Broward and Miami-Dade County officials are considering a monorail that would link to Hard Rock Stadium, which could provide a new transportation option to Miami Dolphins games and other events.
Under the concept being considered by officials, a monorail system would link to Hard Rock Stadium and serve portions of both counties. A mixture of funding sources could be used to complete the project, including federal funds and a penny sales tax collection approved by Broward County voters in November to spend on transportation projects.
The plan is not at all final at this point, and any monorail proposal would have to go through a lengthy approval process before construction could begin. Still, the idea appears to be very much in play, with officials in both counties doing their due diligence. More from the Sun-Sentinel:
The idea would be to run a long-sought-after link along Northwest 27th Avenue in Miami-Dade to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, with the initial Broward leg to run from the stadium along University Drive to the cluster of college campuses south of I-595 occupied by Nova Southeastern University, Florida Atlantic University, Broward College and the University of Florida.
The total length: 20 miles. The projected cost: $50 million per mile if critical elements such as cars, stations and rail sections are built abroad; $150 million if they are built in the U.S., officials said, citing company estimates.
Presuming the first leg is built, the system could eventually run to Broward Boulevard and east to downtown Fort Lauderdale, and west toward Sawgrass Mills.
Last spring, Genting, the Malaysian gambling conglomerate, and BYD — a Chinese transit developer whose full name is Beyond Your Dreams — got the ball rolling with an unsolicited proposal to Miami-Dade County that would see them build a monorail between Miami and Miami Beach along the MacArthur Causeway.
Hard Rock Stadium is home to both the Dolphins and University of Miami football. Fueled by recent renovations, Hard Rock Stadium has also become an increasingly sought-after destination for non-football events, including soccer matches, concerts, the annual Miami Open, and more.
Image courtesy Miami Dolphins.