Rubber Wheeled Trolleys for Miami Streets

Miami is prioritizing four transit projects for its share of the transit dollars: rubber-wheel trolley systems for downtown Miami, Coral Way, Overtown and Allapattah. Each system is estimated at $700,000 to $850,000, a city project list shows. Mr. Gonzalez said one trolley route is to connect Brickell and downtown Miami, a second is to connect the Allapattah area with the Health District, a third is to run from Overtown/Park West to the Health District and a fourth is to serve riders along the Coral Way corridor. City Manager Pete Hernandez said the number of routes the city can fund depends on how much money is available, but the idea is to fund the busiest areas with the biggest transit needs. For example, he said a downtown trolley would connect the bustling downtown and Brickell areas, which are separated by the Miami River. "It would facilitate the movement of the workforce and residential component in that area," he said. The Coral Way trolley route, he added, would link Brickell to Coral Gables. Mr. Gonzalez said to fund the trolley systems long-term — after the stimulus is long spent — the city is looking at placing advertising outside and inside the vehicles and charging a nominal fare of 25 to 50 cents. Before any money is spent, Mr. Hernandez said, the city commission will first have to approve the trolley projects to receive funding. In November, the commission approved a trolley system along the Health District funded by a three-year joint participation agreement between the city and the Florida Department of Transportation, each contributing $374,000. The city's portion is to come from its share of the half percent transit surtax proceeds from the People's Transportation Plan. The city plans to request proposals for a firm to provide vehicles, drivers, fuel, maintenance and vehicle storage for the Heath District route. The city would oversee, monitor and finance the trolley system. The firm's contract is to include an option to add more routes depending on how much is received in transit stimulus money, Mr. Gonzalez said.

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