A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AT ITS OCTOBER 23, 2019 MEETING, DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, REQUESTING THAT THE COUNTY CONDUCT A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A TRAFFIC CIRCLE AT THE SECTION OF PINE TREE DRIVE, BETWEEN 26TH STREET AND 28TH STREET.

This item was referred by the City Commission at its September 11, 2019 meeting to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee and is sponsored by Commissioner Michael Gongora.

According to the 2019 City of Miami Beach Resident Survey, 67% of residents feel either unsafe or concerned when crossing intersections in Miami Beach.  Specifically, 74% of residents feel that drivers do not yield to pedestrians at intersections.

Pine Tree Drive is a collector roadway under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County currently carrying approximately 15,000 vehicles per day. The intersection of Pine Tree Drive/Sheridan Avenue and 26^th Street (attachment) is controlled by a traffic signal and has crosswalks on the east and north legs. There is no crosswalk on the south leg.  The intersection is located at the southern end of a horizontal curve and has significant pedestrian activity due to its proximity to the Scott Rakow Youth Center and a park/playground.

In 2015, the City explored the feasibility of closing Sheridan Avenue between 28^th Street and Pine Tree Drive to create additional parking for the Scott Rakow Youth Center; however, this initiative was deemed not feasible and additional parking was created south of the center. In addition, over the past years, the City has submitted various requests to the County for a crosswalk at 28^th Street; however, these requests have been denied by the County due to the curvature of the road.

This item was discussed at the October 23, 2019 NCAC meeting. At the meeting, members of the committee also expressed concerns with access to the Scott Rakow parking lot.

City staff visited the intersection and identified the following safety deficiencies:

·         intersection alignment and horizontal curve to the north reduces visibility for pedestrians and vehicles in both directions and contributes to driver confusion and accidents

·         the east-west pedestrian crosswalk on Pine Tree Drive/Sheridan Avenue is long and does not align with the Scott Rakow Youth Center

·         no pedestrian crossing from the Scott Rakow Youth Center to the playground/park

·         no crosswalk on 28^th Street to cross Pine Tree Drive

·         no east-west crosswalk on the southern leg of the 26^th Street intersection

·         during the afternoon peak hours, many northbound drivers perform illegal u-turns at the intersection to access the Scott Rakow Youth Center parking lot

·         speeding occurs on Pine Tree Drive during the off-peak hours

In order to address the known safety deficiencies along Pine Tree Drive between 26^th Street and 28^th Street, it is recommended that the County conduct a study to evaluate the feasibility of a traffic circle at this location.

Should the City Commission accept the recommendation of the NCAC, the Transportation and Mobility Department will work with County staff to identify alternatives to enhance pedestrian and vehicular safety at the intersection and periodically report on the progress of the study via Letter to Commission.