MIAMI – Residents in Miami-Dade’s Redland are say their roads are in dire condition and, despite previous concerns, little has been done to fix them.
On Wednesday, county leaders met in Homestead to discuss potential improvements, but a massive funding gap remains.
“We are the forgotten people”
CBS News Miami took a firsthand look at the deteriorating roads with Peter Schnebly, a longtime Redland resident and winery owner.
As he navigated pothole-ridden streets, he pointed out how drivers veer into the middle of the road to avoid damage.
“You can see how slow we have to drive to go through that intersection,” Schnebly said, describing one of the worst stretches near Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport on SW 217th Avenue.
“In order for you to drive down this road, you got to be in the wrong lane,” he added, emphasizing the safety risks.
Redland residents push for urgent repairs
Schnebly’s frustration echoed throughout Wednesday’s Agricultural Practices Advisory Board meeting in Homestead, where locals urged county officials to take action.
“Come, patch, fix, protect our life,” board member Larry Caudle said.
Board members stressed the need for immediate repairs to county-owned roads, which many said have become hazardous for both residents and businesses.
Miami-Dade County funding challenges and budget shortfalls
Alex Barrios, assistant director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, acknowledged the county’s willingness to work with the advisory board to identify priority roads for repairs. However, the funding situation remains bleak.
The county allocates just $20 million annually for resurfacing high-traffic and collector roads, a fraction of the estimated $800 million needed for countywide road repairs. Of that, more than $50 million is needed in Redland alone.
In Wednesday’s presentation, District 8 Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins‘ team announced they will allocate $7 million out of the district’s budget for road resurfacing projects in the Redland in the coming weeks and months. The commissioner later said an additional $3.2 million have been secured for road resurfacing in her district.
“We’ve been diligently working with the Department of Transportation and Public Works to identify the roads most in need of resurfacing,” she said, adding that there are seven resurfacing projects in the works.
“We look forward to these resurfacing projects beginning as we enter the summer months, continuing our commitment to improving the safety and accessibility of our agricultural community’s roads,” Cohen Higgins said.
Will anything change in the Redland?
Despite the promises, many Redland residents remain skeptical.
“So they come out here to see the farms and it’s a death trap,” Schnebly said.
CBS News Miami reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on how the county plans to address the road repair funding gap but has yet to receive a response.
