Still Undecided? Compare the 2026 Candidates Running to Represent Florida’s Congressional District 24

TRANSPORTATION

QUESTION: In South Florida, it now seems like rush hour never ends. As the local population continues to increase and traffic congestion is at an all-time high, residents are calling for improved transportation infrastructure and more accessible roads. What have you done in the past to address this issue and what transportation or infrastructure projects would you prioritize for federal funding?

Te Mayonna Brown: “I know exactly what type of infrastructure will be needed. Listen I understand that you cannot build strong communities without strong infrastructure. Every project I have worked on required me to think about access, roads, utilities, transportation flow, and how growth impacts the surrounding community. Trust me I’ve seen firsthand what happens when development moves faster than infrastructure. Families spend more time sitting in traffic, businesses lose productivity, and communities become frustrated because the roads and systems around them were not planned for growth. That is why I believe infrastructure must be proactive, not reactive. In Congress, I will prioritize federal investments that improve our roads and bridges, expand transportation capacity where needed, support smart growth planning, and ensure infrastructure keeps pace with population growth. I also believe we must invest in resilient infrastructure that protects communities from flooding and extreme weather, which is especially important for South Florida.”

Marshall Davis: “To address traffic effectively, I plan to create an infrastructure strategy to secure federal grants and funding for Metrorail expansion and advocating for street level safety and pedestrian infrastructure. I would give priority to the responsible development of more live-work-play communities as they would not only alleviate the gridlock in the District, but would also decrease the toll on the environment and give constituents back time to spend with their families and tend to other aspects of everyday life.”

Oliver Gilbert: “Public transportation isn’t an abstraction to me. The Metrorail helped get me my law degree. I rode the 27 bus down 27th Avenue to the MLK station, and the train carried me to class at the University of Miami. The rail was there. For too many of our neighbors today, it isn’t. A commute shouldn’t consume half your day. That’s why I’ve made transportation the center of my work at the county. I’ve chaired the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization and the Southeast Florida Transportation Council. I’ve led the push to build density along our transit corridors and to create the partnerships that are funding rapid transit expansion right now. This isn’t a dream. It is happening. My federal priority is simple: finish the job. Secure the federal funding to complete the SMART plan and bring rapid transit north — up the 27th Avenue corridor to Miami Gardens, and connecting to Aventura and Broward — so the communities that have waited decades for the transit they were promised finally get it. Alongside it: federal dollars for the roads, drainage, and resilient infrastructure our neighborhoods need, with strong labor standards and good union jobs attached. The conversation we have about transportation is really a conversation about what we value. When a home health aide in Miami Gardens can get to work without losing two hours each way, that’s opportunity. When a student can get to class without a car, that’s opportunity. I’ve spent my career building toward that. In Congress, I’ll fight to fund it.”

Shevrin Jones: “Anyone who drives Interstate 95, the Palmetto, or our local corridors knows rush hour never really ends anymore. Congestion is not just an inconvenience, but hours stolen from families and money burned in the tank. It falls hardest on communities like Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami, and Miramar, where working people carry some of the longest commutes in the region. I serve on the Florida Senate Transportation Committee, and in the Legislature I have concentrated on the infrastructure that decides whether our neighborhoods work. I have brought home millions for flood control, drainage and resilience projects across South Florida, and I carried the multi-year fight that finally won water-billing parity for Miami Gardens families. In Congress, the job is money and priority, because major transit gets built with federal dollars. I will push federal transportation investment toward the communities that have historically been an afterthought in regional planning:. That means real investment in bus rapid transit, stronger Tri-Rail and Brightline connectivity, and first-and-last-mile solutions that actually get a worker from their front door to a job without a car. I will fight for resilience funding that hardens the low-lying roads our families depend on, and for long-overdue safety improvements around North Perry Airport. Also, because congestion is a cost-of-living issue, my Everyday Worker Economic Relief Tax Credit would offset commuting costs for working people and includes up to a five-hundred-dollar annual rebate for transit riders.”

Kendrick Meek Jr.: “Gridlock is robbing South Florida residents of their time, money, and quality of life, and we cannot simply pave our way out of this crisis. Our current infrastructure was built for a smaller population, and the rapid influx of new residents has pushed our roadways past their breaking point. If elected to Congress, I will prioritize federal funding for the following critical projects: The Smart Plan Transit Corridors: I will aggressively pursue federal capital investment grants through the Department of Transportation to fully fund the North and Northeast Corridors of the Miami-Dade SMART Plan. This means expanding heavy rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) up to the Broward County line to give District 24 residents reliable alternatives to I-95. Climate-Resilient Roadway Overhauls: I will secure federal infrastructure funding to elevate low-lying roadways and upgrade stormwater drainage systems throughout the district. Traffic gridlock is severely worsened by minor street flooding, and our transportation lines must be secured against rising sea levels. Vision Zero Safety Infrastructure: I will direct federal funds toward pedestrian and bicycle safety upgrades. Our district has some of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the nation, and federal grants must be used to redesign local streets with protected lanes, smarter signaling, and traffic-calming measures.”

Jean Monestime: “Our next Congressional member must lead the way to identifying the funds necessary to pay for regional mass transit. As Chairman of the County Commission, I created the Smart Plan which was approved by my colleagues. I established peer-to-peer leaning which confirms that we must seek for more rapid transit instead of more roads. In Congress we must enact legislation which requires states to fund the programs whenever they elect to reject federal funding for such programs.”