The Downtown
Development Authority (DDA) on Jan. 12 approved a $1.7-million contract with
Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc. for a route analysis and an
environmental assessment of a proposed rail circulator. The current
proposal calls for streetcars or light rail vehicles running on Andrews and
Third avenues, with loops at each end from Northeast Fifth Street to
Southeast Ninth Street and on Southeast Second Street and Las Olas
Boulevard. The project, estimated to cost at least $72 million including
streetscape improvements, will link various downtown destinations with
nearby parking facilities. Collaborating with the DDA is the City of Fort
Lauderdale, Broward County, the South Florida Regional Planning Council, the
Florida DoT and the Community Redevelopment Authority.
