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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-361-4850
Fax: 305-361-4755
e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

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I. Welcome and Introductions

Mr. David Henderson, MPO, welcomed meeting attendees to the public “brainstorming session”, and introduced Ms. Irela Bagué, Chair of the MRC.

MRC Chair Irela Bagué thanked attendees for their participation and provided a brief PowerPoint presentation highlighting the need to create new multi-modal forms of transportation to accommodate the over 16,000 new residential units currently under construction or in permitting stages along the Miami River, and improve the thriving shipping, fishing and recreational boating businesses along the Port of Miami River.  Ms. Bagué thanked Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro and the MPO for co-funding the creation of the study, along with the MRC’s cost share.  Ms. Bagué stated the completion of the Plan will help position the Miami River corridor to be included in the State’s Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) Plan, which in turn will make the river corridor eligible for significant State transportation funding, which may be utilized towards implementing the study’s recommendations.  Ms. Bagué encouraged representatives from all the related agencies to remain active participants in the over ½ year planning process to create the “Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan”.   Ms. Bagué introduced Mr. Greg Kyle, Kimley-Horn & Associates (KHA), the consulting firm selected by the MPO to perform the study.

Mr. Kyle, with assistance from his associate, Mr. Bruno Carvalho, provided meeting attendees with the Plan’s “Scope of Services” and a “Schedule of Time” fact sheet.  Mr. Kyle noted the Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan will assess transportation conditions along the Miami River, from NW 36 Street to the mouth of the river; summarize planned improvements; target traffic deficiencies; recommend new projects to improve access and mobility along the river; evaluate the river as a potential SIS facility.  Transportation modes that will be considered, noted Kyle, include surface transportation (vehicular, mass transit, pedestrian, rail, freight, etc.) and water-based transit (water buses/freight, etc).

Mr. Kyle noted KHA is currently conducting background research, and thanked Mr. Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, for providing KHA at the MRC’s April 12, 2006 Urban Infill Working Group meeting with the following resources, which were also made available to meeting attendees upon request:

1. Utilization of Miami-Dade County Waterways for Urban Commuting Travel – Feb 2003 – MPO
2. Development of a Service Plan for Waterborne Transit Services in Miami-Dade County – CD, Executive Summary and Demonstration Route Summary – April 2005
3. Miami-Dade County ’s “Waterborne Transit Services” Request for Information - 2006
4. Florida Intracoastal and Inland Waterway Study – May 2003 – FDOT
5. Miami Downtown Transportation Master Plan – Executive Summary
6. Civic Center Circulator Planning Process – Miami Partnership Initiative
7. Comparing Costs of Options for Reconstructing the 12 and 27 Ave Bridges Over the Miami River – Feb. 2003
8. Freight Transportation – Short Sea Shipping – July 2005 - GAO
9. Miami Streetcar System
10. Flagler Street / SW 1 ST PD&E Summary
11. Miami River Aerials CD
12. Miami River Developments List
13. Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) Fact Sheet – FDOT
14. Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan (CD)
15. Miami River Greenway Action Plan (CD)

Mr. Kyle stated the MPO and KHA would continue to conduct presentations and provide updates of the plan’s progress to all related agencies, including but not limited to the City of Miami , Miami-Dade County , FDOT, MDX, MPO, MRC, the Miami River Marine Group, the Transportation Planning Technical Advisory Committee and the Transportation Planning Council.  The MRC’s Urban Infill Working Group will continue to have the creation of the “Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan” on the agenda of their regularly scheduled second Tuesday of the month, 10 am, publicly noticed meeting, at 1407 NW 7 ST.      

Ms. Lilia Medina , City of Miami Capital Improvements Department, offered to provide Kimley-Horn the city’s draft Miami River tunnel feasibility study, and information regarding the Civic Center Miami Partnership Initiative’s Circulator Study, which will create operational routes linking to other mass transit services throughout the city. 

Mr. Gary Winston , designee for MRC board member Miami-Dade ST Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, made an observation that traffic within the County seems to be worsening and asked if there were available growth projections.  Mr. Mario Garcia, MDTA, noted traffic remains an issue of concern, but noted that MDTA continues to conduct long-range planning to address Miami-Dade’s growing population.

Ms. Medina recommended that directional signage be included in the plan’s scope of services, and Mr. Kyle agreed to look into that suggestion.  Dr. Fran Bohnsack, Miami River Marine Group, noted that the Manatee Protection Plan prohibits water taxis west of the NW 5^th Street Bridge, and Mr. Kyle noted KHA and the MPO had performed significant research for previous waterborne transit studies pertaining to that subject, adding that the use of sonar to ensure the safety of manatees is under consideration. 

II. Agency Presentations – The agencies participating in the creation of the “Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan” were invited to present their major transportation initiatives in the Miami River area.

Lilia Medina , City of Miami Capital Improvement Project Department (CIP) and Transportation

• Ms. Medina distributed “Miami Streetcar Project Fact Sheets” (several planned stops within the Miami River corridor) and opinion cards
• Miami Streetcar project conducted by City of Miami in coordination with FDOT
• The Streetcar is included in the City’s CIP program
• City of Miami Commission approved a resolution on May 12, 2005, adopting the “City of Miami Initial Streetcar Corridor Feasibility Study , Final Report, April 2005.”
• City currently conducting more detailed engineering analysis, project funding, cost estimates and environmental documentation, consistent with state and federal laws
• 9 miles long, from Government Center in Downtown Miami to the Miami Design District, and the Civic Center Complex
• The proposed alignment will operate within existing roadways in an approximate 6.75 mile north-south loop between SE/SW 1^st Street in the south and NE 41^st Street to the north
• The alignment was recently expanded to include an approximate 2.89 mile east-west loop to the Civic Center area, via NE/NW 20^th and NE/NW 17^th Streets
• Future phase may include a river crossing
• 40 streetcar stops will be provided
• Recent passenger survey yielded high interest
• Will address ridership projections in next several weeks
• Might eventually connect to Baylink
• Urban transit circulator that will operate in existing roadways and provide connectivity among major activity centers, commercial and retail establishments and residential communities
• Will improve circulation for short trips within the study area; will reach many areas currently experiencing large-scale redevelopment that are not serviced by Metro-Rail and Metro-Mover
• Construction scheduled to commence end of 2007, and be operational in 2010
• Estimated cost is $200 million

Rene de Huelbes, FDOT

• NW 5^th ST Bridge Replacement - plans 90% complete; letting contract in December 2006; $43.5 million appropriated
• NW 12^th Ave. Bridge Replacement - demolition of existing 12 Ave Bridge in August 2006; construction of new bridge commences September 2006; completion March 2009; $63 million appropriated
• Flagler and SW 1^st Avenue study - currently in PD& E phase; data to be compiled by June 2006, addressing ADA compliance, drainage, traffic analysis, pedestrian access and safety improvements
• Tamiami Canal Swing Bridge - currently in PD & E phase; public reached consensus that bridge replacement is best solution; new bridge will increase from two to four lanes. Study expected to be completed next summer.

Mario Garcia, Miami-Dade Transit and Jack Schnettler, PBS & J

• Provided overview of the Earlington Heights Metro-Rail extension, which includes a river crossing to connect with the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC)
• Commenced land acquisition process
• 2.5 mile metro-rail extension, extending from the Earlington Heights Metro-station near NW 22^nd Avenue, west to State Road 112; will continue westward, just north of Jai Alai, crossing the Miami River near the existing railroad bridge and proceed south to connect to the MIC
• Requires a fixed-bridge with a 40-foot vertical clearance, adjacent to the existing rail-road bridge, therefore requiring a shortening of the Miami River ’s federal navigable channel, which requires a 75-foot vertical clearance (i.e. I-95, I-836, metro-rail and metro-mover bridges)
• Therefore MDT continues to coordinate with marine industries regarding MDT’s commitment to use the properties beneath and adjacent to the planned new bridges, following their construction, for marine industrial uses
• Jai-Alai fronton expressed interest in including an additional metro-rail stop along the extension route on the river’s north shore, yet MDT doesn’t think it’s feasible
• Future Metro-Rail extension is planned to proceed west from the planned MIC station
• Expected completion late 2009
• County exploring transit pilots on FEC rail-lines, and noted CSX rail lines in River Corridor – both would require rail upgrades from freight to passenger standards

Juan Toleda, MDX

• Provided overview of the potential ST Road 112 – I-836 inter-connector
• Requires a fixed bridge with a 40-foot vertical clearance adjacent to the existing Rail-Road Bridge , therefore requiring a shortening of the Miami River ’s federal navigable channel, which requires a 75-foot vertical clearance (i.e. I-95, I-836, metro-rail and metro-mover bridges)
• Therefore MDX continues to consider using the properties beneath and adjacent to the planned new bridges, following their construction, for marine industrial uses

Ricardo Fernandez , Florida Department of Transportation

• Provided overview of the MIC (located within the Miami River Corridor)

• Completed schematic design stage of central station

• Construction documents to be commenced later this year

• Will consist of an automated people mover line to the airport, providing tri-connectivity: land, water and air travel

• Miami Central Station transit components will include a Metro-Rail station, Tri-Rail, Am-Track, local transit busses, bike and rental car facilities

• FDOT has been in touch with Chicago ’s Millennium Park creators for ideas and inspiration for a pedestrian / bicycle facility, to include showers, lockers, repair, etc.

• 27-acre site

• Will serve as terminus and major transfer point for major regional public transportation systems

• 1^st phase-rental car facility and people mover terminal station

•  Original MIC plan included a water bus stop in the adjacent Palmer Lake

III. Public Comments & Questions

• Water buses & ferries recommended
• Look into Water Transit Authority of San Francisco
• Design standards for waterborne transit landings
• Create land/water connectivity- improve pedestrian access on land sites, directing people to waterborne transportation
• Short sea shipping-remove truck traffic from congested roadways; utilize MDT/MDX acquired parcels to develop a station to transfer shipping containers to barges and offload containers from port
• Need to increase pedestrian traffic along waterfront through continued construction of the Miami River Greenway

MRC Chair Bagué again thanked everyone for the attendance, and encouraged all agencies and the general public to continue participating in the MRC Urban Infill Working Group’s second Tuesday of every month 10 am meeting at 1407 NW 7 ST to create the “Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan”.

The meeting adjourned

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