FYI Miami: April 27, 2023

Bellow are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

EAST-WEST SUBSIDY: A 20-year-old express bus service from West Dade to downtown Miami is getting a $633,634 state subsidy in the coming year. County commissioners last week by a 13-0 vote approved the grant agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the Flagler MAX Bus Service Route, which averages 4,150 weekday boardings, the county says, while collecting $993,000 a year in fares. The premium bus service, Route 51, costs $4,551,000 a year to run, with the balance coming from the county transit operation’s budget. The route runs from West Dade via West Flagler Street to the downtown bus terminal, main library, HistoryMiami Museum, and ends at the Government Center Metrorail Station. The state funding agreement ends June 30, 2024.

JOBS IN THE KEYS: An 18-year-old service aimed at providing jobs to South Dade residents while helping to deal with a severe worker shortage in the Florida Keys is getting a boost via a state grant. County commissioners voted 13-0 last week to sign an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation, which is providing $1,354,253 of the cost of the Dade-Monroe Express Bus Service while the county provides the other $900,000 in support of the welfare-to-work program. The county last year requested $1.47 million from the state for the route. The service runs seven days a week from 5:10 a.m. to 1:10 a.m., making 20 round trips between the Southwest 344th Street Busway Park-and-Ride in Florida City and Mile Marker 87 in Tavernier, with 10 trips extending further to Marathon. An estimated 800 riders board weekdays. America’s Transportation runs its own buses on the county’s schedule.

GROVE STATION UPGRADES: Miami-Dade’s Transit Planning Organization voted unanimously last week to add improvement projects for the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station and bus terminal that are to include new bus lanes and bays, kiss-and-and ride area, parking facilities, and station improvements that are to include refurbished elevator, escalators, security systems, landscaping lighting and wayfinding, plus pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The estimated $13.9 million construction cost is to come from the area’s road impact fee funds. While the program was included in the fiscal 2023 improvement program, no specific dates were set for action.

FLOODING THE ENGINE: While the national average price of a gallon of gas dipped 0.8 cents last week, the average in Miami rose 8.9 cents after flooding in Fort Lauderdale played havoc with gasoline deliveries in the area. Prices in Miami averaged $3.70 to start the week, according to GasBuddy. That’s 29.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.