!Por la Revolución de las Ideas!
Tolls, Tolls but the MDX roads are not even finished
For the last 14 years we have seen how
Miami Dade’s expressways have been under construction causing delays on
everyday traffic commutes, and even causing people to
move from areas like Kendall, Homestead and Doral simply because trying
to reach downtown, the beaches, Coral Gables and Brickell is sometimes
an adventure. This mainly due because both on 836 and
826, especially where they meet, have been under construction for such a
long time that it almost seems like a never ending project. No one has
explained to the tax payers why it has taken so long
for that project to be completed. Moreover, the implementation of new
tolls on both roads, without even mentioning the ones being added on
I-95, create a sense that while the roads have taken forever
to be finished, the tolls are quickly put in place to start service on
November 15th, 2014.
All who live in Miami Dade are asking
the question why the roads have taken so long to finish and why there
are no plans of expanding and improving the public
transportation system in Miami. No plans have been mentioned to expand
the metro Rail so that it can have stations through out Kendall and
Doral uniting the city through a full circle around the main
populated areas. The Metro Rail would definitely be a solution for the
transportation crisis in Miami, which no one seems to address
responsibly. Therefore, all Miami Dade inhabitants hope that the
tolls will mean better transportation services, better roads and more
development, but most important of all, less traffic on main roads that
could push more productivity for small businesses and
people in general. In Miami it takes almost an hour to complete a
journey that would normally take 15 to 20 minutes. That is absurd and
must have a short term solution.
Miami has almost become a third world
city where roads projects are done during the day or early evening with
no information being provided to anyone in order for many
to avoid traffic jams. The only roads that have some information are the
long lasting MDX construction which also causes enormous traffic
traumatisms since 80% of the city’s main traffic uses these
expressways. The city is expanding and requires politicians-leaders with
great vision to turn Miami into a real economic growth jewel, but with
the current roads, tolls without finishing the job, and
a public transportation system from the 80's, it is impossible to think
that Miami will move forward in this area.
Looking forward, we all hope Miami Dade
can resolve the many challenges it has regarding transportation and the
absurd delays the current state of the roads are
generating to its citizens. Moreover, we do hope that the tolls being
enforced this November 15th, will also help develop major infrastructure
builds like extensions to the metro rail and a further
extension of the Turnpike that goes into the deep southwest areas up to
157th SW (Kendall area) in order to reduce the traffic caused at rush hour when people try to leave or return home,
which can be an additional odyssey for local drivers.
Tolls and more tolls; let’s hope they
bring progress and not more of the same mediocre solutions seen so far
to help Miami advance.