REIMBURSEMENT FOR DISCONTINUED I-95 EXPRESS ROUTES

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-09-01 · resolution

Resolution authorizing $3,896,702.00 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 routes were permanently discontinued in March 2020 due to a decline in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic and bus operator shortages. The buses were redeployed to other routes, which was inconsistent with FDOT grant requirements. FDOT requested reimbursement on September 9, 2024, and payment was remitted to FDOT on January 12, 2026. The item was deferred to the September 1, 2026 Board meeting. The Transportation Committee forwarded it to the Board with a favorable recommendation on June 9, 2026. The item is countywide in scope, but the discontinued routes primarily served District 3 and District 5. The total purchase cost for the 15 buses was $8,139,630, funded through FDOT Grant G0350 and approved by Resolution No. R-936-16. The buses were placed into service in January 2017 and operated on Routes 195/295 and 196/296, which connected Broward Boulevard and Sheridan Street to Downtown Miami and the Civic Center. The buses were acquired under Contract No. L1168501B1. The item is a substitute to file no. 260794. The Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) review is required. The total FDOT reimbursement request for 28 buses is $9,658,133.83; this item addresses the $3,896,702 portion related to the 15 buses funded under Grant G0350. The balance of $5,761,431.83 relates to other procurements. The funding source is the People's Transportation Plan Bond Program, budget line 6730101 Bus - Enhancements, FY25-26 Adopted Budget & Multi-Year Capital Plan, Volume 2, Page 139. Melvin Cartagena, Assistant Director and Chief Financial Officer of DTPW, will monitor the reimbursement. The staff recommendation is approval. The item was introduced on 6/8/2026. The agenda date is 9/1/2026, agenda item number 8N4. The Board of County Commissioners deferred the item on 7/21/2026, agenda item 8N5. The Office of the Chairperson requested a deferral on 7/16/2026. The Transportation Committee forwarded it with a favorable recommendation on 6/9/2026, agenda item 3D Substitute. The requester is Transportation and Public Works. The sponsor is listed as NONE. The registered lobbyist is listed as None Listed. The sunset provision is No. The effective date and expiration date are not stated. The cost is not stated. The final action is not stated. The status is Before the Board. The version is 0. The reference and control are not stated. The indexes are NONE. The sponsors are NONE. The legislative history includes reports from the Office of the Chairperson, Transportation Cmte, Office of Agenda Coordination, and County Attorney. The report from the County Attorney on 7/21/2026 states: DTPW - Bruce Libhaber - no sponsor - June 9th TC meeting - Attachments: none - item has 6 pages - Substitute to file no. 260794. The report from the Office of the Chairperson on 7/16/2026 states: Administration has requested a deferral to the September 1, 2026 Board of County Commissioners Meeting. The report from the Board of County Commissioners on 7/21/2026 states: The foregoing proposed resolution was deferred to the September 1, 2026, Board meeting with the setting of the agenda. The header is from Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor, to Honorable Chairman Anthony Rodriguez and Members, Board of County Commissioners. The staff recommendation states this substitute differs from the original in that edits have been made to the Title of the Resolution clarifying that the project was added to the FY 2026-30 Five-Year Implementation Plan of the People's Transportation Plan. The executive summary states FDOT issued its reimbursement request in September 2024, and DTPW has since engaged in detailed reviews and reconciliations to validate the amount owed. Payment was remitted to FDOT on January 12, 2026. Because Surtax funds are proposed for this reimbursement, the item will be presented to the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust for review and recommendation prior to Board consideration. The recommendation states it is recommended that the Board approve the use of $3,896,702 in Charter County Transportation Surtax funds to reimburse DTPW for payment issued to FDOT related to 15 buses acquired under Contract No. L1168501B1 for the I-95 Express Bus Service. The total purchase cost was $8,139,630, funded through FDOT Grant G0350 and approved by the Board pursuant to Resolution No. R-936-16. FDOT's total reimbursement request for 28 buses is $9,658,133.83. This item specifically addresses the $3,896,702 portion related to the 15 buses funded under Grant G0350. The balance of $5,761,431.83 relates to other procurements for which Surtax funding was previously authorized and included in the People's Transportation Plan. The table provides a breakdown: 15 buses, MDC Contract No. L1168501B1, MDC Resolution R-936-16, FDOT Contract G0350, Reimbursement Amount $3,896,702; 2 buses, MDC Contract No. RFP-00096, MDC Resolution R-35-17, FDOT Contract G3050, Reimbursement Amount $568,787.63; 11 buses, MDC Contract No. FB-01356, MDC Resolution R-300-20, FDOT Contract G1C16, Reimbursement Amount $5,192,644.20; Total $9,658,133.83. This agenda item is placed for review pursuant to County Code Section 29-124(f). This item may only be considered by the Board if the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) has forwarded a recommendation to the Board prior to the date scheduled for Board consideration or 45 days have elapsed since the filing with the Clerk of the Board of this recommendation. If the CITT has not forwarded a recommendation and 45 days have not elapsed since the filing of this item, I will request a withdrawal of this item. The scope of this item is countywide in nature. However, the discontinued bus routes primarily served District 3 and District 5, represented by Commissioner Keon Hardemon and Commissioner Vicki L. Lopez, respectively. The delegation of authority is consistent with those authorities granted under the County Code. No additional delegation is requested. The total fiscal impact of this reimbursement is $3,896,702. Funding will be provided via the People's Transportation Plan Bond Program. The track record/monitor is Melvin Cartagena, Assistant Director and Chief Financial Officer of DTPW, will monitor the reimbursement. The background states FDOT provided $15 million in State toll revenues through Grants G0350 and G1C16 for the purchase of 28 buses to operate the I-95 Express Bus Service. The 15 diesel-powered buses addressed in this item were placed into service in January 2017 and operated on Routes 195/295 and 196/296, which connected Broward Boulevard and Sheridan Street to Downtown Miami and the Civic Center. The routes were discontinued in March 2020 as ridership collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to prioritize limited operator resources for core transit services. To avoid idle assets and maintain systemwide reliability, DTPW redeployed the diesel-powered buses to other routes. This redeployment, while operationally necessary, was inconsistent with FDOT's contractual requirement that the buses be used solely for the I-95 Express Bus Service. On September 9, 2024, FDOT requested reimbursement of $9,658,133.83, comprised of: (1) depreciated value of $8,229,167.05 based on FDOT's 12-year vehicle lifecycle standard; and (2) unauthorized mileage value of $1,428,966.78 based on miles accrued beyond contractual limits after redeployment. It is important to note that FDOT's methodology calculates depreciation through February 2024, even though the I-95 Express Bus Service ended in March 2020. By extending the depreciation period, FDOT reduces the buses' remaining value at the time of reimbursement. Because repayment is based on that remaining value, this approach reduces the amount the County must repay. DTPW completed its independent review in July 2025 and concurred with FDOT's methodology and calculations. Since that time, DTPW has undertaken the necessary steps to expedite payment to FDOT and identify an appropriate funding source for the reimbursement. Approval of this item will allow DTPW to reimburse its Operating Fund for the upfront payment to FDOT and ensure that Charter County Transportation Surtax expenditures are managed transparently through the People's Transportation Plan framework. The document is signed by Roy Coley, Chief Utilities & Regulatory Services Officer. Public comment or stakeholder sentiment is not stated in the document.