On October 30, 2019 following an in depth, fair public procurement RFP process as determined by the Office of Inspector General, Mayor Carlos Gimenez signed a letter of recommendation for the Advanced Traffic Management System. This system will provide traffic lights throughout the county with the technology to improve the flow of traffic and decrease traffic congestion.
G. ERIC KNOWLES PRESIDENT AND CEO, MIAMI-DADE CHAMBER OF COMMERCESiemens Mobility was recommended to design, manage and install the Advanced Traffic Management System for MiamiDade County. The Siemens Mobility proposal not only provided the County with the best technology available, but the best value, as their offer was over $86 million lower than the second ranked bid. Unfortunately, seven months later the item has not been passed by the Miami-Dade County Commission. We ask the commissioners to please move forward in finalizing this contract. This vital traffic improvement project will ease congestion, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance quality of life by allowing Miami-Dade residents to spend 15% less time sitting in traffic. This is critical to workers, families and to our business community.
Siemens Mobility plans to install intelligent hardware and software that collects data from intersections and corridors, which will then be synchronized and integrated in real time to create a system designed to immediately counteract traffic overloads and congestion. The system will allow for traffic patterns throughout the County to be altered in real time to provide for the better movement of traffic.
Siemens Mobility brings a wealth of experience to this project, as they have implemented similar traffic systems and technology in cities around the world. They will also create jobs in our community, not just in hiring local workers for their new Miami-Dade operations facility, but also utilizing local small business subcontractors touching over 200 additional jobs. Siemens committed to complete the first phase of the project in 4 years versus the second bidders 5-year schedule.
Siemens already has a local presence in the Miami area employing over 300 fulltime employees and 5000+ statewide. Siemens was named to Forbes’s 2019 best employers list for Florida. This list ranks companies best liked by employees. Siemens will bring long term, high paying jobs to Miami-Dade with this project.
The delay in approving this contract not only delays the improvement in reducing traffic congestion which has been promised for years, but delays jobs for our local contractors at a time when we need to get people back to work.
At a time when resources are stretched, why would the county consider wasting $86 million? This money can be utilized for other critical infrastructure projects and funding the services for people in need.
This project affects the entire county and Siemens Mobility provides the best value, has the most experience and will be the best local partner for MiamiDade. For the good of our transportation network, business community, economy and county residents, we implore the County Commissioners to bring the mayor’s recommendation of award to a vote in front of the full Board of County Commissioners as soon as possible. Our businesses, families and those who deal with the congestion of commuting to work are depending on you
