The proposed concept plan consists of a new shared-use path along both Chase Avenue and 34th Street for bicyclists and pedestrians that provides connectivity between the proposed Alton Road shared-use path to the south and the existing green bicycle lanes on Prairie Avenue to the east, traffic calming improvements, and bicycle safety improvements at the intersection of Alton Road/Chase Avenue/North Bay Road (Attachment 1). Below is a description of each project component.
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
· 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, except next to the light poles where encroachment is a maximum of 18’, and 0-1’ along 34 Street
· 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
· 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
Traffic Calming Improvements
Speeding and cut-through traffic in the neighborhood has been a concern of the community for some time. A 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 Program both fund traffic calming improvements in this community. At the October 16, 2018 public meeting for the Chase Avenue and 34th Street Shared-Use Path project, 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 a result, the City will be adding two speed tables along Chase Avenue between Alton Road and 34th Street as part of the G.O. Bond funded Central Bayshore Traffic Calming Project which is currently in design.
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 proposed Chase Avenue and 34th Street shared-use path. This also promotes continuity for northbound bicyclists using the existing (and future enhanced) Alton Road bike lanes on the east side of Alton Road.
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.
Update for the September 25, 2019 NCAC Meeting
This item was deferred at the May 20, 2019 and June 19, 2019 NCAC meetings due to concerns from a couple of community members. Since that time, staff has been meeting regularly with the two property owners to address their specific concerns, including the proposed landscape barriers, the number of speed tables on Chase Avenue, the proposed traffic circle at the intersection of Chase Avenue and 34th Street, and the location of proposed traffic circles in the Central Bayshore traffic calming plan. As a result of several meetings and frequent communication between city staff and the two property owners on their concerns, following is staff’s proposed path forward:
1) As requested by the two property owners, the City will consider an additional traffic circulation concept for the intersection of Chase Avenue and 34th Street during the design phase;
2) As requested by the two property owners, the City will eliminate the proposed landscaped trellis structures along Chase Avenue and 34th Street due to concerns with homeless activity;
3) The City will retain the two proposed speed tables along Chase Avenue between Alton Road and 34th Street, as the additional speed table requested by the two property owners was evaluated by staff and found to not meet minimum spacing requirements;
4) As requested by the two property owners, the City will evaluate a traffic circle at the intersection of 34th Street and Prairie Avenue;
5) As requested by the two property owners, the City will also evaluate a temporary traffic circle at the intersection of Sheridan Avenue and 34th Street as a demonstration project while a permanent traffic circle is in design and permitting phase.
Based on the above outcome of the meetings with the two property owners, the Administration believes that the community concerns have been addressed. More community meetings will be held during the design development phase of the project.