Miami-Dade voters overwhelmingly say the county should expand rapid mass transit

Miami-Dade County residents voted in favor of expanding the county’s public transit system in Tuesday’s election.

The question, proposed and sponsored by Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert, asked residents if the county should expand its existing elevated Metrorail, passenger rail and Metromover services.

The measure is a non-binding straw poll, and it does not specify a time frame or source of funding for expanding the county’s transit network. Nearly 80% of Miami-Dade residents voted in favor of the item.

“ Tonight’s election results reflect a loud and clear mandate from our residents,” Gilbert told the Miami Herald in a text Tuesday night. “The overwhelming support ... reflects our community’s shared vision for a more connected, sustainable, and accessible future.”

He said the next step will be to continue having conversations with the community and the county commission about expanding transit in Miami-Dade County.

Gilbert previously told the Herald he does not know how much any such expansion project would cost, but he said he believes it will be worth it for the county. In July, he said he expected the measure to pass, but that even if it did not, he planned to continue pushing to expand transit.

Transit advocates also told the Herald in July they expected the measure to pass.

Mark Merwitzer, the associate director of the advocacy group Transit Alliance, said he was pleased with the results of the straw poll. He said by voting in favor of this ballot measure, Miami-Dade residents made it clear they don’t want the “status quo” of “more highways and more traffic.”

Miami-Dade’s growing population has exacerbated congestion and traffic throughout the county.

Merwitzer added that he commends Gilbert, along with co-sponsor Commissioner Eileen Higgins, for their work.

The measure comes about eight years after the commission voted in 2016 to pass the SMART Plan, which identified transit solutions for major transit corridors throughout the county. So far, the only part of the plan in progress is the construction of bus-only lanes between Miami and Homestead.

Projects that have been planned but not yet implemented as a part of SMART include a Metromover line that connects the mainland to Miami Beach and Metrorail service to the northern part of the county.

The measure that passed in Tuesday’s election does not come with specific steps or a plan to be implemented.

Though Tuesday’s ballot results show there is support for expanding transit in Miami-Dade, not everyone is on board. Earlier this year, the Miami Beach City Commission voted against expanding the Metromover to Miami Beach. Commissioners cited concerns about public transit bringing crime and homelessness to Miami Beach.