2020 Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate for Miami-Dade County
Mayor

Xavier Suarez

This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.

How often do you find yourself walking, biking or using public transit?

If you mainly drive, what do you see as the barriers for yourself and our community to move away from car dependency?

Xavier Suarez

I walk and run at least once a week; take Metromover often during normal periods (pre-COVID19).

What would be your top actions to create a better public transit system?
List up to 5.

Xavier Suarez

1. Immediately stop O&M spending from half-cent and prepare a bond issue with $100M of revenues, at 18-1 multiplier, to provide enough funding ($1.8B) for rail on the S. Dade corridor and the North corridor.

2. Immediately fund Baylink with $160M from the signalization project which probably will not be needed because of the combination of 40% less commuters that should occur with 20% increase in home occupation and 20% decrease in commuting by car due to free public transit. That brings me to:

3. Make all public transit in the county free – imitating Kansas City and many European cities. (Right now revenues are projected at $40M per year and the loss of that is less than 1% of our operating budget.)

4. Immediately extend city of Miami trolley service along the Flagler/Eight Street corridor to FIU.

5. Immediately provide free trolley service on Kendall from Dadeland to the Turnpike, as per my Sunshine Meeting with Joe Martinez; like wise for trolley service from S Miami to Westchester (Tropical Park and FIU as per my Sunshine Meeting with Javier Souto.)

* Note: This candidate submitted 7 answers for this question - we have removed the last two points since we only allowed for 5 answers.

What would be your top actions to create safer streets for walking and biking?
List up to 5.

Xavier Suarez

1. I support all of the safe street projects by Dover and PlusUrbia, including and particularly the one for SW8 street, with wider, marked, separated lanes for bikes.

2. I originated the 25/5 legislation to require all transit funds from state to provide at least 25% for mass transit and 5% for trails.

3. Worked with the Rails to Trails Conservancy on the Commodore Trail, including more than $2M from my PTP funding just approved. Made the Trail a priority with a TPO resolution just passed.

4. Supported Impact Fee funding from City of Miami for Underline and downzoning for Ludlam Trail as well as state grants for purchase from FEC.

5. Working with Rails for Trails Conservancy to obtain state grant to complete the lower part of the Miami Loop; also working on upper loop.

Two out of three transit riders rely on the bus system.
How would you improve the system we have today and attract new riders?

Xavier Suarez

Eliminate fares; have real time schedule updates; have shelters at all stops, as per nine years of pressure on county.

Miami-Dade County has mass transit expansion plans dating back decades. What is your vision to fund and deliver transit infrastructure?

Xavier Suarez

See above. Combination of reallocation of $ 750M the state spends on roadways in the county, plus half cent revenues ($100M), plus at least $50M/year of auto tag license renewal fees.

Multiple administrative and political entities are responsible for the planning, funding and operations of our public transportation. Would you change the transportation governance structure, and if so, how?

Xavier Suarez

I plan to consolidate as much as possible the TPO/County Transportation Dept/MDX.

In your opinion, what has Miami-Dade County done right and gotten wrong with regards to our transportation policies, actions and objectives during the past decade? You may describe your involvement, if applicable.

Xavier Suarez

The mismanagement of the half cent is the biggest tragedy, for which I filed suit (recently David Winker took over as counsel), and made presentations to CITT which resulted in resolutions to fund the SMART plan in 2015, 2017 and 2018. I urged Palmetto Bay’s David Singer to pass a resolution to urge the city to join the pending lawsuit.

I voted against the Turnpike Extension, the Genting unsolicited bid and the giveaway to Brightline as well as Aventura train station.

Instead I support the rail rehabilitation of the CSX line and the placing of stations on the existing FCC line.

The candidate chose to answer this optional question.

How would you incorporate equity into your transportation agenda?

Xavier Suarez

As per above, pushing rates down towards zero.

The candidate chose to answer this optional question.

How would you proactively integrate land use policies into your transportation agenda?

Xavier Suarez

I would make sure that there are no more rezonings that favor urban sprawl or move the UDB.

The candidate chose to answer this optional question.

How would you address coordination between local municipal transit services and countywide services?

Xavier Suarez

Already forced the county DTPW to do that and will continue to do so.

Candidate for Miami-Dade County
Mayor

Xavier Suarez