“We want to be bold. We want to press ahead. We don’t want to plan these things to death,” Gimenez told reporters outside his 29th floor offices Wednesday morning, fresh off a commanding reelection win against challenger Raquel Regalado. “ I’m sure we’re going to be able to do that in the next couple of months.”
Gimenez emphasized a multi-front agenda that included economic development and reducing youth violence, and said he did not want one goal to be seen as trumping the others. But he also said that a major announcement on the closely watched transit plan could come soon, and that he wants to take advantage of whatever momentum his 12-point victory provides.
By any measure, the SMART transit effort presents the biggest mix of steep challenges and high expectations. Gimenez and other leaders debuted the plan in April, and the initiative starred in the mayor’s campaign materials and message. It was designed to address backlash over a failed promise by Miami-Dade leaders to expand rail across Miami-Dade in exchange for voters adopting a half-percent sales tax dedicated to transit.
Only a few miles of rail to Miami International Airport were built in the 14 years since, and the SMART plan involves a reset of planning for six corridors that roughly match the 2012 blueprint. A single rail line could cost billions, but cheaper options are possible, including a bus-rapid-transit system that uses dedicated lanes and rail-like boardings to increase speeds from stop to stop.
The plan itself drew plaudits from county commissioners and other officials eager to show progress on commuting gridlock. But it also drew criticism from Regalado and others, who saw it as a vehicle for promising a major expansion without having to choose one route over another or identify how Miami-Dade might pay for the massive infrastructure projects.
On Wednesday, Gimenez didn’t say which of the corridors are likely to go first, but the 20-mile South Dade Transitwayis considered a top candidate because Miami-Dade already owns the stretch of highway reserved for buses and could use it to lay tracks for light rail. Other corridors would require land acquisition or significant road alterations to make way for rail. Gimenez could announce one or more that are first on the SMART plan list.
“I plan on moving forward with some initiatives fairly soon,” he said when asked about the SMART plan. “Some of these will be done a lot quicker than others.”
©2016 Miami Herald Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
