The
Urban Development Boundary (UDB) is a buffer of land separating metropolitan
Miami from the Everglades and its rural and natural resource protection areas.
The boundary was created in 1975 to protect the wellbeing of Miami’s
communities, economy and environment from unnecessary sprawl in the county. The
main objective of the Hold the Line—Ride the Line Coalition is to ensure
that South Florida becomes sustainable and resilient by protecting and the
rural and natural resource areas to the west of the UDB, and by endorsing smart
growth projects within our urban core. We believe that moving the UDB at any
locationwill only encourage and
lead to development on sensitive areas that preserve vital resources such as
our drinking water, and the open spaces we need to protect our communities from
floods, climate change and sea level rise. Our immediate goals include stopping
the expansion of the SR-836 outside the UDB, and pushing for an efficient mass
transit system in Miami Dade County.
Currently,
there is a lot of pressure to expand the UDB to the west under the pretense of
providing economic benefits to residents of Miami Dade County. However, these
claims do not take into account the secondary costs that come with urban sprawl,
such as additional infrastructure, increased traffic congestion, overcrowded
schools, unacceptable hurricane evacuation times, reduced water supply and
flood protection. Moreover, the UDB does not need to be moved to meet
population growth projections. There is enough land within the UDB to
accommodate the demand for both residential and commercial development. The
Hold the Line campaign strongly believes that Miami Dade should enhance the
quality of life of current and longtime residents by developing “smart growth”
communities, mass transit, localized economies and affordable housing options inside
of the UDB before encouraging unnecessary sprawl to the west.
The
UDB line provides vital natural and rural resource protection. To the
northwest, it protects the Everglades and the largest wellfield in Miami-Dade,
which is the main source for drinking water in the entire county. In the
southwest, the line safeguards our agricultural resources and farmlands, the
only area in the county supplying us with local foods. The southeast and
southern lines protect the Everglades’ wetlands and the Biscayne Bay watershed,
which offer critical habitat for wildlife as well as recreational
opportunities. South Florida’s natural areas are an integral part of our
tourism economy and add to the quality of life of the residents in Miami Dade
County. Furthermore, open spaces help in flood control during storms, allow for
aquifer recharge, and act as carbon sinks.
If
we allow for development outside the UDB, we will continue to pay a high cost
of living while our city’s resources and public services are spread thin. Tax
dollars used to extend services would reduce available funds for beneficial
projects such as mass transit or affordable housing plans. It is more cost
effective to use our tax dollars within our urban core by increasing population
density on higher elevation areas and expanding mobility options, which would
result in a higher quality of life of South Florida’s residents. Furthermore, moving
the UDB will further diminish the invaluable resources available to us, such as
our drinking water, local agriculture, and vital open spaces, which protect us
from flooding and act as carbon sinks.
With
the imminent threats of climate change and sea level rise, it is essential that
we Hold the Line. By maintaining the current Urban Development Boundary, we
will enhance our city’s ability to survive in the face of stronger storms and
rising seas, encourage smart growth within our urban core, and continue to
benefit from the precious economic and natural resources protected by the line.
The Hold the Line—Ride the Line Coalition invites you to join the campaign
for a sustainable and resilient South Florida, with a higher quality of life
for all. For more information contact us at
Expanding SR 836 is NOT a good use of our money, and won’t solve traffic issues!
The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) is holding a public meeting on September 4th, 2014 to discuss the extension of the SR 836/ Dolphin Expressway from its terminus at SW 137th Ave to SW 136th Street. All the proposed alternatives extend outside the Urban Development Boundary (UDB). We need to move away from a car-centric society and start investing in a multi-modal public transportation system. Please read our talking points and attend the public meeting tomorrow:
All proposed alternatives are outside the UDB. In the April 2011 Evaluation Appraisal Report recommendations to the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) no need was found to move the UDB until 2017 for single family homes, and 2027 for multi-family homes. Extending 836 outside the UDB will encourage development outside the UDB and perpetuate sprawl into dwindling agricultural lands and Everglades National Park, crucial for aquifer recharge and the future of our water supply
We cannot build our way out of congestion: James Wolfe, Florida Department of Transportation district secretary for Broward, Palm Beach and the three Treasure Coast counties, said that existing highways have reached their full capacity and that “The answer is obviously transit.’’
Adding lanes or expanding them will not solve our traffic issues but support the poor planning models that have led to the dysfunctional and disconnected communities in all corners of Miami-Dade County.
MDX recently increased tolls, and they are still NOT funding transit. Collected money from tolls should not go towards supporting building and/or expanding more roads, it should go towards supporting a multi-modal public transportation system, thus providing a progressive solution to our traffic problems and protecting our critically important agricultural lands and environmentally sensitive areas.
Out of the alternatives proposed to extend SR 836, MDX claims one of them to be “multi-modal” (Alternative 3), however such alternative will not be conducive of supporting sustainable transit options for the west neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County per the current land-use and density of the area. A true multi-modal alternative needs to be proposed that will make real effort of connecting to transportation nodes where the density will support ridership and service those neighborhoods.
The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) is holding a public meeting on September 4th, 2014 to discuss the extension of the SR 836/ Dolphin Expressway from its terminus at SW 137th Ave to SW 136th Street. All the proposed alternatives extend outside the Urban Development Boundary (UDB). We need to move away from a car-centric society and start investing in a multi-modal public transportation system. Please read our talking points and attend the public meeting tomorrow:
All proposed alternatives are outside the UDB. In the April 2011 Evaluation Appraisal Report recommendations to the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) no need was found to move the UDB until 2017 for single family homes, and 2027 for multi-family homes. Extending 836 outside the UDB will encourage development outside the UDB and perpetuate sprawl into dwindling agricultural lands and Everglades National Park, crucial for aquifer recharge and the future of our water supply
We cannot build our way out of congestion: James Wolfe, Florida Department of Transportation district secretary for Broward, Palm Beach and the three Treasure Coast counties, said that existing highways have reached their full capacity and that “The answer is obviously transit.’’
Adding lanes or expanding them will not solve our traffic issues but support the poor planning models that have led to the dysfunctional and disconnected communities in all corners of Miami-Dade County.
MDX recently increased tolls, and they are still NOT funding transit. Collected money from tolls should not go towards supporting building and/or expanding more roads, it should go towards supporting a multi-modal public transportation system, thus providing a progressive solution to our traffic problems and protecting our critically important agricultural lands and environmentally sensitive areas.
Out of the alternatives proposed to extend SR 836, MDX claims one of them to be “multi-modal” (Alternative 3), however such alternative will not be conducive of supporting sustainable transit options for the west neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County per the current land-use and density of the area. A true multi-modal alternative needs to be proposed that will make real effort of connecting to transportation nodes where the density will support ridership and service those neighborhoods.
According to “The Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment: 2014 Update” by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), investing in transit creates jobs, reinvigorates the local economy, increase property values and promote higher quality of life for its residents:
For every $1 billion of investment into public transit, more than 50,000 jobs are created.
There is a $4 economic return to a community for every $1 that is invested in public transportation.
The time to invest in a comprehensive and interconnected state-of-the-art transit system is now— According to renowned planner Andres Duany, not solving our transit issues will be translated into losing business and investment opportunities to the Caribbean, South America, Panama City and Southern Texas over the next 50 years.
If you cannot attend the meeting, send your comments to 836SWextension@mdxway.com SR 836 Extension Proposed Alternatives:
