SOMI Magazine Publisher’s Perspective
It’s been a long trek… In 2003, as then president of Bike Miami, Inc. I had the privilege of coordinating the advocacy efforts among county, municipal and business leaders for the initial $500,000 in federal funding for the Ludlam Trail through the offices of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. The Congresswoman was and is a great champion of cycling interests in our community. And again, our thanks. Read the February 2019 article: (https://somimag.com/rails-to-trails-publishers-perspective/)
Now two decades later, in the summer of 2026, a ground swell of Ludlam Trail stakeholders prevailed in pressuring the county to get it done.
Miami Herald coverage
July 8, 2026, Andres Viglucci: A Miami-Dade running and biking trail was promised decades ago. What’s the holdup?
July 16, 2026, editorial: Ludlam Trail cost Miami-Dade $42M with nothing built
July 28, 2026, Andres Viglucci: After a pressure campaign, there’s finally action on long-promised Ludlam Trail
“Get Ludlam Trail Done!” is the name of the stakeholder cohort spearheaded by City of Miami Commissioner Ralph Rosado who engaged others to advance the extensive “Miami Loop,” connecting multiple trails in Miami-Dade County. One of those trails is Ludlam Trail which borders the commissioner’s Miami district.
Advocate of the Ludlam Trail for two decades, former South Miami mayor and state representative Julio Robaina, Jr. convened several online chats with members. A plan of action was initiated, and county commissioners, department directors and the mayor’s office were engaged. Media contacts were established and on July 8, 2026, Miami Herald writer Andres Viglucci wrote an article: WHY THE LUDLAM TRAIL IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY REMAINS UNFINISHED..
The Miami Herald published an editorial on July 16, 2026: LUDLAM TRAIL COST MIAMI-DADE $42M WITH NOTHING BUILT.
TV Media picked up the call and community pressure came to bear, and Miami Dade County responded with a call to action.
On July 21, 2026, Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis in whose district a main portion of the trail lies was the principal sponsor the proposed design contract of $9.5m. It was unanimously approved. The mayor subsequently posted a video on the county’s social media platforms noting that “we’re going to deliver it.”
Commissioner Natalie Orbis called for a stakeholder meeting to address the concerns and have the parks department present the plan for moving forward. The August 17th meeting was held at A.D. Barnes Park the trail head on the trail.
An “ALL-HANDS-ON-DECK” high-level county meeting was held on Monday, August 17, 2026 at A.D. (Doug) Barnes Park to lay out the plans to finish The Ludlam Trail at long last.
The Ludlam Trail is a proposed 5.6-mile shared-use linear park rail trail that will follow the former Florida East Coast Railway Little River Branch between NW 7th Street and SW 80th Street. It is in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, Florida. The Ludlam Trail will provide a critical linkage within Miami-Dade County’s network of greenways and trails.
The purpose of the Ludlam Trail is to provide a new shared-use trail in Miami-Dade County that will include safe, dedicated, direct pathways for walking, running, and cycling; to encourage active lifestyles and the use of green non-motorized modes of transportation; and to enhance overall connectivity and accessibility between schools, parks, transit stops, residences, workplaces and shopping.
The proposed project supports the vision to provide an interconnected trail system offering alternative transportation and reducing traffic congestion for a livable, sustainable County. Ludlam Trail will be a vital component of a seamless network of future greenway trails connecting to the Metrorail Dadeland North Station to the south and to other planned trails, including The Underline/East Coast Greenway, South Dade Trail, Snapper Creek Trail, East/West Trail and Merrick Trail. It will enhance mobility and strengthen connections to neighboring communities, providing increased opportunities for economic development.
The Ludlam Trail corridor was originally owned by the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC), which operated passenger and freight trains along the line. The FEC abandoned the segment between NW 7th Street and SW 80th Street in 2002, leaving behind a vacant and overgrown right-of-way. In 2003, a group of local residents and advocates formed Friends of Ludlam Trail (FOLT), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and transforming the corridor into a linear park and trail. FOLT partnered with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a national organization that promotes the conversion of unused rail corridors into trails, to conduct feasibility studies and community outreach for the project.]
In 2014, FOLT and RTC reached an agreement with the FEC to purchase the corridor for $25 million, with the condition that they secure funding from Miami-Dade County and other sources within two years. In 2016, Miami-Dade County approved a $23 million bond issuance to acquire the corridor, with the remaining $2 million coming from private donations and grants. The County completed the purchase of the corridor in 2018 and began the process of planning and designing the trail.
In 2019, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department initiated a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the Ludlam Trail project. The study was completed in 2023. The project will incorporate six bridges, four of which are over major arterial roads and two are over canals; as well as 11 at-grade crossings over roadways. The Trail will be continuous through three private development nodes on the north and south sides of SW 40th Street, SW 24th Street, and from SW 12th to SW 8th Street. Construction will be phased based on funding availability.
THE STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING | AUGUST 17, 2026
County mayor Daniela Levine Cava convened the sStakeholder meeting with Commissioners Natalie M. Orbis (District 6) and Raquel A. Regalado (District 7), Around the table were the heads of relevant departments: Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces, Transportation & Public Works, DERM, and the project’s lead design consultant, Kimley-Horn. Other elected officials in attendance were Commissioner Ralph Rosado, City of Miami, and Commissioners Steve Calle and Daniel Rodriquez from the City of South Miami.
While the project delays were being addressed with an action plan, focus was clearly not on the past but rather moving aggressively forward. The Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces presentation to the stakeholders articulated The Vision, Where We Are Today, Funding Overview, Ludlam Trail Implementation Plan and presentation by the design consultant, Kimley-Horn.
Meeting photos: SOMI Magazine
This first meeting was for the purpose of updating the stakeholders about the future planning. A community meeting is being planned for the general public by the PROS department. For additional information, contact the department as below.
For a detailed description of the direction being undertaken, go to the county’s website: www.miamidade.gov/global/recreation/ludlam-trail/home.page
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