According to the 2019 City of Miami Beach Resident Survey, someone regularly rides a bicycle in 47% of Miami Beach households; however, 62.5% of residents do not feel safe riding a bicycle in Miami Beach.  According to the same 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.

The South Beach Pedestrian Priority Zone (PPZ) is a priority one project in the adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan (TMP).  The TMP was premised on a mode share goal and modal prioritization strategy adopted by the City Commission in 2015 which places pedestrians first; transit, bicycles, and freight second; and private automobiles third.   The South Beach PPZ encompasses the heart of South Beach.  The study area is bounded by 16^th Street to the north, South Pointe Drive to the south, Alton Road to the west, and Ocean Drive to the east.  The study area (attachment 1) includes the South of Fifth and Flamingo Park neighborhoods as well as the Entertainment District.

PPZs are areas where pedestrian-focused design guidelines and standards apply on all streets.  PPZs are typically found in urban areas with high pedestrian activity and are intended to promote walking by creating safe streets for pedestrians and public gathering spaces.  Even though PPZs prioritize pedestrians, other modes of transportation, such as bicycling and transit, may also benefit. Attachment 2 depicts key PPZ characteristics.

Key study dates include:

May 12, 2017 – notice to proceed to Keith and Schnars

May 26, 2017 – interdepartmental and agency kick-off meeting

August 7, 2017 – public meeting at Miami Beach Regional Library to introduce South Beach PPZ and other feasibility studies

April 2, 2018 – meeting with Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association (FPNA)

·         FPNA endorsed the proposed PPZ concepts via motion

April 4, 2018 – meeting with the South of Fifth Neighborhood Association (SOFNA)

·         while there was general support for the proposed PPZ concepts, SOFNA expressed concerns regarding mixing of bicycles and pedestrians in heavily used shared-use paths and sidewalks

November 2018 – study close-out

Since November 2018, there have been multiple internal meetings amongst city departments and with the Florida Department of Transportation and Miami-Dade County to review draft concepts and coordinate the implementation of the proposed South Beach PPZ.

At the October 30, 2019 City Commission meeting, this item was referred to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee for discussion.

The South Beach PPZ Feasibility Study (attachment 3) applies PPZ standards defined in the adopted 2016 Miami Beach Street Design Guide to areas within South Beach, including South of Fifth, Flamingo Park, and the Entertainment District.

The City’s consultant team walked the area noting and evaluating the following roadway characteristics:  posted speed limit, sidewalk width and condition, sidewalk obstructions, crosswalk type and conditions, sidewalk/curb alignment, lane width, bulb out locations, intersection control, walk/don't walk pedestrian signals and cycle length, shade coverage, lighting condition, on-street parking, bike lanes, bike sharing locations, transit stops, and overall walkability.

Proposed South Beach PPZ improvements (attachment 3) are prioritized as follows: 

-         Short-term improvements (0 to 2 years) can be implemented through existing city projects and services or initiated as stand-alone projects.  Estimated cost: $1,835,000.  Examples of projects which can be implemented through existing city projects include: repainting crosswalks, removing/relocating minor sidewalk obstructions, minor sidewalk repairs, and increasing shade.  Examples of projects which can be implemented as stand-alone projects include:  lowering speed limits, improving pedestrian signal timing, major sidewalk repairs, ensuring all signalized intersections have countdown pedestrian signal heads and implementing ‘no right turn on red’ prohibition at intersections where warranted.  PPZ improvements affecting intersection traffic control and speed limits will require coordination with and approval by Miami-Dade County.

-       Mid-term improvements (2 to 4 years) include installing new crosswalks, ADA curb ramps, and bike lanes.  These improvements will require further analysis, scope definition, and coordination with Miami-Dade County, thus, costs have not been developed at this time.

-       Long-term improvements (4+ years) apply new urbanism design standards to an entire corridor or neighborhood and are often implemented as part of comprehensive right-of-way improvement projects (e.g. widening sidewalks, installing new pedestrian-oriented street lighting, relocating underground utilities to create clear sidewalk paths, and adding canopy trees).  These improvements will require further analysis and scope definition, thus, costs have not been developed at this time.

Implementation and Funding

The City anticipates implementing the South Beach PPZ by including short-term improvements in the scheduled work plan of multiple city departments over the next several years and by incorporating proposed mid-term and long-term PPZ improvements as part of future neighborhood improvement/stormwater resilience projects.

Funding for implementation of the South Beach PPZ has been appropriated in the City’s capital budget.  There is $300,000 appropriated in fiscal year (FY) 2018/19 and $650,000 appropriated in FY 2019/20.  Given anticipated funding constraints in future projects in South Beach, the existing capital funds will be essential to implement the proposed South Beach PPZ improvements as part of above-ground enhancements in future resilience projects in the South Beach area.