No-brainer Miami-Dade commission approves Kendall Parkway despite so much

No-brainer Miami-Dade commission approves Kendall Parkway despite so much
  • Sumo

The long-debated and controversial 836 extension known as the Kendall Parkway was given final approval 9-4 by the Miami-Dade Commission on Thursday, despite so many warnings, questions and concerns.

That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal, however, and not because it still needs state and federal approval that is hopefully not as purchased as county nods. Lawsuits are threatened and Sen. Marco Rubio, of all people, vows to fight the project because the MDX doesn’t want to buy more land for the Everglades restoration project than it needs to build a 13-mile, six-lane expressway through protected wetlands.

There are so many reasons why this should not happen.

Read related: Kendall Parkway to nowhere is an intentional slippery slope for UDB 

Commissioners were warned that studies show new highways like the Kendall Parkway do not alleviate traffic but only cause more congestion long term. There were unanswered questions about the plan, incomplete information about even the precise route, of which there were at least four. And there are myriad concerns about how this will impact the environment, the Everglades restoration plan and promote future development and sprawl.

It didn’t matter. One could tell it didn’t matter as people pleaded for them to take a step back and wait. Transit advocates even presented options that were less costly and wouldn’t endanger our environment and our wattrafficer table. In the end, our commissioners voted with the builders and the contractors that pad their campaign accounts and with the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, which would manage the $650-million to $1 billion project (read: award bids and dole out the funds).

Of course there were some West Kendall residents for it. They are desperate for any relief that they can see on the horizon from a county government that not only forgets about them but also breaks its promises and steals their half-penny tax dollars to fund mediocre bus service and limited MetroRail.

Read related: MDX spent $400K on PR, including $60K for mayor’s daughter-in-law

But nobody explained to these people that if that money were invested in the SMART plan transit solutions, in light rail and rapid bus throughout Miami-Dade in the right places then there would be no need for the Kendall Parkway because there would be fewer cars on the road. Nobody explained to them that there are less costly and better alternatives within the UDB that would not promote future development west over what was once protected wetlands.

They think they have no choice. And they do. Or they did.

Because now that the Kendall Parkway is approved, Gimenez and his pocket commissioners, principally Chairman Esteban Bovo, will fall on this “laurel” and do absolutely nothing else for transit. They don’t have to. They did this.

And while most of the commissioners who voted in favor of this were just re-elected — too bad this highway vote didn’t come before the August election — people should remember that.

They did this.

4 Responses to "No-brainer Miami-Dade commission approves Kendall Parkway despite so much"

  1. …if our MD gov’t , in these hard financial times, can lay its hands one one $ billion to lay an asphalt belt around our campgrounds, they can’t refuse South Dade’s students and workers the future accessibility offered by the completion of the metro-rail line.

  2. The Eighteen Board Members of the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations passed this resolution (stated below) regarding the “West” Kendall Parkway. While all of the board members are strong supporters of the environment, (and some would say “no” to any expansion of anything so close to the Everglades because of their own personal beliefs), we all felt we had a DUTY to honor what our community has told us a thousand times over. For the people that live in this mess, we only heard one common refrain…”move it west away from the current homes, and build it now”. We agreed with that, but with one major stipulation as you will see below.

    KFHA Resolution

    “The Kendall Parkway”

    • The traffic congestion and delays on the Kendall roadways are causing severe delays to residents traveling in the area and serious safety problems as vehicles travel through residential areas to avoid the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the major roadways.

    • The proposed Kendall Parkway could provide an alternate route for Kendall residents in the Western areas of Kendall, close to the proposed roadway, if the proposed road does not justify more development in the Western area of Kendall.

    • In addition, the KFHA supports the residents in West Kendall who request that the roadway be built as far West as possible from the existing development on SW 167 Avenue and as close to or at Krome Avenue (SW 177 Avenue).

    Therefore, the KFHA supports the proposed Kendall Parkway, recognizing that its location is outside the Urban Development Boundary Line (“UDB”), if, and only if, a Covenant is created so that the current UDB will not be extended for at least fifteen (15) years and that any changes or to this Covenant requires a Super PLUS Majority of the entire membership of the Board of County Commissioners (eleven 11) Board Members.) It would take eleven Board Members to vote to move the UDB.

    Michael Rosenberg
    President Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations
    305 439 3571

  3. For less than half The cost they Cold have run it into Krome Ave . (US 27) That been Enlarged But that will not help The Lobbyist, The Contractor , or The Real estate Land Owners that Donated to the politicians . This is a pay to play Society ? Will it ever Be Investigated by the D.O.J. /?

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