Recent controversies have inspired county and city officials in Miami-Dade County looking to overhaul the process by which transportation projects are planned, approved, and funded.
"Miami-Dade commissioners and representatives of municipalities in the county have begun a process to radically change the way transportation projects are planned locally in a bid to speed up the creation of new services such as express buses or light-rail systems," reports Alfonso Chardy.
Under the current system: "agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) bring projects for approval or rejection to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which includes Miami-Dade commissioners as well as representatives of municipalities such as the City of Miami and the mayors of Hialeah, Homestead, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens and North Miami."
"But at a meeting last week of the special MPO committee to find transit solutions, Moss said that it should be the MPO that crafts the plans and then directs the agencies to carry them out," according to Chardy.
The discussion about the project approval process in Miami-Dade County is taking place amid a controversy over increased tolls on state roads 836 and 112. A recent failed legislative effort at the state of Florida also would have overhauled the governance structure of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. County and city commissioners are also current considering the financing of a plan by Tri-Rail to bring commuter rail service to downtown Miami from Broward and Palm Beach counties.
FULL STORY: Miami-Dade leaders want to speed up public-transport projects
Miami Loses Population for the First Time Since 1970
Already one of the nation’s hottest real estate markets before the Covid-19 pandemic, the region became unaffordable for many middle-income households in the last few years.
Miami Residents Resist the Idea of a 20-Foot Seawall
As climate change accelerates sea level rise and flooding in South Florida, locals hope to mitigate the impacts with less dramatic interventions.
Miami Mayor Wants Federal Funding for Boring Company Tunnel
Mayor Francis Suarez thinks the tunnel could alleviate congestion, but critics argue the city's rising water table makes tunneling too expensive and impractical.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Colorado Bill Would Tie Transportation Funding to TOD
The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
