Rep. Wasserman Schultz Secures Needed Housing and Transportation Dollars For Florida

Yesterday, Rep. Wasserman Schultz secured funding for important transportation and housing projects in her district. These funds have been passed out of the Appropriations committee as part of the Fiscal Year 2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill.

“It is a vital that we ensure the development of an efficient mass transit system and less congested, safer roads, as well as quality housing for South Florida,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “Each of these projects adds to a better quality of life for South Floridians by improving the productivity and safety of our infrastructure.”

Florida currently ranks third worst in the US based upon the rate of return for federal highway funding, with only 92¢ on every dollar sent to Washington, DC returning back to our state of Florida.¹

The Appropriations bill must pass the full House and Senate, and be signed by the President, before the funds can be released.

Organization: Rebuilding Together Broward County

Location: 4824 NE 12th Ave., Oakland Park, FL, 33334

Project: Safe and Healthy Homes

Purpose: For safety and health related modifications and improvement to homes for low-income homeowners in Broward County that are elderly, disabled, veterans and families with children under the age of 18.

Justification: Rebuilding Together Broward caters to low income homeowners with a full life approach of home repair, safety modifications and energy efficiency. They focus on low-income individuals who own their homes, especially the elderly (65+), disabled individuals, veterans, and families with children under 18 years old.

These funds will help to restore safe and sanitary living conditions for these homeowners, and will also help support the economy by hiring additional staff for Rebuilding Together Broward to address the increase in need. Most importantly, these funds will help employ struggling contractors, plumbers, electricians, carpenters as well as other skilled laborers. 100% of funds raised in Broward stays in the community by hiring local vendors, shopping at local stores and servicing homeowners residing in Broward County. Their community centric approach strengthens both the community and local economy.

Amount Secured: $250,000
 

Organization: Downtown Development Authority (DDA) of Fort Lauderdale

Location: 305 South Andrews Avenue, Suite 301, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Project: The Downtown Transit Corridor Program, Downtown Circulator — The Wave

Purpose: Engineering, Design and Construction of Streetcar System

Justification:  The project is a 2.7 mile light rail streetcar system that will serve as a local circulator in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Once people get to Downtown, they will be able to move around without having to use their cars.  The streetcar will have 10 stations reflective of the character of the specific area, which will be solar powered and will feature real time information (technology that communicates when the next vehicle will be arriving at the station) and informational kiosks displaying destinations/attractions in the downtown, as well as upcoming community events.

There will be streetscape improvements around the stations, to include pedestrian crosswalks, shade trees, lighting, and improved sidewalks.  The project will spur economic development in downtown Fort Lauderdale, including residential, retail and commercial.
The Wave project is a sound public investment.  Moreover, the Federal Transit Administration must approve any expenditure of funds for the project before the funding is made available.

The project will –

    * encourage private investment to bring new housing, shops, restaurants, and retail opportunities
    * connect Downtown’s many points of interest and link to the regional transit network
    * increase foot traffic due to improved pedestrian amenities
    * direct growth to the urban core and away from our surrounding neighborhoods and
    * serve as a catalyst to advance the planned, regional rail systems.

This project is funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under its “small starts” program.  The small starts program imposes a heightened level of scrutiny on projects.  FTA must approve projects through various stages of development based on a variety of factors, including ridership, economic development benefits, local funding commitment, and the ability of the local transit provider to operate the system once constructed.  FTA undertakes a cost benefit analysis for all small starts projects.

Amount Secured: $1,750,000

Organization: Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida

Location: US 41 Mile Marker 70, Miami, FL, 33194

Project: Miccosukee Road Resurfacing Project

Purpose: For the resurfacing of 5.18 miles of road on the Miccosukee Reserved Area.

Justification: The Miccosukee Reserved Area is located on the north boundary of Everglades National Park. Congress passed the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act in 1997. This increased the size of the Tribe’s area and changed its status to that of an Indian Reservation. The Miccosukee Reserved Area (“MRA”) is narrow and linear. It is located on two roadways in western Miami-Dade County. These roads are Old Tamiami Trail (3.11 miles in length) and Loop Road (2.07 miles in length).

To meet the needs of their community, the Miccosukee Tribe is in the process of replacing/upgrading its main water line for the Tribal Community by looping the water lines. This will increase water pressure, fire flow, and it will address the problems caused by dead end water lines. There is an asbestos cement water line on Old Tamiami Trail, which needs to be replaced due to water quality concerns.

In order to do this and not disrupt the service, the Tribe has to install the new line under the north lane of Loop Road on the MRA. This lane will need to be repaired/resurfaced. By resurfacing both lanes, the Tribe will be able to drive safely on both lanes.  These funds will allow the Tribe to resurface and thus avoid a patchwork approach that leads to potholes and road deterioration. It will also extend the life of these roads by an estimated 5-10 years with routine maintenance.

Amount Secured: $1,100,000

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