As the county commission starts today the process of considering Related Urban's $300 million plan to remake Liberty Square, questions remain on how much new buildings can do in an area mired in decades of poverty, unemployment and crime. For a thorough analysis of the social implications of Related's bid, read HERE.
The saga of the plans for the east-west corridor is a good example of transit history
in Miami-Dade. After decades of talk, the corridor plan has become an
odd, twisting route because of deals, hopes, frustrations, arguments and
what Maurice Ferre calls "wink, wink" -- meaning politicians advocating one
course while quietly allowing the opposite to happen. Merrett Stierheim says it all started with Metrorail being built in the wrong place. Full story HERE.
An opening for its tracks can still be seen at Government Center, built back in the 1980s, but the newest incarnation has a looping circuitous route that could cost $800 million and raises questions about whether it will be convenient for commuters. Full story HERE.
While the recent state legislature rejected all Dade efforts to boost
mass transit, veteran transportation leader Maurice Ferre says it's
"completely wrong" to assume that the state will continue to ignore the
county's transit efforts.
State support is "going to happen," he said, but it takes time --
perhaps years. Meanwhile City Commissioner Francis Suarez says he's looking for ways to move transit along faster. Full story HERE.
