Commissioner pushes for downtown streetcar revival

Marc Sarnoff
Marc Sarnoff

Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff is trying to build support for a revival of the long-discussed streetcar system for downtown Miami.

During last week’s meeting, Sarnoff pleaded with other commissioners to push Miami-Dade’s Metropolitan Planning Organization to prioritize streetcars in its list of projects. He cited worsening traffic congestion and substantial population growth in the city. The electric-powered streetcar system had support last decade, but the project languished during the recession.

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“With the construction currently underway, we’ll have an additional 85,000 residents by 2016,” Sarnoff said, as cited by Miami Today. “This represents an increase of 16 percent from 2011 … if the streetcar was deemed worthy of a significant conversation in 2006, we certainly need it in the near future given this population growth.” [Miami Today]Eric Kalis