State rejects all four bids to build streetcar system

Whether Fort Lauderdale residents, commuters and visitors ever will ride a downtown streetcar remained in doubt Monday after a state committee rejected all proposals to build the system because they were too expensive.

The Florida Department of Transportation will seek new proposals after it makes revisions to the construction plans, changes that officials say can bring down costs and have the Wave streetcar project stay within its overall $195.3 million budget.

Officials had estimated construction of the 2.8-mile route at $114 million, but the four proposals received in October ranged from $188.7 million to $218 million, leaving at least a $74 million gap.

The downtown streetcar system has been designed to run from Northeast Sixth Street to Southwest 17th Street generally along or near Andrews Avenue. The latest timeline showed it beginning operation in 2021, but that’s likely to be delayed by the committee’s decision.

Downtown Fort Lauderdale resident John Bordeaux, a Wave critic, told the committee it is irresponsible to consider scaling back the project to make it fit the existing budget.

“You can’t cut the scope in half and keep 100 percent of the budget,” Bordeaux said. “You cut the scope, you’ve got to cut the budget the same way.”

Project Manager Robert Bostian said he thought there