The Shoreline: Reclaiming the Miami-Dade I grew up in
My Miami was about community, parks and beaches. We roamed freely, fearless and unsupervised, drank from garden hoses and watched our neighborhoods grow — sometimes for better, sometimes not.
Over the years, I've seen firsthand how road projects and population growth changed the face of Miami-Dade. That experience shaped my passion for urban redevelopment that puts people and communities first.
The Underline, which reclaimed forgotten space and returned it to residents as green, resilient and vibrant public space, proves that when we think bigger and work together, Miami-Dade can deliver.
For years, the Rickenbacker Causeway — one of Miami-Dade's most iconic corridors — has been a patchwork of missed opportunities: nine lanes of speeding traffic, unprotected bike lanes where too many lives have been lost, an obsolete Bear Cut Bridge and weekend traffic jams that turn paradise into a parking lot after every storm or event. We have tried to tweak around the edges for too long. Miami-Dade residents deserve more than 'more of the same.'
Instead of simply fixing an old bridge and repaving a congested highway, this plan boldly reimagines the Rickenbacker as a destination, not just a pass-through. Cars and trucks would travel on elevated viaducts 25 feet in the air, providing uninterrupted access to Key Biscayne, Crandon and Bill Baggs State Park, while below we reclaim hundreds of acres of asphalt and transform them into expanded beaches, lush parks, outdoor 'old Miami' casual food options on the water, shaded pathways and fully protected lanes for pedestrians, runners, cyclists and families.
But this isn't just about aesthetics. The Shoreline is about resiliency, safety and sustainability. It embraces Miami-Dade's new stormwater standards, which require 80% pervious surfaces. By removing impervious asphalt and replacing it with permeable parkland, we reduce flooding, protect our coastlines and build infrastructure that can withstand rising seas and stronger storms.
We have an opportunity to build something as bold as the people who call Miami-Dade home, just like the pioneers who first planned these communities over a century ago.
Cities like Atlanta, with its BeltLine, and New York, with the High Line, have shown that transformative redevelopment is not only possible—it is essential to sustaining quality of life in urban areas. These are not just parks; they are economic engines, gathering places and symbols of civic pride. Why should we have to leave South Florida to experience and enjoy world-class greenways?
Why can't Miami-Dade lead the way?
The Shoreline offers real solutions to very real problems, balancing the needs of commuters, cyclists, beachgoers, MAST Academy students and everyone who loves Virginia Key. It gives something to everyone—from the morning cyclist to the family barbecue, from the commuter headed to work to the student walking safely to class.
And yes, it comes with a price tag, one that reflects the magnitude of this once-in-a-generation opportunity. But doing nothing, or settling for a cheaper fix, will cost us far more: in lost lives, lost land, lost resilience and yet another lost opportunity.
For too long, Miami-Dade has been criticized for thinking small and applying bandages to generational problems. The Shoreline breaks that cycle. It is not just a bridge or a road, it is a functional amenity that makes a statement about who we are and the Miami-Dade we want to leave for the next generation.
The Miami-Dade I grew up in was built around community. With The Shoreline, we have a chance to build that Miami again — stronger, safer, greener and for everyone. But this vision will only become reality if we choose to make it happen.
The Shoreline is ready. The need is urgent. Now it is up to all of us — residents, advocates, businesses and public officials — to come together and finally build the Miami-Dade we deserve.
Raquel Regalado is a Miami-Dade commissioner representing District 7.
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