Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for South Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Project

Friday, June 4, was an important day for transportation improvements in south Miami-Dade as Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works held the groundbreaking ceremony for the South Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project.

This project will take place along the 20 mile transitway parallel to US-1 between Dadeland South Metrorail Station and Florida City and will greatly improve the speed, efficiency and comfort of public transportation. The project will include 14 newly constructed iconic rapid transit stations, improvements to the two end-of-line terminals at Dadeland South and SW 344 Street, and the rehabilitation of the 16 existing stations along the corridor. It will provide signal preemption for transit, offering an easy 60-minute ride from Homestead to Downtown Miami. BRT also implements elements needed for rail and may be converted to rail in the future.

Additionally, the 14 BRT stations will be equipped with rail-like amenities that will include:️

  • Level boarding
  • Off-board fare collection
  • Real-time messaging for bus arrivals
  • Closed circuit TV
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioned vestibules
  • Emergency call boxes
  • Bike racks
  • Benches
  • Device charging stations and more

The project is estimated to be completed in two years.

The groundbreaking event was attended by many government officials from the federal, state and local level—including Mayor Tim Meerbott; the Mayors of Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Homestead and Florida City; District 8 Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins; and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Commissioner Cohen Higgins, while taking the stage at the ceremony, addressed some of the controversies this project has faced “it’s no secret that this project is not without controversy. I represent District 8—the residents have mixed feelings about this project. But we are thankful because we, in south Dade and in District 8, understand that we are not seeking perfection, but rather progress. And today marks a very large step towards progress.”

County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava added through her social media pages, "This gold standard project will provide important transportation relief in the short term, as we continue to push for expansion to rail – and critically, all the BRT stations along the corridor will be convertible to rail."