Just in time for the 47-acre Upland Park transit-oriented, mixed use project that is expected to transform the Dolphin Park-and-Ride terminal into a major multimodal transit hub, the city of Doral is looking to update its transit plan, which could also include changes and/or additions to its trolley service.
Residents can hear about the transit plan goals and proposed improvements to the trolley service at a workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday on the first floor of City Hall, 8401 NW 53rd Terrace. They can also learn about the county’s Better Bus Network — which many say is not necessarily better (more on that later) — and provide feedback on the city’s trolley service.
Traffic is already bad in Doral, and it is expected to get worse.
Developer Terra broke ground last month on the first phase of Upland Park, which will include more than 2,000 mid-rise and garden-style apartments, 282,000 square feet of retail and 414,000 square feet of commercial space.
Upland Park is designed to increase public transit ridership “while anchoring the new East-West Corridor of the county’s Smart public transportation plan,” according to a press release from the developer, who billed it as “the largest public-private transit-oriented development” in the history of Miami-Dade County.
“Through public-private partnerships, we are accelerating smart solutions by adding new transit-oriented communities along major transit corridors,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.
“These developments provide public transportation connections to employment centers, schools, arts and culture, and healthcare, making it easier for residents to access essential services and opportunities. Upland Park is a prime example of how we are continuing to build a better community for all and a future-ready Miami-Dade County,” Levine Cava said. “Located alongside the 836 Expressway, which features a dedicated bus lane, this development will provide residents with seamless and efficient transit options, further integrating smart mobility solutions into our growing region.”
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Said District 12 Commissioner Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez, the former mayor of Doral: “Upland Park is a significant step forward in ensuring that residents of West Dade, have greater access to transit, jobs, and essential services.”
In 2016, the then-city council approved two inter-local agreements between Doral and the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) providing up to $90,000 in grant funding to study the expansion of Doral trolley service to Florida International University and the conversion of certain streets into one-way traffic corridors to increase circulation capacity.
The trolley expansion back then was an initiative by current Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, who was vice mayor at time.
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