Homestead committee advances 20‑year transportation master plan, prioritizes 162nd Ave bridge and multimodal projects

The Homestead Committee of the Whole reviewed a Transportation Master Plan on April 7 and agreed to place the plan on the council agenda for further consideration.

Staff and consultants described a 20‑year planning horizon and modeling for 2025, 2030 and 2045 that identifies future volume‑to‑capacity concerns on key corridors. The plan recommends multimodal investments to increase walking, bicycling and transit options, plus roadway capacity and intersection improvements in targeted corridors.

Priority projects cited in the presentation included lane additions and intersection upgrades on collector and arterial streets—examples named were East 6th Avenue (Lucy to U.S. 1), Mauy Drive (U.S. 1 to 162nd), a 147th Avenue crossing and a bridge and widening project on 162nd Avenue. Staff emphasized coordination with Miami‑Dade County and FDOT to avoid duplicating work and to prioritize projects in county and state work programs.

Council heard that the city is breaking large projects into grant‑sized portions to improve the likelihood of receiving full funding rather than partial awards that leave large unfunded gaps. Staff said the bridge replacement for 162nd Avenue already has design funding and that other segments are being pursued through federal earmarks, grants and developer fair‑share agreements.

Council members discussed the relative merits of bridges versus large culverts. Staff cautioned that permitting and ownership of canals (county or water‑management district) can require bridges and vertical clearances that make culverts infeasible in many locations.

The committee moved the Transportation Master Plan to the council agenda; staff will return with detailed phasing, grant applications and any required design contracts for council consideration.