“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.
The way we move in and around South Florida is changing dramatically. Just as we became accustomed to ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft being a normal part of our ecosystem, the very notions of “vehicle” and “driver” from those services are also transforming (literally) under our feet. Will we even need vehicles in a world where passenger drones will take us from point A to B through the air? Will departing PortMiami cruise passengers be whisked to Disney World (and back) without their feet ever touching the ground? Let’s ride into the fast-approaching future of mobility and transportation in this month’s “South Florida by the numbers.”
6: Number of e-scooter companies (Bird, Bolt, Jump, Lime, Lyft and Spin) allowed to deploy up to 50 scooters each in a Miami-based pilot program currently restricted to District 2, which extends from Coconut Grove to Morningside. The electric, dockless scooters can be rented for minutes at a time, and do not require a helmet to ride. [MiamiHerald]
60: Number of stories at the Paramount Miami Worldcenter condominium in downtown, where the rooftop pool can convert into a private skyport for flying passenger cars. The developer of a Coconut Grove project also has a plan to redevelop a strip of Grand Avenue that includes landing pads atop a five-story building. [Bisnow]
311/932: Respectively, the recently-passed Florida House of Representatives/Senate bills that legalize the use of self-driving cars statewide. (The bill now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature.) While it paves the way for Florida to become a leader in the world of self-driving technology, it also threatens the livelihoods of many Uber and Lyft drivers who make a living through the two popular ride-sharing services. [MiamiNewTimes]
$15.4 million: Estimated costs for a new Brightline/Virgin Trains station at PortMiami, which would connect to the company’s MiamiCentral station in downtown Miami. Passengers could then board the company’s express trains running to West Palm Beach (and eventually Orlando) and back. The County Commission’s Ports committee has endorsed a draft deal between the company and Miami-Dade which would involve $5.2 million in public money to help build the station. [MiamiHerald]
5: District of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, which includes Miami and Miami Beach. The commissioner, a staunch public transportation advocate, recently criticized Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber’s proposed ordinance to strengthen the city’s control over transit projects, which she fears will derail county efforts to create a long-envisioned “Baylink” rail between the Beach and downtown Miami. While the mayor (a long ally and friend of Higgins) remains supportive of the service, he says he wants to make sure that his city can say no to a project it doesn’t like. [MiamiHerald]
This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.