A plan to move forward with a streetcar line in Miami Beach will have to wait while the county plans a route across the Biscayne Bay.
"Miami Beach commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to temporarily stop the fast-tracked light rail project that would lay down tracks on South Beach’s streets," reports Joey Flechas.
"The light rail or 'modern streetcar' line…is now on hold after commissioners agreed to wait for Miami-Dade County commissioners to make a binding commitment to building a connection across Biscayne Bay, including a funding plan," adds Flechas.
The current push to build a “modern streetcar,” billed as one third of a future light rail connection to Downtown Miami and commonly known as “Bay Link,” began last year when a consortium of firms including French rail company Alstom submitted an unsolicited proposal to jump-start a long-discussed but never-realized rail connection across Biscayne Bay.
Flechas has been documenting the political process surrounding the proposed $244 South Beach streetcar project since November, when critics of the proposal started raising concerns about the pace of the planning process and lost capacity for automobiles, in addition to the concerns about the connection to the larger Bay Link project.
Cars Retake Their Place on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach
Ocean Drive in South Beach is the site of an ongoing pilot project in making space for pedestrians and businesses in space previously devoted to cars. Advocates and some local politicians don't like the direction that the experiment is headed.
Preservation Wars Heat Up in South Beach
Decades after preservationists helped usher in one of the country’s most successful urban revivals by protecting South Beach's Art Deco buildings, Miami Beach commissioners are considering whether to strengthen laws protecting residential properties.
A History of Public Transit Disinvestment in the US
The Union of Concerned Scientists takes us on a “trip down memory ‘train,’” examining the history of public transit, including its chronic disinvestment and perpetuation of racism, from the 1800s to today.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
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.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
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
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
