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Running out of cost effective land-based solutions to Miami's ever growing congestion problems, Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) is turning to our open waterways to provide some much needed traffic relief. The agency is working on a pilot program that would bring catamarans capable of carrying up to 100 passengers each to a couple of select commuter routes. The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is working to develop a plan for a public/private partnership to operate such a system along our coast and could see revenue service as early as 2009. The fully built waterborne transit system is estimated to cost between $120 and $150 million; however, MDT is proposing a 3 year trail program, estimated to cost $30 million, to serve as a test for future expanded service. The trial period would allow MDT to gather better consumer responses to the system without fully committing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Not a New Concept
Locally, a water based taxi system has been in operation in Ft. Lauderdale since 1988 and has experienced nearly continuous annual increases in ridership. The Ft. Lauderdale water taxi however, serves as a tourist/leisure transit system and uses smaller vessels, similar to the service proposed along the Miami River and downtown circulator. The water commuting service would not be new to Miami-Dade County either; from the 1920's through the 1930's, a water taxi service regularly traversed the Coral Gables waterway, transporting passengers from the Biltmore Hotel to the coastal regions.
Proposed Routes |
The northern route would transport passengers from Haulover Marina while the southern route would link the downtown terminal with Matheson Hammock Park with estimated travel times of 59 and 30 minutes, respectively. By utilizing existing county owned parks with parking infrastructure, MDT will easily minimize the initial costs associated with implementing the system. A link to South Beach is also in the planning phase along with stops further north along the Beaches. A smaller boat is also being considered to shuttle passengers around to various stops throughout downtown, including spots along the Miami River and the Miami Intermodal Center.
Environmental Concerns
Hurdles to Cross The commuter ferry provides the county with a reasonable alternative to rail and bus corridor expansions; however, for it to succeed it would have to be integrated with the surroundings properly and be easily accessible to all. For this to work, all terminals would need to be integrated into dense urban areas, areas easily accessible by multi modes of transportation, and areas with a dense population within easy reach. Notice that the most successful ferries worldwide are connected to vast land-based transit networks and service only dense urban areas. The ability to access the system easily and quickly would ultimately determine the success of the project. The speed restrictions in place due to the ecological concerns severely limit the practicality of this project, turning what could be a reasonably quick commute into a ride that barely rivals the normal driving time. Furthermore, given the dire financial situation of MDT, it is difficult to validate a $30 million trial program in an age where federal funding is scarce and highly competitive. Aside from a tourist attraction to transport visitors from downtown hotels to South Beach or Watson Island, the Miami ferry likely will not survive as a full blown commuter option. Before we can commute by sea, MDT needs to create a more efficient land-based commuter system which is accessible to all. Other cities have established successful transit alternatives because of the way they have integrated the systems and stations with the urban surroundings, designing around people instead of vehicles. We should focus on the qualities that make public transit succeed in other cities before we spend the millions on a specialty transit system that will provide few benefits to Miami's commuters. |
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Potential Stations |
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Miami |
Miami Beach |
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