Miami-Dade needs better transit solutions. Extending 836 isn’t one of them.

People involved in local issues say: “Miami is at a crossroads.” Often, they are referring to challenges with transportation, equitable development, entrepreneurship and, most recently, resilience and climate change.

These all are complex issues that Miami certainly must address. But Miami’s true crossroads is about leadership. Miami is facing unprecedented odds. The Wall Street Journal just spelled out what effects climate change is having on our housing market. Marketwatch pointed to Florida’s expected loss of over $100 billion in GDP because of climate change. Articles like this are not new, but they are coming faster and more furiously.

Yet right now, across Miami-Dade County, some of our leaders seem to be blind to the magnitude of the threat. The latest ill-conceived plan, backed by exactly zero data and standing contrary to every single sustainable growth concept, is an extension of the State Road 836 tollway proposed to be built beyond the Urban Development Boundary. The issue returns to the County Commission on June 20 for discussion.

Here’s the real problem: The issue has intentionally pitted residents against each other in a fight to do more of what got us to untenable congestion, daily insufferable commutes and unsustainable sprawl in the first place.

This is why Miami is at a crossroads. Not because we have a difficult decision to make on transportation, resilience or economic development, but because our highest local leadership is forging ahead with bad projects, leaving it to Miami-Dade residents to battle it out with each other over lines of difference that don’t actually exist.

There is no technology that will replace the foundational and necessary investments we have to make now. There is an opportunity to address a number of issues, including transportation, quality of life, health, resilience and equity, with one set of actions.

The best way forward is to invest in and build other modes of transportation. Don’t have the money for rail? Take a lane of traffic and create a rapid bus corridor, then quickly upgrade it to proper bus rapid transit (BRT). Follow that with an upgrade to light rail. Build protected bike lanes now and quickly upgrade it to an interconnected bike network leading to existing public transit and key destinations. Aggressively and intentionally build transit ridership by increasing rather than cutting service and frequency on train and bus routes, fix the broken shelters along the Busway tomorrow, and focus on making each bus riders’ experience exceptional.

Marta Viciedo is chair of Transit Alliance Miami and co-founder of Urban Impact Lab.

This story was originally published May 7, 2018 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Miami-Dade needs better transit solutions. Extending 836 isn’t one of them.."