HomeMy WebLinkAboutFeasibility StudyApril 15, 2005
prepared for:
Office of the City Manager
City of Miami, Florida
prepared by:
KB
HDR Engineering, Inc.
15450 New Earn Road, Suite 304
Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2169
Phone: 305.728.7400
Fax: 305.728.7447
f;,CITY OF MIAMI
F"E1.FIBILITY STUDY
Project Update
Des
The ► of 1` o r l pleted :a study that evaluated the
feasib ( i of ` -jm - n * streetcar transit service that would
• opera etwe he''Goverrtrhent Center in Downtown Miami and the
Miami >jgn District The _`Proposed streetcar service would provide
improved r`transit connections�'atong a 6.75 mile (10.86 km) round trip
loop,between"Downtown 'Miami and the redeveloping areas of Wynwood/
Edgewater, Midtown Miami;. the. Miami Design District and the Buena Vista
East Historic District. The proposed streetcar service is intended to link
with existing transportation systems as well as with other planned
systems. It would also provide and enhance new investment opportunities
for commerce, recreation and housing, including workforce housing,
bringing additional jobs and tax revenues to the City.
The City of Miami Initial Streetcar Corridor Feasibility Study was
conducted for a study area bounded by the Miami River, Miami Avenue
(including Government Center), NE 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard
and found the following:
1) The proposed project can effectively provide attractive, convenient
and reliable transit connections between Downtown Miami and
redeveloping areas.
2) The proposed project can efficiently increase the capacity and use of
the City's local and regional public transportation system through
integration with the existing and proposed enhancement of the Miami.
Dade Transit (MOT) system.
3) The proposed project can guide and sustain economic development
and support a sustainable pattern of urban (and use activities.
4) The proposed project can feasibly operate on segments of selected
roadway corridors without adversely impacting traffic flow, parking
facilities, business operations, and other corridor characteristics.
5) The proposed project is financially feasible and can be implemented
with existing and new revenue sources.
What is Streetcar Transit?
A streetcar is a mode of public transit that operates along a fixed rail
guideway that is embedded within the surface of the roadway. While
streetcars cannot deviate from the path of the guideway, the operator of
1
the streetcar "drives" the vehicle, accelerating and
braking to move along with traffic that may operate in
the same lane as the streetcar, Streetcars are related
to light rail transit; the difference is that streetcars are
smaller, lighter, less expensive, and usually run in
traffic, rather than in their own exclusive right of way.
Powered by quiet electric motors, these vehicles use an
overhead arm called a pantograph to collect power
from an electrified wire that is suspended
approximately 20 feet (6.10 meters) over the lane in
which the streetcar runs. Streetcars can look
contemporary or vintage and can be outfitted with
numerous features.
Project Components
The initial Phase 1 of the Miami Streetcar project
includes 6.75 miles (10.86 km) of trackway of which
3.15 miles (5.07 km) is single track where the streetcar
runs one way on a given section of street and 1.8 miles
(2.90 km) of double track where the streetcar runs in
both directions in the same section of street.
Approximately 33 stops will be provided along the
route, The project will operate with an initial fleet of
eight vehicles.
The study recommends that Miami use modern
European tram style vehicles for this project. In some
contexts, like Tampa's Ybor City Historic District, a
vintage style trolley vehicle is appropriate. Miami is, by
contrast, a modern city and this project is envisioned
as equally modern. The characteristics of modern
streetcars include larger passenger capacity, large
doors for quick boarding and exiting, compliance with
the Americans with Disabilities Act and are best suited
for this application.
The estimated construction and system costs for this
initial Phase I are $132,255,000 (year 2004 US dollars)
which includes track, roadway and utility costs, a
maintenance and operations facility, vehicles, Florida
East Coast Railway crossings, design, construction and
project contingencies. Annual operating cost, assuming
streetcar service every 5 to 10 minutes, is estimated at
$3,500,000 per year (year 2004 US dollars).
Preliminary streetcar ridership projections estimate
3,000 at opening year and potentially 8,100 riders per
2
Phase 1 Streetcar Project
Construction and System Costs
Contingency
cesigry
Construction
Vehicles
FEC RaI€ Maintenance
croesIngs Facility
$132,255,000
(Year 2004 Dollars)
Track
Roadway
and hilly
Coats
day in year 2025 depending upon several variables
which are unknown at this feasibility stage, such as;
fare structure, service frequency, operating speed and
corridor redevelopment. The project is financially
feasible to construct and operate; several scenarios for
funding capital and operating costs have been
developed.
There are a number of options for project
implementation, including the formation of a new
Authority similar to the Miami Downtown Development
Authority (DDA) and the Miami Parking Authority. The
project could also be advanced through a public -
private partnership wherein the project would be
owned by the City of Miami, but developed and
managed through a nonprofit corporation similar to the
partnership, formed in Portland, Oregon, which
Phase 1 Streetcar Daily Ridership
i0,000
0,000
0,000
4,000
2)300
0
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2000
Year
2025
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,e CITY OF MIAMI INITIAL STREETCAR CORRIDOR FEASIBILITY STUDY
developed the Portland streetcar. In any scenario, the
active cooperation of Miami -Dade County, the Board of
County Commissioners, the Miami -Dade Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO), Miami -Dade Transit
(MDT), the Miami -Dade Public Works Department, and
other agencies will be needed in order to build and
operate the project. Other public agencies, including
the Federal Transit Administration and the Florida
Department of Transportation, will be key to
implementation.
Potential Benefits of a Miami Streetcar
In addition to shaping development into a more
sustainable pattern, streetcars have been shown to be
very efficient transit circulators, at approximately 1/3
the total cost of a typical light rail transit (LRT)
system, and they do not require dedicated right-of-
way. That Is, they operate in mixed traffic with little
or no impact to traffic flow or on -street parking. Like
LRT, streetcars are relatively quiet and extremely
reliable, and they have low maintenance costs
compared to buses.
Most important is streetcars' value as place -makers and
their value as community circulators, able to attract
choice riders, residents and visitors who would
otherwise use automobiles for in -town trips,
Next Steps
1. Miami City Commission Adoption of the Study
2. Begin Initial Implementation of the Study
Recommendations
3. Financial Support Services in the Development of
a Detailed Financial Plan for Project Delivery —
The City and its partners in this project, public and
private, will need to select their preferred funding
scenario and implement that scenario through
action of the City of Miami Commission on budgets,
interlocal agreements, and other mechanisms.
4. Alternatives Analysis and Environmental
Assessment to Satisfy Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) Requirement for Fund
Eligibility —If the adopted financing includes the
use of Federal funding, an Alternatives Analysis
(AA) and an Environmental Analysis (EA) must be
completed to satisfy FTA's National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) process.
PROJECT UPDATE
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5. FTA New Starts Application —If the adopted
financing includes the use of Federal funding, a
New Starts application must be submitted for
approval by FTA for funding.
6. Agency Coordination --The Miami Streetcar project
must be coordinated closely with a number of
agencies, such as FTA, Miami -Dade County, FDOT
(Central Office and District VI), and others, to
ensure successful, efficient and timely
implementation of the project.
7. Public Involvement —Public input during this Phase
of the streetcar program may be vital to the
refinement of the alignment and station locations.
Public involvement will include public meetings,
meetings with property owners, coordination with
the media, a project website, and other means of
soliciting input from the public,
8. FEC Railway Coordination —As currently planned,
the Miami Streetcar project will cross the Florida
East Coast Railway (FEC) in more than one
location. Since the project will be seeking FTA
approval through a New Starts application, it is
expected that FTA will require that the New Starts
application include documentation of agreement
from FEC that the Miami Streetcar- can cross their
rail line.
9. Maintenance and Operations Facility (MOF) Site
Selection Analysis —This site selection analysis will
address the need for a MOF to be shared by the Bay
Link project and Miami Streetcar.
10. Property Acquisition Definition —This effort should
identify property acquisition requirements for the
project for traction power substations (TPS) as part
of the electrical supply system to the streetcar and
any other corner clips along the alignment as
revised or to the MOF.
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11. Selection of the Preferred Organizational Option
for Project Implementation —As indicated above,
there are a number of options for "housing" this
initiative in existing public agencies or in a new
organizational structure. More important than
which particular organizational option is chosen fs
the presence of the key ingredients, which are
clearly in place, for a successful streetcar project:
• Political Leadership —This project represents
change and constitutes a major City initiative
requiring strong advocacy from public: figures.
City Leaders must "lead the charge" for
project implementation.
• Redevelopment opportunity —Vacant or
underutilized land is available for a new form
of development. Few American cities, if any,
have the opportunity now present in this
corridor for large-scale transit -oriented
development.
I. Development pressure - The spectacular
resurgence of development in Miami, along
with the prospect for deteriorating mobility in
an overcrowded street network otherwise,
provides the force to propel this initiative
forward.
• Physical feasibility - This study has determined
that the Miami Streetcar project is physically
and operationally feasible as proposed,
• Financial capacity - As this study has
demonstrated, the means are available to
construct and operate this project and operate
it.
Schedule
The project could be open for operation by the end of
2008.
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CONTACT:
Lille !Medina, AICP — Assistant Transportation Coordinator
City of Miami, Office of the City Manager/Transportation
444 SW 2nd Ave, 10th Fl., Miami, FL 33130
Tel. (305) 416-1080
Fax (305)416-1019
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