Miami-Dade may spend $76 million to build a train station near the Aventura Mall to serve the for-profit Virgin Trains USA rail service, using money for Metrorail and buses to create a new transit hub in one of the most congested areas along the coast.
Miami-Dade would use the county鈥檚 half-percent transportation tax to purchase land for the station, and then Virgin would build the station using public dollars, according to a draft memo by Mayor Carlos Gimenez. The Gimenez administration last week was pushing for the agreement to receive its first and final vote before the County Commission on Thursday, but a source familiar with the planning said Monday night that a special meeting next week is more likely.
Virgin, which used to be called Brightline, agreed to give Aventura-bound passengers a 35 percent discount off its normal fare for trips between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A trip from Miami to Fort Lauderdale costs $15 today, so a ticket to Aventura would cost no more than $9.75 one-way under the formula in the agreement. Virgin would pay to operate the station and service, using its existing trains and staff.
Read more at our news partner the .
