REIMBURSEMENT TO DTPW FOR THE PURCHASE OF 15 BUSES

Transportation Cmte · 2026-06-09 · resolution

Resolution authorizing $3,896,702 in Charter County Transportation Surtax Bond Program funds to reimburse the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) operating fund for a payment to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for depreciated value and unauthorized mileage associated with 15 buses originally purchased for the discontinued I-95 Express Bus Service routes. The buses were purchased under Contract No. L1168501B1, funded through FDOT Grant G0350, and approved by Resolution No. R-936-16. The total purchase cost was $8,139,630. The routes were permanently discontinued in March 2020 due to a decline in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic and bus operator shortages. FDOT requested reimbursement on September 9, 2024, and payment was remitted to FDOT on January 12, 2026. The item was withdrawn at the Transportation Committee meeting on June 9, 2026, with a substitute version in Legislative File No. 261064. The scope is countywide, but the discontinued routes primarily served District 3 and District 5. The item was introduced on April 30, 2026, and the agenda item number is 8N. The status is Withdrawn. The funding source is the People's Transportation Plan Bond Program, and the program is 6730101 Bus - Enhancements, FY25-26 Adopted Budget & Multi-Year Capital Plan, Volume 2, Page 139. The item requires CITT review. The total FDOT reimbursement request for 28 buses is $9,658,133.83, which includes $568,787.63 for 2 buses under RFP-00096 and $5,192,644.20 for 11 buses under FB-01356, but this item only addresses the $3,896,702 portion for the 15 buses. The buses were placed into service in January 2017 and operated on Routes 195/295 and 196/296, connecting Broward Boulevard and Sheridan Street to Downtown Miami and the Civic Center. FDOT's reimbursement request was comprised of depreciated value of $8,229,167.05 and unauthorized mileage value of $1,428,966.78. DTPW completed its independent review in July 2025 and concurred with FDOT's methodology. Melvin Cartagena, Assistant Director and Chief Financial Officer of DTPW, will monitor the reimbursement. No public comment or stakeholder sentiment is stated in the document.