Increasing Mobility in Southeast Florida:A New Approach Based on Pricing and Bus Rapid Transit

Congestion in Southeast Florida continues to increase every year. The residents of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties spend 141 million hours per year delayed in traffic, at an estimated annual cost (in wasted time and fuel) of $3.3 billion. In Miami-Dade County, variably priced express lanes or "managed lanes" have been added to I-95 and reduced congestion. The authors' plan to increase mobility in Southeast Florida includes: a region-wide network of expressway managed lanes (MLs) like those on I-95, encompassing 302 route-miles and 1,117 lane-miles; upgrades for 14 key arterials (107 route-miles) with underpasses at major signalized intersections, “managed arterials” (MAs); premium bus rapid transit (BRT) as in the current long-range plan, but operating mostly on the “virtually exclusive busways” made possible by the network of MLs and MAs, rather than on bus-only lanes; and a series of system operational improvements, including extensive expressway ramp metering and further expansion of traffic signal coordination. The authors' recommendations for implementation include: add managed lanes and managed arterials to the next (2040) long-range transportation plan; revamp bus rapid transit plans to make full use of the MA and ML network rather than seeking to develop bus-only lanes; ensure that the region's transportation agencies work with Florida DOT on developing the managed lanes network; consider using a regional organization to contract for the management and operation of premium BRT services, both within each county and inter-county; and consider long-term public-private partnerships to finance, develop and maintain major elements of the managed lanes network.