Wynwood Petitions For Station On Brightline Tracks
Miami commissioners are voting today on a demonstration train station near Midtown Miami, but Wynwood doesn’t want to be left out.
Wynwood’s Business Improvement District announced this week that they are prepared to provide funding and engage partners to build a station along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks (used by Brightline), which would be served by the proposed Tri-Rail Coastal Link.
“The Wynwood BID supports progressive transportation solutions and infrastructure that reduce roadway congestion and improve connectivity, whether through innovative last-mile options, City trolley service or regional rail,” said Wynwood BID Board Vice Chairman Albert Garcia. “To that end, we are prepared to invest our own dollars in a new, permanent Tri-Rail station at the geographic heart of Wynwood, Edgewater, Midtown and Overtown that would provide much-needed mass transit service to Miami residents, visitors and workers along this high-density corridor. These four neighborhoods are home to a large, growing population and are also a major destination for tourists, with Wynwood alone welcoming over 1.5 million visitors last year.”
The BID wants the station to be located between NE 20th Street and NE 29th Street. They are petitioning Miami commissioners to include language in the resolution approving the Midtown demonstration station to also study a Wynwood station.
“The proposed station’s location sits at the intersection of four of Miami’s most dynamic neighborhoods – Midtown, Edgewater, Wynwood and Overtown – where there is a large, rapidly-increasing mix of residents, businesses and tourism,” said BID Board member David Polinsky. “We are confident that our City and County partners will support our efforts to build a permanent Tri-Rail station here, as it would bolster their efforts to create long-term mass transit solutions that take cars off our congested roads and improve residents’ quality of life.”
Such a joke that these small neighborhoods have to do this. The local county government needs to take control and finally build out public transportation to at least these thriving neighborhoods right outside of Downtown/Brickell.
WE NEED LEADERSHIP
Yes, we need leadership, however, the County has showed a distinct (intentional?) lack of leadership with respect to public transit.
Having two commuter rail stations so close isn’t ideal, but it’s not without precedent.
Ideally, there would be a light rail line running at grade from downtown, up NE 2nd Ave through midtown, design district, little hatti, little river up to 79th street.
I’d support it as long as it runs in an exclusive ROW. Otherwise it’s a bus that can’t turn.
Plenty of ROW for a light rail line in the middle of NE 2nd.
Wyndwood is expanding west of I-95 so NW 7th Ave could be an alternative with plenty of room for a light rail
LOL. NW 7th was just rebuilt.
In that case, it makes perfect sense to tear it up completely. Progress! 🙂
They need to invest in ABOVE GRADE especially because this entire area is very vulnerable to flooding. Also, they finally need to extend the metro mover and add a connection to midtown and wynwood.
…or we can fix the flooding problem and use light rail/streetcars, which is cheaper and higher capacity.
Yes, but heavy rail. With a two-way bike lane below it. Metrorail isn’t ugly! Extend it to the ends of the earth.
Exactly! The purpose of commuter rail isn’t to have a stop every 10 blocks – that’s the function of heavy rail, which was originally planned to be built in this area.
Time for the City to get a vision and get moving.
It’s well past the time for the City to have a vision.
Instead we’re double decking freeways. SMH.
Thats the job of Alice Bravo, the director of transportation creating jobs for her husband’s company. That is all she cares about, her own money
Because it’s what is demanding. You probably have never ridden a bus or train
Less than 3% of Miami-Dade County residents use public transportation AND that number is going down!
If there is only the one more centrally located platform that serves more areas of interest it won’t be stopping every ten blocks. Problem solved.
Except if it’s near nothing, folks may not use it.
When it comes to public mass transportation; our Local government simply washes their hands out of it.
Let then build it.
Metromover – Transit within Miami’s Downtown Core
Metrorail – Transit within Miami Dade County
TriRail— Commuter Rail within the South Florida Metro Area
Brightline – Intercity Express Rail across the State of Florida
THIS! Brightline and TriRail should not be used to move between adjacent neighborhoods!
You can wait for that non existent Metro Rail extension line while we get an actual option that can be realized within a reasonable timeframe even if it’s a commuter train that only comes every thirty minutes.
Agreed.
The success for neighborhood to neighborhood transit is FREQUENCY. Lack of service kills people being able to rely on the service and using an alternate mode.
Successful mass transit feeds off density with little parking space. A non existent formula in Miami
Why not? Can have local and express runs, just like may mass transit lines do in other cities.
The “Neighborhoods” you are discussing, however, will probably have equal or greater ridership on each stop than other Tri-Rail Stops, we are talking about DOWNTOWN MIAMI, with towers all around, not a park and ride location on Hollywood Boulevard, and another at the next “neighborhood.”
Tell “Metromover – Transit within Miami’s Downtown Core” to clowns on here who think it should be extended to Miami Beach, the Design District, and Little Havana because it’s free and they aren’t paying the taxes. Bloody trust fund hipster sons of boomers…
Metromover, at 30 mph, is a poor choice to extend to The Beach.
A loop from Arsht & School Board, up Biscayne 25 blocks, back through Midtown & Wynwood would attract a lot of riders.
I would gladly take the 30 mph ride than to be stuck in traffic on a bus, Uber/Lyft, taxy, or my own car. I love to run, bike, and blade on Ocean Drive but I hate getting there.
Pretty sure Metromover is 9mph. The subway in NY is 30 mph and is much faster.
Even at 9 mph it is still better than driving.
Metromover Omni spur was designed to be able to run over the FEC track. It ramps up just before it gets there. A simple extension north could serve Wynwood, Midtown, and the Design District. Except the City of Miami is still firmly sticking to their non-existent streetcar. The County needs to work with the State and Feds to fund a Metromover extension. Since Alice came from both FDOT and Miami Public Works, she needs to show some vision on this and forget her former Miami streetcar loyalty.
So much more sense here than the Design District/Midtown location. Centrally located where more peopl can get to places that make sense. Patrons of the Design District are not going to use Tri Rail.
How about for demonstration we build wooden plank station platforms and let’s test and see where the stations work.
I’ll go to Ace Hardware and pick up the wood and we can get started this weekend.
I’ll bring the nails.
I’ll bring the beer.
I’ll get the pies.
If this doesn’t get “approved” I don’t know what will…and Wynwood BID shouldn’t have to pay for this themselves, but with these commissioners it is what it is I guess, just get it done for fooks sake!!!
The only way I see this being approved is if the State/County/City/MPO wants to go through another round of studies.. which they might.
No brainer.
Wynwood should have a station
With public sculpture like this: http://bit.ly/2te7E1M
I’m sorry, while I may agree in principle, this will only further delay any rail stations as part of the Coastal Link.
Why all of a sudden the uproar? The map/route and station locations have been known for years.
Build the stations per plan, and then fight the real right which should be a light rail line up NE 2nd Ave through the heart of Edgewater, Midtown, Design District, Little Hatti/River, etc.
Because the landscape has changed the last 5 years. The location that the Coastal Link had in its plans has been around for years but were always only proposed. You have to agree the most impact for a platform would be further south on the tracks.
The planned area landscapes have prospered within the last five years, but it would be better to have the proposed 11th Street station in Wynwood’s aforementioned range, especially as the latter’s tracks are on the inclination of a bridge, and Metromover from Overtown already connects to the area.
Why the uproar… Our roads are clogged constantly…. Quality of life dictates NOW…. No more delays and studies….
They need to remember that Tri-Rail is a commuter rail and should not replace a more rapid transit line through these neighborhoods
Beggars can’t be choosers!
If these commissioners fail to act then as much as I would celebrate them leaving office I also fault the people of Miami for re voting these useless “leaders” back into office…time and time again …..we need NEW people to lead…
Gimenez will figure out a way to stick his big nose in to this and screw it up.
Any updates on the Tri-Rail downtown Miami link?
I took Brightline from Miami to Ft Lauderdale on Thursday (fantastic, btw) and they were working on the TriRail platform/tracks/station.
Midtown Miami will NOT get a train stop. Unfortunately, the idiots who run Midtown Miami including DDR and Miami Opportunities Fund, NEVER made plans for a train stop between NE 29th Street and NE 36th Street. Idiots. (They had a chance for a site near 29th and 31st BUT they sold off the site to out-of-town developers).
This is silly. Petition instead for a Metromover or Metrorail station to be built. Brightline is for INTERCITY travel, not intra.
First off neither this or the spot up by the Design District are for Brightline but for Tri Rail. Second, they are willing to pay for this platform. Third, building a platform is affordable and thus you don’t need the millions upon millions to bring an extension of MR or MM which you would then need help to pay for and to get this help you would need to have another study to get this money. Fourth the location these gentlemen are proposing is more ce
…centralized than up by the Design District.
We will need 25 million dollars to fund a new study to determine how much money it will cost to pay for a new study to calculate the budget to find out what would be the most appropriate location for a commuting train station in the Midtown/Wynwood area. So we decided the way to go is to build another pedestrian bridge at FIU.
Carlos Gimenez
Are you running for the MD COmmission? Sounds like you have thier strategy down.
BID should run the rest of the city!
Great Vision and leadership!
Let’s have more petitions and studies instead of the commuter line up US1 that’s ready to roll out. Maybe we can kick this commuter service down the road another 15 years.
This guy gets it.
I like the neighborhood support but it would be more of a feeder station. Not an actual hub. Wynwood is fairly spreadout to begin with. Free Miami Trolleys, ride share, and Freebee Electric carts (Wynwood should have its own Freebee), would help so the actual location shouldnt matter too much. In addition, this stop is a bit too far from the highway for commuters, but not much space for parking garages anyways. More concerning is a lack of a hub for east-west bus lines.
This area should have a ROW Light rail or Metro Mover instead. A heavy rail cant stop too often.
Yes please!!!
No need for a station ; metromover needs to be extended up to midtown and we will be fine
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-sb-lauderdale-wave-vote-20180426-story.htmlUber is cheaper than the Wave streetcar would be, to get people around downtown Fort Lauderdale, activist Stan Eichelbaum says.
Here is why they killed the Ft Lauderdale Wave Streetcar
Be aware that there are lots of Stan Eichelbaums in the Morning Side Civic Association.
A train station cannot go within Midtown Miami, at least NOT between 29th and 36th Streets. The speculators in charge, meaning Alex Vadia and his families Midtown Opportunities Fund made zero plans for space for a station. In fact, they have been selling every square inch they can. So NO train station.
Make a stop at Aventura pleaseeeeeeeeeee
they only want their name on the station, greedy