Officials report near-complete technology work at Golden Glades; pedestrian-bridge project faces funding gap

Miami-Dade County and Florida Department of Transportation officials told the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust on Jan. 29 that technology upgrades at the Golden Glades multimodal transportation facility are nearly finished, while construction of new pedestrian bridges and the Sunshine Station entrance remains years away.

The update came during a joint presentation from the County—s IT department and contractors, and from planning staff at the county Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW). "Paid invoicing today is about 2,800,000," Hermann Arenas said of the technology contract, adding that the ITD scope was about "96% completed" and that Wi-Fi at the facility was "100% functional as of today." The presenters said about 200 CCTV cameras and an APMS system are being installed.

Why it matters: the Golden Glades complex links Tri-Rail, Broward County Transit, county routes and municipal trolleys and is a major transfer point for regional and local riders. Technology systems such as cameras, passenger information and Wi-Fi improve safety, operations and rider experience; but pedestrian connections to the facility are essential to allow those improvements to be used by people arriving on foot, bike or municipal shuttles.

What presenters said: DTPW planning officer Lisa Comenari and planner Anna Race described the Sunshine Station project, located in the Sunshine State Industrial Park in Miami Gardens, as a multi-part effort: a kiss-and-ride/terminal, a new pedestrian bridge over the South Florida rail corridor (the green bridge in the plans), and replacement of an existing State Road 9 pedestrian bridge in partnership with SFRTA/Tri-Rail. Race summarized the project budget as roughly $38.3 million in total, with about $30.5 million for the kiss-and-ride and green bridge and $7.8 million for the State Road 9 bridge.

Race said the project has completed the PD&E (project development and environment) phase, and FDOT has approved the preliminary engineering and environmental reports. However, she told the trust: "There is a new funding gap of approximately 5,000,000 which we're looking to address." She said staff are preparing another TRIP grant application to seek a 50/50 FDOT match (about $2.5 million from FDOT with $2.5 million local match sought).

Timing and delivery: planners said the delivery method changed from design-build to design-bid-build, which lengthened the schedule. Race presented a timeline that begins immediate right-of-way engineering now and stretches through design, acquisition and construction: right-of-way and ROW engineering through July 2028, design through October 2028, and construction (including procurement) from November 2028 to April 2032. DTPW noted right-of-way acquisition and business relocation could take multiple years and are a primary schedule driver.

Technology vs. access: Arenas told the trust that technology installation is on track for substantial completion in May and final completion in June 2025, and that some technology elements can be finished before the larger civil works. "Everything else is pretty much completed," he said of the IT scope, while cautioning that one set of equipment still needed delivery and installation.

Funding partners and next steps: presenters said the work is funded with PTP (People—s Transportation Plan) funds for the county share, FDOT grants and other regional partners; Race said the project was included in the Southeast Florida Transportation Council TRIP list and has regional support. Staff said they will pursue another grant application and proceed with design procurement and right-of-way engineering while seeking to close the $5 million gap.

What the trust asked: members pressed on the long delivery schedule and the reasons for the multi-year timeline. Race and DTPW staff pointed to procurement windows, required property acquisitions and possible rezoning of parcels as primary sources of delay, and said the schedule includes contingency to avoid repeated slippage.

Outlook: the trust announced a site tour, scheduled for Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon, for members to inspect the facility and the work in person. County staff said they will continue grant-application work and coordinate with FDOT and regional partners to close the funding gap that is blocking the Sunshine Station and bridge components.

Ending: County and FDOT staff told the trust that technology upgrades should be usable in 2025, but pedestrian bridges and the Sunshine Station terminal remain dependent on right-of-way acquisition and additional grant funding.