We lost the 174th Street Station? I feel left out of the loop. Did I miss the announcement or were Palmetto Bay elected officials not going to tell us?

It appears that there will be no transit station at or near 174 to serve Palmetto Bay. I think it is important. Last I saw, the current mayor was walking the proposed site at Banyan Road with the current Manager for a photo op.  Meanwhile, who was watching the County plans and the bid eventually put out?

So did the County actually drop the 174th street station? This was a key need for the Palmetto Bay downtown. What a shame if true as a transit stop at 174 would have greatly assisted mass transit mobility for the Palmetto Bay downtown area. Significant effort went into working with Miami-Dade County to place a transit station at 174th (near Banyan Street). The goal was a rail station, but regardless, this location is sorely needed 174 to serve Palmetto Bay's downtown even if merely BRT. So much for negotiation and partnership as there is no lawsuit that could compel any agreement between property owners, the County and Palmetto Bay.

The lack of 174th street may been seen as permanent (in our lifetimes) as I have been advised by Miami-Dade County sources that the transit stations project is out to bid, deadline October 23, 2019.  Don't expect a change order to the level of adding a additional station.

Responsibility for this falls both upon our Palmetto Bay elected leaders as well as our local district County Commissioner. This is a County project, but the station is (or was) critical to the Palmetto Bay downtown. 

The impact of no station at 174th should be discussed and included, provided for, in the ongoing DUV revisions.

I'd love to see an accounting of what meetings were held, the advocacy performed by our current mayor and council in regard to fighting for a station at 174. Perhaps the matter was never on their list of priorities or simply fell through the cracks. Perhaps they did not even know or care.

WHERE WILL THE STATIONS BE PLACED: Palmetto Bay will be served by transit stations at 136, 152, 168 and 184.  I have posted a photo of a rendering of where the proposed transit stations will be located.

Again - not getting the 174th Station is bad for traffic issues in Palmetto Bay. Failure to communicate on this issue is troubling. Perhaps our current officials were hoping we the people would not take notice.  Wrong.

NOTE: There is a zoning hearing set for October 31, before the Board of County Commissioners for a property in Miami-Dade County – to be build west side of the busway – Perhaps an objection should be made through Palmetto Bay with an urging that this developer privately fund and build a public transit stop at Franjo/Banyan Street. 

AAPUSHANA INVESTMENT, LLC. Z2019000118

Location: Lying south of Hibiscus Street, north of Indigo Street, between  the South Dade Transitway and South Dixie Highway, Miami-Dade County, Florida. 

Size of property: 1.5 Acres

The applicant is requesting a district boundary change from BU-3 (Liberal Business District) and IU-1 (Light Industrial Manufacturing District) to PECUCD (Perrine Community Urban Center District).

This hearing might be our (Palmetto Bay’s) last best chance for a station at Hibiscus/174  or anywhere within the Palmetto Bay ‘downtown’.

RELATED POSTS  CLICK HERE to view prior series of posts relating to Palmetto Bay and the fight (up to October 2018) for rail as well as the current Palmetto Bay council acquiescence for BRT (since January 2019)