[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6647991,"mediaKeyId","3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12","parentId",3626610,"title","City of Miami reports steady trolley ridership, 35 roadway projects and new trolley efficiency study","audioSeconds",54,"startMs",499000,"endMs",553000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12&start=499&end=553","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12/thumbnail_499000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6647991/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/City-of-Miami-reports-steady-trolley-ridership-35-roadway-projects-and-new-trolley-efficiency-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6647991-b506ed6b3c4b4489f55dc60149202fab/orig.mp4?Expires=1774897445&Signature=VXNkxBVggarrwrVN9z~BKTPNhjxPq~kWCKZ7CAEI~u5lPL3XeFvUAKzt3GG9froYr0Lhudz9IRmqCkfW9NCEl3MudEP9Q3ydwd-1ysXXTPwnket9~fzyrAdYm-iF0bwDTe2EhF0JddwsI-nXYRuTH6MU--dp7Y3trkiz0-I-WNB48bMRG6mFjiq1eRy7Qy4CDh22~8x-0TQO09ysGNISGdew3aP4MnD4kW~xxwIQOek2xam0qUFAk0YWIEzfm2Kb0~6ZZfCVVp0JlqmQS3ohohzwzQwvhLGCrYSLbtosUyVMUbF9Nuq4QJLpo~2f3QCs8DSyrJ9OCgthV4mgZbLTcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Miami-Dade County","date","2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","article","City of Miami officials told the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust that city-operated trolley and on-demand services continued to perform well in the first quarter of 2025 and provided an update on roadway capital projects funded by the surtax.

\"For the January 25, January to March 2025, we we had about 1,100,000 riders,\" Juvenal Santana, director of the City of Miami Department of Resilience and Public Works, told the trust. Santana said the city operates 13 routes on weekdays, 11 on Saturdays and six on Sundays and has charted roughly 390,000 riders per month during the quarter.

Santana said the city has reengaged consultant Kimley-Horn and issued a notice to proceed on a trolley efficiency study that will examine routes, public input and potential extensions, including study of an extension along the Biscayne Corridor to the northern city limit and a potential connection to El Portal.

City staff also summarized 35 active roadway capital projects that include water-main work, drainage, traffic-calming installations and full roadway reconstruction. Santana highlighted Charles Avenue Phase 2 (reconstruction with a new 12-inch water main extending to Main Highway) and Silver Bluff traffic-flow modifications (26 locations identified to address cut-through traffic from U.S. 1) as active efforts supported by joint participation agreements with Miami-Dade Water and Sewer.

The presentation included a funding snapshot showing about $210 million in projects with CITT funding assigned; Santana said about $21 million of that has already been spent on capital work. He also noted a recent cash-transfer spike reflecting approximately $34.6 million that reimbursed the general fund after an earlier funding hold.

Questions from trust members covered potential trolley connections with Brightline and whether trolleys could serve additional cruise-port terminals; city staff said the Coral Way trolley connects to several port terminals now (D, E and F) and that incorporating Brightline connections is part of the trolley master plan.

Why it matters: City projects and trolley networks funded with surtax dollars affect local mobility, water and sewer coordination, traffic calming in neighborhoods and short-term transit operations. The trolley efficiency study could lead to route changes, service extensions and additional public input.

Next steps: The trolley study will solicit public feedback; city staff will return with detailed project status reports and the requested multi-month project closeout list for older projects.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Miami-Dade County - Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust - May 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City of Miami presented a second-quarter update to the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust: about 1.1 million riders Jan'Mar 2025 on city-operated routes, continued construction on multiple projects (including Charles Avenue phase and traffic-calming), and a new trolley efficiency study with consultant Kimley-Horn to review routes and.","taxTitle","Miami-Dade County, Florida","taxId",2864,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6647995,"Northeast Corridor moves into engineering; county reports $927 million cost estimate and strong ridership forecast",180,3600000,3780000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12&start=3600&end=3780","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","/articles/6647995/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Northeast-Corridor-moves-into-engineering-county-reports-927-million-cost-estimate-and-strong-ridership-forecast","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6647995-da6b0beb441dec7d97c90034a07fa66b/orig.mp4?Expires=1774897445&Signature=nl523yKxcEpZz5hqWRuCnuPyHNf7TPu-1RbOtkQ2p-ZsxXbCjj-rXu-aXAqADM560LxUj-9YRov6j6gJnpQy9jj6zN-th4qeWGNOlLooPzcO3qf3ByIDI8WUWepdQQKCna-ivIVIumze-wshba2ODTwHK1NWEG3ckhM~0QQ0b~iB8S~aDh96zWc87vn0Ap9s~RNSgOfwdlYVfXeMqqOxoPCIGngoZXdG9FVtgk52BHK4KzsunwUCJ-kn2Sp2GbRu-i6XfkAbkbittHuma-Td-~syp9hrV8YZF6n-AaNo023e3mnHYUlBsQ-A1TAkdW4r6NwcpfUOIfHw5uNKEw2ksg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Miami-Dade County staff told the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust that the Northeast Corridor rapid-transit project has entered the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) engineering phase and remains on a path through the FTA New Starts funding process.

\"Officially, this project is in the engineering phase,\" Gabriela Serrado, county project lead for the corridor, said at the meeting. Serrado said the county advanced into engineering in late October and is working closely with FTA on risk workshops, readiness reviews and the Capital Investment Grants (New Starts) process.

County staff presented an updated capital cost estimate of about $927,000,000 for the Miami-Dade portion of the corridor, which would include stations, a vehicle maintenance and storage facility (VMF) at the Hialeah Yard, rolling stock acquisition and contingencies. Serrado said the FTA has indicated an allocation of roughly 42% of the project cost (about $390,000,000) pending completion of the New Starts review and congressional approval of a Full Funding Grant Agreement.

Serrado said the Miami-Dade segment is projected to open with about 15,000 boardings per day (roughly 4.5 million annual trips). The county is coordinating with Broward County to align an opening of the southern portion of Broward and the Miami segment. \"For our county, just for Miami-Dade, we're looking at opening about 15,000 boardings per, you know, per day,\" Serrado said.

Staff noted rolling stock procurement is a long-lead item and recommended early acquisition planning; manufacture timelines for vehicles can be five to six years. The county said it plans to coordinate procurement with regional partners, noting that the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority and others are also acquiring vehicles in the same timeframe.

Serrado summarized the anticipated service pattern as commuter-rail style with roughly 30-minute headways in peak bands and 60-minute service on weekends. She also highlighted that station platforms will be designed to meet ADA requirements and standard amenities and that the project will include art-in-public-places elements.

Why it matters: The Northeast Corridor is a multi-jurisdictional project that could provide a new rapid-transit option on the county's east side and is one of the major projects anticipated to shift travel patterns and support transit-oriented development along its route.

Next steps: The county will complete engineering milestones, hold the FTA risk workshop and readiness review, pursue a Full Funding Grant Agreement, advance procurement for rolling stock and continue coordination with Broward County and rail right-of-way owners.","County staff reported the Northeast Corridor rapid-transit project entered the engineering phase and presented a roughly $927 million preliminary cost estimate, an expected federal contribution allocation of about 42% and projected ridership of about 15,000 boardings per day for the Miami-Dade segment.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6647999,"TPO outlines SmartMap 2050 LRTP: $36.5 billion cost-feasible plan, $20 billion unfunded needs",818,2327000,3145000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12&start=2327&end=3145","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12/thumbnail_2327000.jpg","/articles/6647999/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/TPO-outlines-SmartMap-2050-LRTP-365-billion-cost-feasible-plan-20-billion-unfunded-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6647999-c2fc5e3ea1e0d7c28c880191751e4799/orig.mp4?Expires=1774897445&Signature=M3K9CFiSbOEI1fcVniaS2WggnTwjT-CLxCcAkItKMgy~73aa5vJLIMRxsCiWl7L66Q1BXpzHcHY0qdK1F0ZjRoc8yq5cPLVfN03WjBCHOh1PybEPzkoUo~x2w6jqdsAfNVD8x6AWoQjiC-a5H--nVd42OxaPUbjz~mbEZlZPOZqGHadAn-KnSOXKMXuZ6g4~9jF9uSX-2auMZJ99x5cmHys-RifyA1FcPkNJ3aK6Z3HVwTnhqvIIj-qiIMmSKBl7L4u7UfQFacj9rP3Int2prQyH7-ZUTijM3C71aO~puhOiwxKjn-WNFWMmV~WRHi-3Pv0qLWGQi0EzjoPDfcsnqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) briefed the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust on the SmartMap 2050 long-range transportation plan adopted by the TPO governing board in September 2024.

\"The long range transportation plan is a federally required document that the TPO is entrusted in producing,\" Chris Rosenberg, representative of the TPO, told the trust. The LRTP updates the county's 25-year outlook and sets priorities for federal, state and local funding eligibility.

Rosenberg said the TPO used an extended public outreach process with 14,000 participants across virtual workshops, in-person open houses in seven transportation planning areas and pop-up events at colleges and universities. Census-based projections used in the plan foresee Miami-Dade's population growing from about 2.7 million (2020) to roughly 3.3 million by 2050 and employment increasing from about 1.4 million to 1.8 million jobs.

The cost-feasible plan includes 1,842 projects with a combined value of about $36.5 billion in year-of-expenditure dollars, Rosenberg said. Projects are organized into four priority bands (three five-year bands and a final 10-year band) that align with the federally required Transportation Improvement Program. The largest project categories by value are highway/roadway/freight and the TPO's \"EMAS / smart transit\" category, which groups transit and evolving mobility technologies.

Rosenberg highlighted that approximately $20 billion in needs remain unfunded and are listed separately in the LRTP as candidates for future funding. \"There are still $20,000,000,000 of projects that we were not able to fit into this plan that are still identified as needs in our community,\" he said.

The plan was submitted to and approved by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration after TPO adoption. Rosenberg encouraged partners and the public to review the full plan and associated materials on the TPO website.

Why it matters: The LRTP governs long-term prioritization and federal funding eligibility for transportation investments across Miami-Dade County. The plan's cost-feasible programming, project priorities and the list of unfunded needs will shape capital funding requests and grant strategies in coming years.

Next steps: The TPO will revisit the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and continue coordination with local agencies to implement priority projects and seek funding for the unfunded list.","The Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization presented the SmartMap 2050 long-range transportation plan adopted in September 2024, a fiscally constrained program of 1,842 projects totaling about $36.5 billion in year-of-expenditure dollars and roughly $20 billion in still-unfunded needs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6648004,"CITT expands preliminary engineering agreement authority to $5 million to speed rail-related work on railroad property",509,1783000,2292000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12&start=1783&end=2292","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12/thumbnail_1783000.jpg","/articles/6648004/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/CITT-expands-preliminary-engineering-agreement-authority-to-5-million-to-speed-rail-related-work-on-railroad-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648004-9f11476c71d77e780f25f4e5d5f187e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1774897445&Signature=M4G463~NVdIywhui5Ax2FlJykR2ekuT0n7bjOILpZkEfvar5T-nU-zqmybpKC6oVSSC~IxFJYEmUFCVqBko8sSG-cqSaSGOQ6Mdt4XVULHcTv1Da3IiM5WUIpZy8qYlG8ZvO9YpzwmJiPHIkSPkNRMRV7fxXpYvC1ZNnBMYg781fxk922cTWhk3UqisoNcpSAB06SlU5DVWT6JnoHaz2cBF7VAuzIit6jiNaugwzF~7-tl3FvqDvPLlOtGPDL9xfMi0UzDqLVOQCjU4jD3NDH86WsI9Oidp~Bi5dI7cvhZTnJcytNYcwMQS9T3pjT7-KVcQod1smcg5jfyXmHSjhXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust on Wednesday approved an amendment to an earlier resolution that broadens the allowable scope and funding authority for preliminary engineering agreements related to transit projects that affect railroad property.

The measure amends Resolution R-840-09 to explicitly include engineering work on railroad property and increases the county mayor's designee authority to award agreements \"up to $5,000,000 per agreement for non-tax funded projects and up to $5,000,000 cumulatively for surtax-funded projects,\" attorney staff read into the record during the meeting.

Stacey Miller, director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, explained the change is intended to accelerate work on time-sensitive corridors such as the Northeast Corridor. \"With that $25,000 threshold, right now, a traditional basic review with a railroad is almost double that ... a basic review is $50,000. A complex review can be upwards of over a hundred thousand dollars,\" Miller said. She added that design reviews for work inside a railroad right-of-way can be far higher: \"To design an actual railroad intersection ... that could be a million dollars. So what we're trying to do is increase our capacity to move these projects along faster.\"

Director Miller told the trust that previous annual cumulative expenditures for these types of agreements were roughly $4.8 million, so the new $5 million ceiling gives a cushion and flexibility to expedite engineering work. Several members asked for a six-month status update on surtax fund balances tied to the new authority; Miller agreed to provide follow-up reporting.

The trust approved the amendment by voice vote. The transcript records members asking for follow-up reporting and emphasizing the Northeast Corridor as a priority.

Why it matters: Engineering on railroad property typically involves multiple private and public tenants and specialized reviews, which raise cost and schedule risk. Increasing the threshold and clarifying scope is intended to remove administrative delays and allow faster execution of complex preliminary engineering tasks.

Next steps: Department staff will implement the expanded authority, oversee agreements with rail right-of-way owners and tenants, and provide periodic status updates, including surtax-funded spending reports.","The trust approved an amendment to Resolution R-840-09 expanding preliminary engineering agreement scope to include private railroad-property engineering, and raised delegated authority to award agreements up to $5,000,000 per non-tax project and $5,000,000 cumulative for surtax-funded projects.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6648007,"CITT recommends $107 million transit surtax bond refunding to free capital for projects",484,1290000,1774000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12&start=1290&end=1774","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626610-f570d10a3908e445cbbd53ed77e58e12/thumbnail_1290000.jpg","/articles/6648007/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/CITT-recommends-107-million-transit-surtax-bond-refunding-to-free-capital-for-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648007-2f708b1e64baddd8317812e0f8134ff8/orig.mp4?Expires=1774897445&Signature=KVBzu6C-9RVFq75z8TDhzVzI8aeLfbzaKgh4HU1pV5FVRtEJJwEka36Byc7AkGFkUswBBNbX1BGfPMjCi9cau9fEKP3Qm5b97f~kb8EE0BOwt7~1W4gSE~aiV2GIE~9RpHYtcbHGhb2oU7M0cfK8d1Pv6v49pkDNw--Q8v0oZC5GpM8sdb0jEBavm4kHia8zDYBXc9cIvE6KkLuFSB6FpqUg2Lzg2qQAwLHaJGRp41IIhzikCXYgBmJXq4M8KhJrhAhXKYVyZQDJxJne8k9SGZXpUFpzygmNU-R9yZITLqokKMheqsVqHBWN5yapPLKvD4Uzxt9zxKY7j7iQ4GZL6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust voted Wednesday to recommend that the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners authorize issuance of up to $107,000,000 in transit system sales surtax revenue refunding bonds.

The trust's action, taken after a staff presentation, endorses a refinancing intended to capture at least the county's 5% present-value savings threshold. \"We expect currently is estimated to be at that 5% threshold ... 5.1 in present value savings currently,\" Melvin Cartagena, chief financial officer for the Department of Transportation and Public Works, told the trust during the meeting.

The resolution authorizes competitive public sale of refunding bonds, delegation to county designees to finalize terms within prescribed limits, and approval of standard bond documents and escrow agreements. The staff presentation said estimated costs of issuance are about $968,600 and that the bonds would have an estimated final maturity in July 2036.

A second aim of the refinancing is to replace cash reserves that secure debt with a surety instrument. Cartagena said the swap would release cash reserves for capital projects and \"enable us to maintain additional bond capacity.\" The change would allow those reserve dollars to be used for transportation capital work rather than held as cash backing for the bonds.

The trust approved the recommendation by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally for the vote; members spoke in favor during discussion and no recorded dissent appears.

Why it matters: Bond refunding can reduce long-term debt service and free funds for capital projects, accelerating construction or other spending. Trust members stressed the transaction meets the county's savings threshold and noted the plan will move to a competitive sale with a planned closing in July.

Next steps: The county will proceed with the bond sale process and related document execution consistent with the authorization. County staff said they expect to present final sale results and closing documents as the transaction moves forward.","The Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust voted to recommend Miami-Dade County issue up to $107 million in transit surtax refunding bonds, citing an estimated present-value savings of about $5.1 million and a plan to replace cash reserves with a surety instrument to free capital for projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City of Miami reports steady trolley ridership, 35 roadway projects and new trolley efficiency study

Northeast Corridor moves into engineering; county reports $927 million cost estimate and strong ridership forecast

TPO outlines SmartMap 2050 LRTP: $36.5 billion cost-feasible plan, $20 billion unfunded needs

CITT expands preliminary engineering agreement authority to $5 million to speed rail-related work on railroad property

CITT recommends $107 million transit surtax bond refunding to free capital for projects