{"id":11651,"date":"2016-04-05T18:41:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-06T01:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/?p=11651"},"modified":"2016-04-07T06:14:26","modified_gmt":"2016-04-07T13:14:26","slug":"addressing-transportation-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/addressing-transportation-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"ADDRESSING TRANSPORTATION CONCERNS"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/a>ChamberSOUTH event Moderator Charles Scurr, Director of the Citizen\u2019s Independent Transportation Trust with Alice N. Bravo, Director of the County Dept. of Transportation & Public Works and Aileen Boucl\u00e9, Director of the MP0 (Metropolitan Planning Organization)\n

The 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the national authority on transportation issues, ranks the south Florida region in\u00a012th place of 15 urban areas with the worst traffic congestion in the nation.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Efficient and effective mass transit, long and delayed commuter trips, single vehicle occupancy rates, suburban sprawl are all concerns.\u00a0 <\/span>Convened by community organizations, elected officials, bureaucrats and business leaders have been focusing on transportation issues affecting our way of life in Miami-Dade County.<\/span><\/p>\n

In September, <\/span>The Beacon Council<\/b><\/span>, the county\u2019s economic development agency hosted its monthly \u201cAccess Breakfast\u201d to address these concerns.\u00a0 <\/span>County Commissioner and Chair of the Transportation Committee Estefan Bovo, matter-of-factly told attendees: \u201cIf you expect policy makers to unite on an overall plan, you\u2019ll grow old in your car.\u00a0 <\/span>Business leaders need to drive this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In mid-March the <\/span>Latin Builders Association<\/b><\/span> presented its \u201cSignature Breakfast Building Transportation\u201d event, hosted at the law offices of Bilzin Sumberg in downtown Brickell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTaking the lead and working with the public and private sectors to develop solutions to our traffic challenges in order to create a more vibrant, livable, sustainable Miami-Dade County is a top legislative priority of the LBA as it affects economic development, affordability and quality of life in our community,\u201d said Alex Lastra, LBA President.<\/span><\/p>\n

And at its March General Membership Breakfast at the Dadeland Marriott <\/span>ChamberSOUTH<\/b><\/span>\u2019s Governmental Affairs and Transportation Committees held a Transportation Summit, with 37 elected and appointed officials in attendance, addressing short-term and long range solutions.\u00a0 <\/span>Elected officials provided opening remarks, with County Commissioner Xavier Suarez telling the audience: \u201cDon\u2019t think like a government official, it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d A discussion panel and Q&A followed with senior county officials.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly business leadership needs to push for prioritized solutions throughout the county and work with the key government officials whose mission is to implement transportation, transit and mobility solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t