The Northeast Corridor project aims to cut nearly 8,000 daily car trips, connect key neighborhoods and campuses, and begin service by 2032.
Sakari Biorn | Contributing Writer
Miami-Dade County is advancing a plan to connect the Brightline Miami Central and West Aventura stations and build five new stations in Wynwood, the Design District, Little Haiti, North Miami, and at FIU’s Biscayne Bay campus. The proposed commuter rail route would utilize the Florida East Coast Railway.
The project, named the Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit, part of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan, has moved closer to implementing future transit options for residents in the South Florida area.
North Miami’s Beach Community Development Director, Zafar Ahman, discussed with WPLF Local 10 and said the plan was to help build a workforce and FIU student housing near the NE 151st Street station. “You can walk to the station, you can walk to your residence, and you can walk to the shopping,” He added.
County officials say this will slash auto travel by nearly 8,000 trips per weekday, easing traffic congestion while providing alternate transportation in peak traffic hours. The total cost will sum up to over $927 million, about half of which will be covered by a federal grant.
Another $200 million is expected to come from the Florida Department of Transportation, and the rest will come from the county’s People’s Transportation Plan surtax.
Miami-Dade County approved its portion of the funding last fall.
Service will be planned to run every 30 minutes during peak times and 60 minutes off-peak and on weekends. While still in the engineering phase, the next phase looks to finalize design plans and start construction.
The project estimates completion by 2032.
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