This is gonna be a quick, frustrated post. This city is the absolute worst when it comes to road construction. The Miami Brain Trust feels that the appropriate time for road construction is during peak hours of commute. Im so sick and tired of taking 195 West only to find 95 South closed, forcing me to have to drive North to then turn around and go South. HURRY UP AND FINISH THE GODDAMN INTERCHANGE ALREADY!!! ITS BEEN WAAAAAAY TOO LONG!!! And since things take forever in Miami because the unions and developers, etc like to milk the clock for as much as they can, maybe it would be wise to START CONSTRUCTION AFTER MIDNIGHT LIKE THEY DO IN OTHER CITIES?!?!?!?!?! WORK OVERNIGHT, NOT DURING PEAK TIMES (which in Miami happen to run until midnight because we have no transit system)!!!!!!!!!!!
Its a good thing I dont own a gun...
Showing posts with label mass transit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mass transit. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
More thoughts on the Marlins Stadium in response to Mayor Alvarez
Mayor Alvarez penned a Letter to the Editor in today's Herald in support of the new Marlins Stadium. You can read it here. Nice smoke bomb by Alvarez. Drops the threat of the Marlins leaving the state, name drops 2 "experts" that the average citizen has never heard of that supposedly "know the community", and then uses the buzzphrase "create jobs" to draw the listeners' minds further from seeing why this stadium is a bad idea.
I have to ask this... What is the big difference between this location and Dolphins Stadium? Ok, its closer to the heart of Miami but at the same time now the Marlins probably lose out on south Broward fans who attended games in the past. Are there more businesses to visit in the area? Not really anything viable for the baseball crowd but you can buy churros and 5lb bags of shrimp from the guys who walk thru traffic at red lights. Is it easier to access? No. You still have to get in a car and drive, maybe not as far for Miami residents, but the traffic in the area will ensure a lengthy amount of time in the car.
So what really is the benefit? So we can say we have a baseball team? Look at attendance for the past 5 years. The team won the World Series and still barely anyone cared. Last year, I dont think they filled more than 25% of the stadium though Ive no facts to support this. Just judging by what I saw on the ESPN highlights where the analysts openly mocked the lack of attendance. Did the team actually make money for the community? I doubt it. Did more than 1% of the population enjoy attending games last year? Clearly not. So would it really be bad if they left? Sure, its nice to be able to catch a baseball game on a nice day but its clear that people in Miami have other things they would rather do.
Now, about these "experts"... How do we trust their "expertise" when they are in favor of installing a baseball stadium that will benefit less than 5% of the population and totally ignoring a mass transit problem that affects 100% of the population? Last time I checked, $500M+ was a lot of money. Why cant this be spent on a rail system that better connects the urban sprawl of Miami, something this city desperately needs?
Ok, so building the stadium will create jobs. Thats a fact. But dont give me this, "construction jobs are down 15% from last year" nonsense because construction in Miami has been overinflated! Wow, we built a ton of buildings and now no one lives in them! An oversupply of construction has led to an oversupply of residences and office space. Not exactly a benefit to the community. So while this stadium project may be a steroid shot in the arm, the after effects will be similar to steroids, leaving our city with sagging muscles and a limp dick.
I have to ask this... What is the big difference between this location and Dolphins Stadium? Ok, its closer to the heart of Miami but at the same time now the Marlins probably lose out on south Broward fans who attended games in the past. Are there more businesses to visit in the area? Not really anything viable for the baseball crowd but you can buy churros and 5lb bags of shrimp from the guys who walk thru traffic at red lights. Is it easier to access? No. You still have to get in a car and drive, maybe not as far for Miami residents, but the traffic in the area will ensure a lengthy amount of time in the car.
So what really is the benefit? So we can say we have a baseball team? Look at attendance for the past 5 years. The team won the World Series and still barely anyone cared. Last year, I dont think they filled more than 25% of the stadium though Ive no facts to support this. Just judging by what I saw on the ESPN highlights where the analysts openly mocked the lack of attendance. Did the team actually make money for the community? I doubt it. Did more than 1% of the population enjoy attending games last year? Clearly not. So would it really be bad if they left? Sure, its nice to be able to catch a baseball game on a nice day but its clear that people in Miami have other things they would rather do.
Now, about these "experts"... How do we trust their "expertise" when they are in favor of installing a baseball stadium that will benefit less than 5% of the population and totally ignoring a mass transit problem that affects 100% of the population? Last time I checked, $500M+ was a lot of money. Why cant this be spent on a rail system that better connects the urban sprawl of Miami, something this city desperately needs?
Ok, so building the stadium will create jobs. Thats a fact. But dont give me this, "construction jobs are down 15% from last year" nonsense because construction in Miami has been overinflated! Wow, we built a ton of buildings and now no one lives in them! An oversupply of construction has led to an oversupply of residences and office space. Not exactly a benefit to the community. So while this stadium project may be a steroid shot in the arm, the after effects will be similar to steroids, leaving our city with sagging muscles and a limp dick.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Fired up: My feelings on the new Marlins Stadium
Tony over at Transit Miami posted about the new Marlins Stadium last night and I liked his post. Matter of fact, I really like this blog, period. I think mass transit is the one itch the City of Miami has that never gets scratched. But thats a whole other story... Since I tried to leave a comment but it wouldnt take, I figured Id make it a blog post.
Ive been against the idea of this stadium at this location since the dumbass who came up with the idea shared it with the world. Its a huge whiff, strike 3, youre out. Tony brings up the one point that our city commissioners really need to realize is paramount to anything else and that is how the community benefits. In this case, the community has the benefit of increased traffic, pollution, garbage, and deteriorating roads that already cant be maintained and will likely worsen. Not exactly beneficial. There is no public transportation to get people to/from the game. There are no local restaurants or bars or museums for people to visit before and/or after the game. So really, what is the goddamn difference between this site and Dolphins Stadium? That there are homes nearby? People will still have to drive to the game, sit in traffic, and then have nowhere to go when they get there but spend $8 on a goddamn hot dog inside the stadium walls. Businessmen and women in the Brickell/Downtown/Gables area will likely just stay put for happy hour, spending their money in a nice, clean area with established businesses that have their followings already, then head over to the game and head back to Brickell/Downtown/Gables after or go home. The ballpark area just gets raped. And guess what? When people realize what a shithole area the ballpark is in they will lose interest in attending a game, especially when the prices to do so are absurd and there are plenty of other things to do outside (Hence the reason the Marlins have such a shitty fan base already).
Its sad that the City of Miami will continue to be run by these halfwits that do nothing for the community as a whole. Whoever lines the right pockets gets their way. The working public continues to get f**ked. This city is in desperate need of a mass transit system but that will continue to take a backseat to crap like baseball teams with a fan base of 5,000 and a PAC that no one goes to. Over 1 Billion dollars wasted on these 2 things that provide service to less than 5% of the City population. Pathetic.
Ive been against the idea of this stadium at this location since the dumbass who came up with the idea shared it with the world. Its a huge whiff, strike 3, youre out. Tony brings up the one point that our city commissioners really need to realize is paramount to anything else and that is how the community benefits. In this case, the community has the benefit of increased traffic, pollution, garbage, and deteriorating roads that already cant be maintained and will likely worsen. Not exactly beneficial. There is no public transportation to get people to/from the game. There are no local restaurants or bars or museums for people to visit before and/or after the game. So really, what is the goddamn difference between this site and Dolphins Stadium? That there are homes nearby? People will still have to drive to the game, sit in traffic, and then have nowhere to go when they get there but spend $8 on a goddamn hot dog inside the stadium walls. Businessmen and women in the Brickell/Downtown/Gables area will likely just stay put for happy hour, spending their money in a nice, clean area with established businesses that have their followings already, then head over to the game and head back to Brickell/Downtown/Gables after or go home. The ballpark area just gets raped. And guess what? When people realize what a shithole area the ballpark is in they will lose interest in attending a game, especially when the prices to do so are absurd and there are plenty of other things to do outside (Hence the reason the Marlins have such a shitty fan base already).
Its sad that the City of Miami will continue to be run by these halfwits that do nothing for the community as a whole. Whoever lines the right pockets gets their way. The working public continues to get f**ked. This city is in desperate need of a mass transit system but that will continue to take a backseat to crap like baseball teams with a fan base of 5,000 and a PAC that no one goes to. Over 1 Billion dollars wasted on these 2 things that provide service to less than 5% of the City population. Pathetic.
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