Item Coversheet

OLD BUSINESS  5.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

TO: Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee Members


FROM:
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager


DATE: June 19, 2019


SUBJECT:DISCUSSION REGARDING THE RECOMMENDED DESIGN CONCEPT PROPOSED IN THE CHASE AVENUE AND 34TH STREET FROM ALTON ROAD TO PRAIRIE AVENUE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FEASIBILITY STUDY.


KEY INTENDED OUTCOME:
Ensure Comprehensive Mobility Addressing All Modes Throughout The City

HISTORY:

The adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was built on a mode share goal and modal prioritization strategy adopted by Resolution No. 2015-29083 on July 8, 2015, which places pedestrians first; transit, bicycles, and freight second; and private automobiles third.   

 

The Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path is a Priority 1 project in the TMP, located on the north side of the Miami Beach Golf Club between Alton Road and Prairie Avenue.  Shared-use paths serve both pedestrians and bicycles and are commonly found along parks and golf courses, separated from the adjacent roadway.  Ultimately, this project will connect to a series of paths around the Miami Beach Golf Club.   

 

Key dates include:   

 

August 10, 2018 – Notice to Proceed 

August 23 to August 25, 2018 – Traffic data collection 

August 31, 2018 – Interdepartmental kick-off meeting 

September 19, 2018 – Meeting with Parks and Recreation and Miami Beach Golf Club 

September 26, 2018 – Field review  

October 16, 2018 – Public Meeting #1 (combined with the Alton Road Shared-Use Path) 

  • Key comments:  minimize hardscape, buffer homes and path users from golf balls, keep the view of the golf course, and incorporate traffic calming. 

On December 18, 2018 – Public Meeting #2 (combined with Alton Road Shared-Use Path) 

  • Key comments:  additional time was needed to incorporate traffic calming and gain community consensus regarding the preferred design alternative, and the Alton Road Shared-Use Path concept was supported.  

February 19, 2019 – Public Meeting #3 (combined with Alton Road Shared-Use Path) 

  • Key comments:  community members supported the proposed traffic calming measures and a 10’ wide shared-use path, with the condition that it narrow to 8’ adjacent to the single-family residence at 3186 Prairie Avenue.  The community also reiterated support for the Alton Road Shared-Use Path and its continuation north to the intersection of 43rd Street and Alton Road.  

 

Update since the May 20, 2019 NCAC Meeting 

Due to concerns from a few members of the Bayshore community, this item was deferred at the May 20 NCAC meeting.  Staff subsequently met with a couple of residents who expressed concerns with the shared-use path ending at 34th Street and Prairie Avenue and not continuing east.  The residents felt that bicyclists using the shared-use path would continue to travel eastbound on 34th Street between Prairie Avenue and Pine Tree Drive in an unprotected condition (no bike lanes) along 34th Street, which experiences cut-through traffic during certain times of the day.  To address this concern, staff could evaluate the feasibility of extending bicycle lanes on 34th Street east of Prairie Avenue in Fiscal Year 2019/20.  In the meanwhile, the Administration believes that the residents’ concerns will be addressed through the implementation of the G.O. Bond Tranche 1 Central Bayshore Traffic Calming project (see Traffic Calming Improvements below), which proposes a traffic circle at 34th Street and Royal Palm Avenue to calm traffic on 34th Street, among other traffic calming improvements in the Bayshore neighborhood.  To further address the residents’ concern, the shared-use path project and the traffic calming project can be constructed concurrently given that both projects are funded in Tranche 1 of the 2018 G.O. Bond Program.  


ANALYSIS:

The proposed Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path concept plan meets the technical challenges of the location, incorporates traffic calming, and implements bicycle safety improvements at the intersection of Alton Road and Chase Avenue (Attachment 1). 

 

Shared Use-Path Design 

As shown in Attachment 2 and detailed below, the proposed shared-use path addresses the following constructability challenges and community concerns: 

 

  • Hardscapes are minimized by the proposed ten foot width 

  • Homeowner concerns are addressed by narrowing to eight feet wide adjacent to 3186 Prairie Avenue 

  • Utility and light pole relocation are avoided by meandering the path 

  • Shade and protection from stray golf balls are provided by new decorative shelters 

  • Drainage relocation is avoided by building the path over the inlets  

  • Drainage is enhanced by using porous shared use path pavement and installing bioswales 

  • Miami Beach Golf Club encroachment is minimized to eight feet along Chase Avenue and 0-1’ along 34th Street 

  • Miami Beach Golf Club encroachment is a maximum of 18’ next to the light poles  

  • Miami Beach Golf Club player experience is enhanced by new landscaping and 300’ of reconstructed golf cart path 

  • No net tree loss is proposed 

  • Tree relocation is proposed for 127 of 215 existing trees along Chase Avenue and 17 existing trees along 34th Street 

  • Enhanced, new landscaping is proposed which can be designed to block stray golf balls 

 
Traffic Calming Improvements

Traffic calming has long been a concern of the community.  The Traffic Calming Study for the Central Bayshore Neighborhood was approved by the Bayshore Homeowner’s Association and subsequently by City Commission on February 17, 2017.  The 2017/18 Capital Budget and G.O. bond both fund traffic calming in this community.  At the October 16, 2018 public meeting, residents raised concerns with speeding and cut-through traffic.  Speed data was collected, and indicated that the 85th percentile speed along Chase Avenue is approximately 34 MPH. This is four miles per hour above the posted speed limit.  

 

As shown in Attachment 2 and detailed below, the proposed concept plan addresses community concerns, calms traffic, reduces speeds, and reduces cut-through traffic 

  • Two mid-block speed tables are proposed between Chase Avenue and 34th Street  

  • A traffic circle is proposed at the intersection of Chase Avenue and 34th Street 

  • A two foot painted buffer on the north and south sides of Chase Avenue and 34th Street will visually reduce the effective width of the roadway from a driver's perspective 

 

Alton Road and North Bay Road Intersection Improvements 

From the onset of the study, concepts from the Alton Road and North Bay Road Intersection Bicycle Improvements Study (a TMP Priority 1 Project) were incorporated into the Chase Avenue and 34th Street design concepts.   

 

Recommendations from this study improve safety for bicycles and pedestrians, and accommodate a new southbound left-turn movement by bicyclists.  This would promote continuity for southbound bicyclists connecting to the Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path.  This also promotes continuity for northbound bicyclists using the existing (and enhanced/ future) Alton Road Shared-Use Path on the east side of the intersection 

 

The community supported the proposed intersection design, which includes:   

  • Maintaining the existing pedestrian crosswalks on the north and west legs of the intersection  

  • Installing new pedestrian crosswalks on the south and east legs of the intersection 

  • Installing new bicycle crossing markings for the east, south, and west legs of the intersection   

  • No bike lane would be required on the north leg of the intersection, as the connecting facility to the east is on the south side of Chase Avenue 

  • Installing camera detection technology for bicycles and vehicles 

  • Creating pedestrian phases at the new crosswalks   

 

Implementation and Funding 

The City anticipates implementing both Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path and Bayshore Neighborhood Traffic Calming projects concurrently, given that both projects are fully funded in the 2018 G.O. Bond Program Tranche 1.

  

The preliminary cost estimate for design and construction of the proposed Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path is $590,000.  The project is included in the 2018 G.O. Bond Program (Project # 43 - Protected Bicycle Lanes and Shared Bike/Pedestrian Paths).

  

The preliminary cost estimate for design and construction of the proposed traffic calming improvements is $400,000.  The project is included in the 2018 G.O. Bond Program (Project # 42 - Pedestrian Neighborhood Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Friendly Streets).

  

The estimated cost of the Alton Road and North Bay Road intersection improvements is approximately $362,000.  Given that the proposed intersection improvements would be located within FDOT right-of-way, the City will work with FDOT to include these improvements in the future FDOT Alton Road Project from N. Michigan Avenue to 43rd Street. 



CONCLUSION:

The Administration recommends that the NCAC approve:  

 

  1. The proposed concept plan recommended in the Chase Avenue and 34th Street from Alton Road to Prairie Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Feasibility Study;
  2.  The proposed traffic calming improvements recommended for Chase Avenue and 34th Street; and 
  3. The proposed pedestrian and bicycle improvements at the Alton Road and North Bay Road intersection.  

 

Should the City Commission endorse the recommended design concept for the Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path, the Administration will advance the project to the design phase using existing G.O. Bond funds programmed for this project.


ATTACHMENTS:
DescriptionType
A1 Alton and Chase IntersectionMemo
A2 Preferred AlternativeMemo