Miami-Dade County is moving forward with a massive public transportation project that would connect Aventura, North Miami Beach, Miami Shores, El Portal, Wynwood, the Design District, and Little Haiti to Downtown Miami via a new commuter rail line.
The proposed route will run along the Florida East Coast Railway, utilizing existing Brightline stations at Miami Central and West Aventura, and adding five new stops in Wynwood, the Design District, Little Haiti, North Miami, and Florida International University’s north campus in North Miami Beach.
The project, discussed Monday night by the city’s planning and zoning board, includes plans for workforce and FIU student housing near the Northeast 151st Street station, as well as commercial development. “You can walk to the station, you can walk to your residence, you can walk to the shopping,” said Zafar Ahman, North Miami Beach’s Community Development Director.
County officials say the new rail line could remove nearly 8,000 car trips from local roads each weekday, helping to ease traffic congestion.
The total cost of the project is estimated at more than $927 million. About half of that funding will come from a federal grant, another $200 million from the state, and the remainder from local sources. Miami-Dade County approved its portion of the funding last fall.
Construction is expected to begin once engineering and design work is completed, with the project slated for completion by 2032.
