OLD BUSINESS  1.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

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

HISTORY:

The Miami-Dade County Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan contains six rapid transit corridors and nine Bus Express Rapid Transit (BERT) routes. BERT service consists of enhanced branded buses operating limited stop service on shoulders or dedicated transit lanes, where feasible, to reduce travel time and help ensure service schedule reliability. Specifically for Miami Beach, one rapid transit corridor (Beach Corridor) and three BERT routes (Beach Express North, Beach Express Central, and Beach Express South) are proposed to connect Miami Beach to the mainland.

The proposed Beach Express North BERT Demonstration Service is a joint project between Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, and the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). It was funded on June 21, 2018 through the TPO’s SMART Demonstration Grant Program, with the City and TPO committing $5.1 million each for operations and maintenance over a three year demonstration period. The County will provide the buses and operate the service.

The Beach Express North BERT service will connect the Golden Glades multimodal facility, Earlington Heights Metrorail Station, and major employment centers in Miami Beach, operating on the shoulder of SR 112/Julia Tuttle Causeway. Once on Miami Beach, the route serves Mount Sinai Medical Center, 41st Street, major hotels on Collins Avenue, and the City Center area. The Beach Express North BERT service is intended to provide a reliable transit option for the City’s approximately 40,000 daily workforce commuters.

At its June 29, 2018 meeting, the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee (FCWPC) passed a motion recommending that staff: 1) work with Miami-Dade County to finalize the Beach Express North BERT interlocal agreement and business plan; 2) explore the possibility of modifying the existing Route 150 (Airport Express) to provide interim BERT-like service in advance of the Beach Express North BERT service; 3) explore providing a subsidy to City of Miami Beach employees that use the BERT service; and 4) provide quarterly updates to FCWPC regarding the status of the Beach Express North BERT demonstration project.

Quarterly updates on the above were provided to FCWPC on October 30, 2018 and January 25, 2019. On April 19, 2019, Transportation Department staff reported the following:
- BERT implementation was scheduled for 2022, with $2.6 million programmed by FDOT for construction of improvements to the inside shoulders of the Julia Tuttle Causeway to accommodate bus-on-shoulder operation.
- The County had initiated the Project Justification Report for the Beach Express North BERT project.
- Conversations continued with FDOT and County regarding expediting BERT service as a mitigation strategy for the FDOT I-395 Signature Bridge Project.
- The Miami Beach transit pass program for City employees was being utilized by over 50 employees.

ANALYSIS:

Following are updates on the current status of the Beach Express North BERT project, interim Route 150 modifications, and the Miami Beach Transit Pass Program.

Beach Express North BERT
- The Project Justification Report has been submitted by the County to FDOT for review.
- FDOT District Six Secretary Jim Wolfe stated in a recent letter to Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins that the Beach Express North BERT service is delayed and anticipated to begin in 2023 (rather than 2022).
- The City has concerns with current FDOT criteria for conditional use of shoulders which limit bus-on-shoulder operation on the Julia Tuttle Causeway shoulder for BERT service.
- At the June 15, 2019 City Commission Transportation Workshop, Miami Beach Commissioners strongly requested that FDOT and the County implement the BERT service well before 2022.
- At a July 23, 2019 meeting with FDOT State Secretary Kevin Thibault, FDOT District Six Secretary Jim Wolfe, and Miami Beach administration staff, Secretary Wolfe mentioned that FDOT will coordinate a workshop with FDOT staff, Miami-Dade County staff, and the City to discuss ways of moving this project forward.

Route 150 (Airport Express)
- Transit Alliance is evaluating the performance of all County bus routes, including Route 150, as part of its Better Bus Project which is scheduled for completion in late 2019. City staff is actively participating in the Better Bus Project. Draft study recommendations, including recommendations for Route 150, have not yet been released by Transit Alliance.

Miami Beach Transit Pass Program
- May 2019: 57 participants (11 residents, 46 non-residents)
- June 2019: 58 participants (10 residents, 48 non-residents)
- July 2019: 57 participants (11 residents, 46 non-residents)

CONCLUSION:

The adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan was premised on an adopted mode share goal and modal prioritization strategy which places pedestrians first; transit, bicycles, and freight second; and private automobiles third.

The County's Beach Express North BERT demonstration project supports the City's mode share vision and modal prioritization.  The BERT service will help Miami Beach become a less car-centric city by providing a new transit option for commuters in Miami Beach.  The environmental benefits of the proposed transit service also align with Miami Beach resilience initiatives, the Resilient 305 Strategic Plan, and 100 Resilient Cities partnership goals.