NO-BRAINER TO MAKE THE PICK.
FROM THE DOLPHINS TRAINING
FACILITY, REPORTING LIVE FOR
"LOCAL 10 NEWS."
REPORTER: EXTREME
EXPERIENCE ABOUT EXPRESS LANE
DANGERS.
EVEN FROM THOSE THAT PATROL
THE ROADS.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO
ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
TONIGHT, A CALL FOR CHANGE
FROM LOCAL LEADERS BEFORE
ANYONE ELSE IS KILLED.
WE FIRST EXPOSED THE
SERIOUS FLAWS IN A FAST LANE
LAST FEBRUARY AND NOW
LAWMAKERS ARE CALLING FOR
IMMEDIATE CHANGES TO THE 95
EXPRESS LANES IN MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY.
IN FACT, TROOPERS SAY THEY
CAN'T DO THEIR JOBS AND THE
PLASTIC POLES THAT SEPARATE
THE EXPRESS LANES FROM THE
OTHER DO NOTHING FROM STOPPING
DANGER LANE DIVING.
TONIGHT, WE ARE BACK ON
THE CASE.
HOW MUCH LOSS DOES IT TAKE
BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY FIX
SOMETHING.
THE LATEST ACCIDENT IN
MIAMI-DADE WAS A 20-YEAR-OLD
MAN ON HIS MOTORCYCLE WAS IN
THE EXPRESS LANES WHEN A
DRIVER CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC CUT
THROUGH THE PLASTIC POLES
RIGHT INTO HIS PATH.
TROOPER BILL SMITH WORKED THE
ROADS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR
32 YEARS AND HE WAS ON THIS
SCENE.
DOES IT TAKE ONE LIFE, 10
LIVES, 20 LIVES OR THE LIFE OF
AN OFFICER OR TROOPER?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ADDRESS
THE PROBLEM.
WE SHOWED YOU THESE PLASTIC
POLES DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
KEEPING THE DRIVERS CUTTING IN
AND OUT OF THE EXPRESS LANE
CAUSING CRASHES LIKE THIS.
THE TROOPERS SO RESPONDED TO
OVER 12,000 IN THE EXPRESS
LANES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IN
THE PAST THREE YEARS, ADD THAT
TO THE FACT THAT THE TROOPERS
CAN'T DO THEIR JOB SAFELY.
WHEN THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION ADDED THE
LANES, THEY SHRUNK THE
SHOULDER.
WHEN TROOPER SANCHEZ STOPS
SOMEONE, HIS PATROL CAR IS
PARTLY ON THE INTERSTATE.
AT ONE POINT, HE'S EVEN
STANDING IN TRAFFIC.
MAKING A TRAFFIC STOP OUT
HERE FOR ME AND EVERY OTHER
OFFICER, IN MY OPINION, IT'S
DANGEROUS.
I DON'T STOP THEM IN THE
LANE.
REPORTER: TROOPER SMITH
BELIEVES THERE'S A GOOD REASON
NO ONE IS PUTTING THE PEDAL TO
THE METAL FOR A FIX.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ALL
ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.
THE EXPRESS LANES GENERATED
$2.6 MILLION ALONE IN FEBRUARY
BRINGING THE TOTAL CASH
GENERATED BY EXPRESS LANES TO
$130 MILLION.
DID THE STATE IN YOUR
OPINION PUT MONEY OVER SAFETY?
YOU WOULD HOPE THEY
WOULDN'T DO THAT.
AND I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN, I
WOULD HOPE THEY WOULDN'T DO
THAT, BUT WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT
AT THAT.
SO WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
WHERE'S THE CONCERN FOR
TROOPERS AND THE PUBLIC?
WE TOOK OUR STORY TO ELECTED
STATE LAWMAKERS.
WE MET WITH F DOT?
YES.
A TWO YEAR STUDY NEEDS TO
BE DONE BEFORE ANY CHANGES
HERE AND PLANS WOULD HAVE TO
BE DRAWN UP AND APPROVED.
SO WE'RE LOOKING 7 TO 10
YEARS BEFORE ANY CHANGE?
EASY, EASY.
Reporter: IS THAT
ACCEPTABLE?
I DON'T SEE IT BEING
ACCEPTABLE.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE POLES
OUT.
I THINK THAT THE FLEXIBLE
POLES CREATE A DANGEROUS
SITUATION.
THIS SENATOR HAS BEEN ON
THE PHONE WITH D.O.T.
THIS IS SOMETHING TO BE
ADDRESSED SOONER RATHER THAN
LATER.
AND REPRESENTATIVE JOSE FEE
LEAKS DIAZ IS HEAD OF THE
MIAMI-DADE DELEGATION.
PEOPLE TELL US NOTHING IS
GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE
THEY'RE MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY
OUT THERE.
IT'S NOT MONEY THEY NEED.
IF PEOPLE ARE IN HARM'S WAY
BECAUSE OF THIS, THAT MONEY
COULD BE THROWN AWAY AND WE
COULD CONTINUE WITH THE BUDGET
WE'RE PUMPING INTO THE SYSTEM
ALREADY.
THE FDOT IMPROVEMENT MONEY
IS $10 BILLION, AND WHAT DOES
THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION SAY?
THEY'RE WORKING WELL.
IF PEOPLE OBEY THE LAW AND
DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT, THAN
IT'S PERFECTLY SAVE, BUT RIGHT
NOW, IS THERE A PLAN TO CHANGE
THE PLASTIC POLES ON 95, NO,
THERE IS NOT.
WHAT KIND OF PRIORITY IS
THIS FOR YOU AS HEAD OF THE
MIAMI DELEGATION?
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AT
THE TOP OF OUR AGENDA.
Reporter: BACK OUT NOW LIVE
ON I-95.
YOU CAN SEE THE EXPRESS LANES
ARE CLOSED AS CREWS REPAIR AND
REPLACE WHICH THEY HAVE TO DO
OVERNIGHT.
AND WE WILL KEEP IN CLOSE
CONTACT WITH THE STATE
REPRESENTATIVES TO SEE IF THEY