Miami Streetcar (SUBWAY) under the bay is APPROVED!

[Ocklawaha]

Miami Streetcar
The Miami streetcar will serve a vital role in the future development of our city. It will serve as an economic catalyst for the entire county by guaranteeing mobility where it is needed most; our downtown core. Contrary to the suburban sprawl most of this commission voted in favor of a few weeks prior, the streetcar will allow the county and city to continue growing in an ecologically and financially sustainable manner for years to come. I cannot begin to quantify the economic benefits our entire community will experience through this measure. Most importantly, the streetcar provides the means with which to construct some truly affordable housing, located within easy reach and facilitating life not governed by the economic constraint of owning a vehicle for personal independence.

Port Tunnel
The benefits the portof Miamitunnel will provide are twofold: providing direct easy access to and from our second largest economic engine and perhaps more importantly, ridding our newly emerging downtown urban center of the traffic, smog, and noise pollution produced by these vehicles daily. The reduction of these nuisances in our city center will foster a hospitable urban environment.

An unprecedented resolution sits before you today aimed at simultaneously solving some of the transit, infrastructure, and societal needs of this community. As is the case with most plans of this size, it isn’t without its share of flaws; however, the economic and intangible benefits these upgrades will produce should be enough to outweigh any of your reservations. I ask that the commission take the necessary steps today to propel Miami into a new, sustainable future

Ocklawaha

[Charles Hunter]

How much is this going to cost?  Big Dig South?

[thelakelander]

The $200 million streetcar proposal and the $914 million dollar port tunnel are separate projects.  The tunnel is for trucks and automobiles only, not rail.

[Nawdry]

I don't think the "subway" (tunnel) will carry streetcars - it will carry trucks.

The streetcar is a 10.6-mile project basically serving central and downtown Miami, with an investment pricetag of about $200 million. I can't figure out from the news reports exactly how much is being put on the table locally - one report gives a figure of $20 million from Dade County.

For a Fact Sheet on the streetcar, see:

http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/MiamiStreetcar/downloads/ProjectFactSheet.pdf

It's been difficult to find a news report giving an accurate and comprehensive idea of what action local officials have taken ... but the report below provides a fairly decent summary.

LH

*************

http://cbs4.com/local/Miami.Overtown.commissioners.2.611629.html

CBS4 News
Dec 15, 2007

Skeptics Over Miami's Multibillion-Dollar Plan

Reporting
Tiffani Helberg MIAMI (CBS4)


Miami city commissioners this week approved an unprecedented plan
which officials say could take Miami to another level.  Others are
skeptical, arguing it could be like buying a luxury car when you cannot
afford a home.

The city passed  by a vote of 4-1 on Thursday a project that includes
building a new stadium for the Marlins at the Orange Bowl site, a new
underground tunnel for trucks leading into the Port of Miami, a new
museum at Bicentennial Park, a new streetcar system, expanding other
projects in the area and more.

Hank Klein of the Miami Chamber of Commerce could not be happier. "It
means a tremendous amount of construction projects and in turn a
tremendous amount of jobs."

In Overtown, an area promised revitalization in the past, there are critics.
Shawnese Jones, a resident, said, "It's just ridiculous."

Some of the development will be paid for with revenues generated in her
struggling community.

"Build some of the things we need here, build some more apartments,"
Jones added. "Put these people in some homes. All these empty lots
need buildings  instead of trying to build all this other crap for people.
That's a waste of money."

That opinion is echoed by Bernadette Armand, a lawyer and community
activist with "Power U", a grassroots organization located in Overtown.

Armand said, "It's nothing short of criminal that struggling communities
like the community of Overtown and Wynwood, Allapattah, these areas
are going to be footing the bill for luxury development projects that really
have no place in Miami."

She also takes issue with the timing of the vote. She said the project was
only made public the night before the meeting, and approved the next
day.

Armand added, "I wouldn't be surprised if the way they went about
passing this development project isn't going to create some legal
problems for them."  She explained there was an issue of little if any
participation and notice for those citizens of Miami who wanted "to speak
out against" it".

The multibillion-dollar deal to put a ballpark, museum campus, port tunnel
and other projects in downtown Miami will move to the county, where on
Thursday, commissioners will vote on the plan.

[Ocklawaha]

Nawdry, It's weird, the other report I saw was the streetcar through the tunnel, to access the port... Cruise side? I really don't know. But if they are building a highway tunnel to the Worlds largest Cruise Port, it WOULD make sense from a local transit standpoint.

Si Pero No?

Ocklawaha

[thelakelander]

There's no streetcar alignment going into the Port tunnel.  As Nawdry said, its for trucks.  Here's the proposed streetcar route.