Miami’s Rail Folly

Back in 1984, Miami opened a 20-mile elevated rail line. The line was so expensive, and ridership so poor, that the city never did much to expand the line (though it is getting in line for $1.4 billion in federal handouts for proposed expansion).

Flickr photo by .Zickie.

Now the railcars the run on the line are worn out. The transit system was supposed to overhaul the cars nearly a decade ago, but deferred it for lack of funds. Now it has to choose between spending $300 million on repairs or $350 million on a new fleet.
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Flickr photo by ASurroca.

The Antiplanner suggests a third alternative: junk the system. Ridership has grown by a mere 26 percent since 1990. During the same time period, regional bus ridership has grown by 69 percent. Miami transit riders would do a lot better if some of that $300 or so million were put into bus improvements, Miami taxpayers would be glad to see the rest left in their pockets, and Miami sightseers would enjoy seeing more of the sky.

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About The Antiplanner

The Antiplanner is a forester and economist with more than fifty years of experience critiquing government land-use and transportation plans.

6 Responses to Miami’s Rail Folly

  1. Unowho says:

    AP, once again your irrational hatred of public transit has robbed you of reason; all you have to do is look 200 miles north from Miami and you will find an elevated rail system that runs on time, without subsidies, and carries 50% more riders per day than Portland’s light rail. I give you the ride of the future!

  2. prk166 says:

    How does that compare to population growth for Miami-Ft. Lauderdale MSA during the same time? Growth in number of trips?

  3. prk166 says:

    Note that the agency admits they didn’t properly maintain the cars for 20 years. How many other agencies are taking maintainance short cuts? How can taxpayers make sure that they don’t?

  4. Unowho says:

    Darn AP, I got so angry reading your unprovoked attack on Miami’s PT wonder that I mixed up the Disneys .

  5. the highwayman says:

    It’s funny to see Disney’s name mentioned here, since for one thing they have had some interesting planning aspects of their own. Like how the land where Disney has their park set pretty much counts as their own local government.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District

    Even then they have made stuff that is oddly transit & pedestrian friendly, even though it is kind of monopolistic.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Transport

  6. Pingback: The Meck Deck » Blog Archive » “Nah. They want everybody to get on the train”

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