In solidarity with transit agencies throughout the nation, Miami-Dade Transit and Tri-Rail will hold a “Stand up 4 Transportation” Day on April 9, at the new Tri-Rail Miami Airport Station that is part of the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC).
The MIC is an intermodal facility designed to accommodate several transportation connections. Tri-Rail will join Miami-Dade Transit’s Metrorail and Metrobus service which already have access to the facility, along with the Rental Car Center and taxi service. Anticipated future service includes Amtrak, Greyhound and bicycle lockers.
The decision to combine the opening of the Tri-Rail station with “Stand Up 4 Transportation” Day was made to highlight the importance federal funding in creating a robust public transit system that citizens and visitors can rely upon.
“This is another significant milestone, which is symbolic of our vital role to connect South Florida to the world,” said Miami-Dade County District 5 Commissioner Bruno A. Barreiro, Chair of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority/Tri-Rail. “Our loyal passengers, plus the thousands of new riders that we anticipate to travel in and out of Miami International Airport, will greatly enjoy this state-of-the art facility that we expect will become an international transit hub of which we can all be proud.”
The aim of “Stand Up 4 Transportation” Day is to call upon Congress to renew funding for the federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which is set to expire on May 31, 2015.
“Federal funding is critical to the capital and operating expenses of our transportation systems. We strongly urge and support federal legislation that enacts a new multi-year authorization bill that can provide dedicated funding to the Highway Trust Fund,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
The nation’s public transit faces a $160 billion backlog just to bring public transit and road systems into a state of good repair, according to the American Public Transportation Association. In addition, more than $227 billion in economic productivity is at risk to the nation’s economy over the next six years without long-term federal investment in public transit. The lack of a long-term federal funding bill creates local funding uncertainty which jeopardizes transportation project planning and discourages private sector investment.
