FYI Miami: December 19, 2024

BIG EVENT CONGESTION: Transportation planners are looking at how to expand on-demand services of all sorts to fill in first and last mile transportation networks to deal with major special events. The Transportation Planning Organization last week called on Executive Director Aileen Bouclé to create a plan and budget to study how to expand those networks and imagine ways to use first and last mile services to bring riders to and from public transit. The legislation by county Commissioner Raquel Regalado won 13-0 approval from the planning group’s board. The legislation said that “during major special events, traffic congestion in Miami-Dade County may rapidly escalate due to a substantial influx of vehicles in the surrounding community roadway network” and “on-demand services could be a tool to alleviate such congestion by collaborating with the” organization’s “transportation partners to offer expanded first mile/last mile connectivity options.”

A LEASE BARGAIN: Miami-Dade County will forgo about $13 million in rent over the next 50 years by leasing to the Florida Department of Children and Families a South Dade property for administrative offices for $1 a year in a deal that a county committee approved without discussion last week. A county Internal Services Department survey found that three comparable rentals in the area were at rates of $19, $20 and $23 per square foot, respectively. At $20 per square foot, the three 4,353-square-foot buildings that the state agency is leasing would bring about $262,000 per year, or $13 million over the half century in proposed lease rights assuming rental rates remained flat. The state has leased the 12195 Quail Roost Drive site for 40 years in an agreement that expired in March 2023 but continues pending a new lease. The state is responsible for taxes, fees, utilities, improvements, maintenance and repairs on the site and has improved the land with the three buildings. Final action is up the county commission.

BILL TO BAR FLAGS: After the idea failed in the 2024 legislative session, Sen. Randy Fine filed a bill this week to restrict the types of flags that can be displayed at government buildings and schools. It would prevent displaying a flag that “represents a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.” The bill does not specify flags that would be barred, but Mr. Fine, who is running in a special election for a congressional seat, issued a news release that said the bill would “ban the use of fictional country flags like ‘Palestine,’ pro-violence ‘Black Lives Matter’ flags, woke and pro-grooming ideological flags, and the flags of any political candidates in government buildings.” The proposal this year drew heavy opposition from LGBTQ activists.

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