The Dolphin Station Park-and-Ride/Transit Terminal Facility, strategically located at the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike (HEFT) and NW 12th Street interchange, supports the Miami Dade Transit (MDT) SR 836 Express Bus Service and provides a terminus or stop for several other local bus routes serving the Dolphin Mall and the cities of Doral and Sweetwater.  This transit hub also provides the potential for a future commuter rail station serving future passenger rail service along the CSX line.

After undergoing a thorough third-party review process overseen by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, the project earned an Envision^® Bronze Award for sustainability.

The Dolphin Station Park-and-Ride/Transit Terminal Facility officially opened in March 2020. Its purpose is to offer customers a safe, comfortable, and convenient transportation option that connects major employment areas and reduces traffic congestion.

The SR 836 Express Bus Service, which is supported by this project, was developed by Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) in close coordination with the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and other stakeholders. It is part of the county’s rapid public transit expansion initiative along the East-West Corridor and is one of the important terminals to be served by the East-West Corridor Bus Rapid Transit routes. This project aligns with the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan, the Five-Year Implementation Plan of the People’s Transportation Plan (PTP), and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).

This project improves the overall quality of life for the local communities by providing better and faster public transit options to work, downtown retail, culture, and recreational amenities.

In 2017, Miami-Dade County passed a resolution to adopt the Envision sustainable infrastructure framework and rating system for Miami-Dade infrastructure projects. Miami-Dade County’s commitments to the use of Envision have resulted in two Envision-verified projects to date. This is the County’s second Envision project. The first was the Tamiami Station Park-And-Ride/Bus Terminal Facility.

KEY SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENTS / VERIFIED RESULTS

• Supports current and future economic growth and development. This project creates new capacity in the East-West corridor supporting commercial growth and future business opportunities. During construction, this project created more than 100 jobs, 32 of which were from small and local businesses.
• More than 700 vehicles can be taken off the roads by planning and designing this project to encourage the community to use public transportation. The project eases traffic congestion and improves mobility which in turn supports a more livable community. In addition, this project is expected to have positive impacts on air quality by transitioning more cars to electric and fostering more bus usage.
• Designed with safety and convenience as a top priority for those arriving by car, by bike, and on foot. The project incorporates dedicated pedestrian sidewalks, bicycle lanes, storage, well-lit bus stops with canopies, and a rest facility for drivers. Also, as the area grows, the project will serve as a central component for future multimodal transportation.
• Improves infrastructure integration. Dolphin Station is part of the larger 2040 Miami-Dade Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) to improve transit and highway infrastructure within the county. It integrates well with the broader community and serves as a key component of Miami’s East-West transportation corridor. The project site was located to serve as a terminus for the SR 836 Bus Line and has been planned to integrate with a potential passenger train station on the adjacent CSX rail line.
• Quantifiable social and environmental impacts through a triple bottom line-cost benefit analysis (TBL-CBA). This project is the first in Miami-Dade County to undertake a full TBL-CBA to establish a business case for future similar infrastructure projects across the County. The results of the TBL-CBA, conducted by Autocase, quantifies several social and environmental impacts for an overall triple bottom line net present value (TBL-NPV) of nearly $53 million. Some of the impacts quantified included reduced private vehicle use ($74.8 million); reduced noise pollution ($5.6 million); commuter time / reduced congestion ($1.5 million); reduced road maintenance ($1.1 million); and reduced carbon emissions ($149,000).

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said: “This award is a direct result of outstanding collaboration between DTPW and our Office of Resilience to ensure infrastructure projects are prioritizing sustainability and resiliency,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This achievement recognizes how Miami-Dade County continues to go above and beyond to deliver social, economic, and environmental impacts for our community. Congratulations to all County staff and agencies involved on this project and award.”

Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz said: “The Dolphin Station is a major Miami-Dade Transit hub that is helping to improve mobility as more and more residents continue to return to their daily commute. Our community’s access to convenient and reliable public transportation has always been a top priority for me. The construction of the Dolphin Station is an outstanding example of the county staff’s determination and ingenuity to accomplish great results when it comes to public projects. I am proud of our County for this achievement.”

Miami-Dade County District Five Commissioner and Chair of the Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee (TMPC) Eileen Higgins said: “I am delighted but not surprised the Dolphin Station has received the Envision Bronze Award. Since adopting the Envision sustainable infrastructure framework and rating system in 2017, Miami-Dade County has been working diligently to achieve the high standards from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure and I am thrilled that, thus far, both recognitions from the Institute have gone to a transportation improvement project for our community.”

Miami-Dade County Chief Resilience Officer Jim Murley said: “The Dolphin Station Park-and-Ride/Transit Terminal Facility is an outstanding example of Miami-Dade County’s innovative approaches to resilience that not only encourage people to get out of their cars and enjoy public transit but also reduce our region’s carbon footprint. Forward-thinking planning, such as our Sustainable Buildings Program, ensures that Miami-Dade maximizes the value of its capital assets while also supporting healthy lifestyles for our residents and the millions of tourists who visit each year. This type of sustainable design and construction is critically important in our work to reduce greenhouse gases, improve air quality and build more resilient infrastructure.”

ISI’s Managing Director, Melissa Peneycad, said: “The Dolphin Station Park-and-Ride/Transit Terminal Facility proves that teams who embed Envision® into the process can create innovative, resilient, and sustainable civil infrastructure projects that add tremendous value to the communities they serve. The third-party Envision review process is challenging and encourages teams to think differently and collaborate to deliver better infrastructure. The award is a great achievement, and all parties involved deserve credit for a job well done.”

PROJECT DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

 Read or download the Project Profile Announcement & Press Release