A group of transit-minded activists and volunteers have compiled the track records and positions on transportation issues for six of the seven Miami-Dade mayoral candidates, and former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas — who created the half-penny sales tax fund that was supposed to expand transit 
but got misused instead — gets the highest points on their online report card.
The Miami Riders Alliance’s grading system aims to help voters decide which candidate is best for them on transit and transportation issues. They researched each candidate’s stance and track record on transit-related issues and interviewed them, so we wouldn’t have to, and gave them a percentage score based on how much their platform aligns with the non-profit organization’s agenda.
But they also provided us with the checklist for each, so that we can match the candidates priorities to our own. Smart. Kind.
Penelas got the highest marks, a 95%, because he agrees with almost everything on the Riders Alliance agenda. The one stickler: he supports expanding some highways while the activists do not.
Read related: Xavier Suarez strikes first blood vs Alex Penelas with 1/2 penny poem radio spot
Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava got second highest score with 89% — a solid B+. The deal-breakers in her case were that she does not support an Independent Transportation Authority, does not 
support increased density along transit lines and accepts bus instead of rail where rail is supported.
Interestingly enough, both long shots Carlos de Armas and Monique Barley scored higher than Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who has been the loudest voice of reason on transit at County Hall more often than not. De Armas got an 82%, losing points because he wants to privatize transit (which should really, actually, disqualify him) and does not support losing vehicular space to bus or bike lanes. Barley got a 79%, or a C+, losing points because she supports the Kendall Parkway extension and the county’s ban on scooters and bike share amid COVID19 and against high density near transit.
So it seems unfair that Suarez, a longtime champion of transit expansion and using the 1/2 penny for what it was meant for, would get a 73%, which is a mid C. He lost points standing against the bus rapid transit on Flagler Street and against an Independent Transit Authority. He should have gained points for filing a lawsuit that asks a judge to rule the use of PTP funds for maintenance and operation illegal and for convincing the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust to vote to stop the co-mingling.
Commissioner Esteban Bovo, who wanted to leave transportation in a better place as his legacy, got 
the worst score. In addition to his stand in favor of the Kendall Parkway — which expands the Dolphin Expressway over the Urban Development Boundaries and into protected wetlands — he also supports the privatization of transit services, the use of the 1/2 cent People’s Transportation Plan funds for the Brightline Aventura station and bus rapid transit over rail for the SMART corridors. He also voted against the MetroRail extension to South Dade and in favor of the sketchy deal for the monorail link to Miami Beach.
He gets a 67%, which is a D. But, really he should have failed.
Read related: No-brainer Miami-Dade Commission approves Kendall Parkway despite so much
Only De Armas and Levine Cava, so far, have responded to the scoring, which was posted last week.
An independent transportation authority would be “extremely difficult if not impossible,” Levine Cava said in her defense. “So I will seek a transportation alliance to link all with a shared plan.
“I prefer train and also am realistic it would take many more years to accomplish it, & would be price prohibitive on Kendall & East-West. I did support it South, to Beach, North & Northeast. BRT is as fast 
and easy as train but doesn’t offer a 1-seat ride making it less desirable.”
De Armas also wanted to “clarify some items” and said that transit has costs and “converting car lanes on bus lanes is not fixing anything but creating chaos.”
Right now, things don’t seem so bad because many people are still staying home for the COVID19 emergency. Ladra was going 62 MPH on the Palmetto at 4:30 on Tuesday last week. But traffic in Miami-Dade pre-virus was out of control and promised mass transit has not materialized or been a priority. Transportation is one of the most important issues that the new mayor will have to grapple with when elected.
The scores given by Riders Alliance do not constitute an endorsement, simply a roadmap for where the candidates stand on transit and transportation issues.
“We believe that by outlining the candidate’s records which they have created for themselves is the best way for residents to make up their minds,” the website with their results states. “We’ll let the candidates’ past choices dictate their future prospects.”
Riders Alliance Executive Director Kevin Amezaga said that when they set out to create the report card, “we decided the best approach was one where we let the voters decide who the best candidate is for them. We simply aggregate information about each candidate and display it for the public.”
And the public thanks you, Kevin.
Mayoral race transit report card: Alex Penelas gets an A; Esteban Bovo, a D added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
