it.

[Brickell]

thanks tivo.

a good overview.

[streetscaper]

Great news

[metropolis]

Miami is definately moving things in the right direction! I'm very upbeat and optimistic about its future, a primary reason for my continuing to invest in MIA real estate.

[Brickell]

welcome to the forum metropolis.

did you buy a condo at Metropolis in Dadeland?

where else are you investing?