Miami Beach moves ahead with streetcar negotiations

The city commission of Miami Beach, Fla., last week approved proceeding with negotiations for an interim agreement with an Alstom-led consortium known as Greater Miami Tramlink Partners to build a streetcar system in the city.

The consortium has proposed developing an off-wire streetcar route with a dedicated travel lane in the city. The scope of the project will be determined by the environmental review process now underway, Miami Beach officials said in a press release.

If the city can't reach an agreement with Greater Miami Tramlink Partners, it has been authorized to negotiate with two other proposers.

In August 2015, the Alstom-led consortium submitted an unsolicited proposal to develop a streetcar system using a public-private partnership. In January, Miami Beach then put out a request for proposals for the streetcar project.