Battle lines are forming in Miami-Dade County over a desire to build more commuter rail lines.
On Monday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez told a county transit board that rail expansion may be desirable, but it's not affordable. Gimenez suggested that, instead millions of dollars going into rail expansion, funds should be invested in developing a modernized bus system that runs north and south.
“I look at this as part of my job: Be realistic, bring us down to earth,” Gimenez told board members. “I know there’s going to be push back. I know there’s going to be a lot of people who have different ideas about what we should do. But we’ve been looking at this for some time. And these numbers are real.”
His $534 million rapid-bus route system would indefinitely derail the Metrorail expansion promised to voters in 2002.
Other elected leaders say they will continue to fight for rail expansion.