Letter to the Editor, Miami Herald, Published May 24, 2020

Open Mic:  Opinion missed the point SR 836 extension

Omitted:   ( It is interesting that Editorial Board chose to publish the opinion of Mr. Victor Dover, the father of intensive development in South Florida who's idea of a perfect city is Paris. The notion that Miami can grow rationally and that we should plan our roadways accordingly does not relate to the Champs Elysees. )
 
    Neither Mr. Dover and Mr. Philip Kushlan, with derogatory rhetoric, nor Administrative Law Judge Suzanne Van Wyck, notes credentials as a traffic engineer.  Yet they offer subjective opinions regarding the impact of the proposed roadway on traffic in West Kendall focusing on travel time. The actual rational for the project is that traffic in west Kendall would be able to go west to 836 in the morning and east in the afternoon from 836 relieving traffic in east  Kendall. The new road way will also serve Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with dedicated lanes and stations along the way. BRT vehicles would pick up passengers at depots throughout the area which will have no parking facilities but which will interface with circulating vehicles bringing passengers to them. Also, Miami is one of the only major cities in the nation or the world without a ring road which enables traffic to avoid the congested traffic core. This roadway would create a ring road at least south of Flagler.
     They also offer subjective opinions regarding the impact on the environment; only Mr. Kushlan has credentials in that field. In truth, the ruling by Judge Van Wyck minimizes the environmental impact and focuses on traffic travel time, a specious argument in this case. And, it would seem the judge's minimal environmental concerns can be addressed with minor changes to the roadway.
    The environmentalists are afraid that the new roadways will increase building beyond the UDB. MDX does not issue building permits; the County does. And in fact, by Florida Statute, the South Florida Water Management District has limited authority in environmental matters; they deal in permitting. The environment is the sole province and responsibility of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. All should have known that.
   Hopefully, those who review the ALJ's opinion will understand these matters more fully and have less personally invested in the outcome of this litigation. The goal of all transit planning in Miami-Dade County is to get people out their cars so that travel time for
private vehicles, the erroneous focus of the ruling in this matter, is not related to the issues at hand. It is up to the FDEP to determine if the road will be environmentally harmful and up to MDX to make modifications in the roadway to address any well informed judgement of negative environmental impact. And it is up to the County to adhere to written and sensible concurrency per Florida Statute 163.3180 and local concurrency requirements.


Barry J. White
President
Citizens Against Nonconcurrency Taskforce, Inc./CANT