Park & Ride facility planned for West Miami-Dade

(MIAMI-DADE) – Almost a year after sponsoring legislation for a bus rapid transit system for the State Road 836 East-West corridor and making it a top priority at the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz is happy to announce that a new park and ride facility will be available to west Miami-Dade residents in 2017. 

The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) at its May 19 board meeting approved a planning and environmental study for the park and ride using a $300,000 FDOT grant. The proposed new transit hub, which will be known as Dolphin Station, is planned on land owned by MDX and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) at the interchange of the Dolphin Expressway and Florida’s Turnpike. It will serve the Dolphin Mall and the adjacent cities of Sweetwater and Doral.

The planning study is the first phase of a joint participation agreement between MDX and FDOT, which also is expected to provide funding for design and construction of the $6 million facility, which is slated to open in 2017 – an accelerated construction schedule made possible by allowing MDX to take the lead on the project. Once the project is completed, Miami-Dade Transit will operate and maintain the facility.

“Gridlock is a major concern for west Miami-Dade, and this park and ride will help address the problem by making public transportation a more convenient alternative for many commuters. Residents will be able to park their cars at the facility and take an express bus to Government Center in downtown Miami,” said Commissioner Diaz, who represents the area where the park and ride will be built.