A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE AT ITS FEBRUARY 3, 2020 MEETING, AND APPROVING THE PROPOSED CONCEPTS OF THE 23RD STREET COMPLETE STREETS FEASIBILITY STUDY, EXCLUDING THE FOLLOWING (1) BICYCLE LANES BETWEEN LIBERTY AVENUE AND THE EAST SIDE OF COLLINS AVENUE, (2) THE SHARED USE PATH IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN THE EAST SIDE OF COLLINS AVENUE AND THE BEACHWALK, AND (3) THE LANE REDUCTION ON 23 STREET, AS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN THE CONCEPT PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.

The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission approve the resolution accepting the recommendations of the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee at its February 3, 2020 meeting, and approving the proposed concepts of the 23 Street Complete Streets Feasibility Study, excluding bicycle lanes between Liberty Avenue and the east side of Collins Avenue, the shared use path improvements between the east side of Collins Avenue and the Beachwalk, and the lane reduction on 23 Street in the eastbound direction, as originally proposed in the concept plan.

Should the City Commission approve the above recommendation, the Administration will advance the 23 Street Complete Street project to the design and permitting phase using existing G.O. Bond Tranche 1 funds programmed for this project.  There are also opportunities for efficiencies by integrating and constructing portions of the 23 Street Complete Street project as part of the active Collins Park Garage Project.  However, time is of the essence given the ongoing construction of the Collins Park Garage improvements.

Update since the February 3, 2020 Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee

At the February 3, 2020 Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee meeting, the Committee approved the proposed 23 Street Complete Streets Feasibility Study, excluding bicycle lanes between Liberty Avenue and the east side of Collins Avenue, and the shared-use path improvements between the east side of Collins Avenue and the Beachwalk.

Based on concerns with the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists crossing at the Collins Avenue and 23 Street intersection, on February 11, 2020, Miami Beach Transportation and Mobility Department staff met with FDOT representatives to discuss ways to improve intersection safety.  FDOT agreed to consider an exclusive pedestrian phase at the intersection, subject to adoption of a resolution by the City Commission.  As such, a resolution urging FDOT to expedite the implementation of an exclusive pedestrian phase at this intersection is on the March 18 City Commission meeting agenda.  An exclusive pedestrian phase will make this intersection safer to cross by allocating a specific phase within the traffic signal cycle wherein all vehicular traffic stops on red, and pedestrians/bicyclists automatically receive the walk symbol to cross the intersection in the east-west and north-south directions concurrently with no need to push a button.  However, in order to reduce the anticipated additional delay to vehicles as a result of the exclusive pedestrian phase, the existing lane configuration along 23 Street and at the Collins Avenue intersection must remain as-is (i.e. no lane reduction in the eastbound direction as originally proposed in the concept plan); otherwise, the intersection level of service will worsen significantly. 

Additionally, since the NQLC meeting, City staff from multiple departments met on two occasions with a representative of the Palm Court property, located at 309 23 Street, who had concerns with the proposed parking, valet, and freight loading zone in front of the property.  Attachment 1 depicts the revised concept plan which resulted from these meetings, including a 50’ freight loading zone to the west of the Palm Court building (to serve the Valero gas station) and a flexible 99’ valet/parking area that accommodates five parking spaces in front of the Palm Court building.

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

The 23 Street Complete Street is a Priority 1 project in the TMP. The study area is bounded by the Collins Park Canal to the north, 22 Street to the south, Pine Tree Drive/Dade Boulevard to the west, and the Beachwalk to the east.  The study area is within the Collins Park neighborhood. 

Complete Streets are streets designed to be safe and comfortable for all users, which include pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.

Key study dates include: 

March 31, 2017 – notice to proceed to Gannett Fleming

April 13, 2017 – internal kick-off meeting

August 7, 2017 – public meeting #1 to introduce the 23 Street Complete Street Feasibility Study and other concurrent mobility studies 

December 13, 2017 – City Commission referral to Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC)

December 20, 2017 – NCAC deferral pending input from the Miami Beach Transportation, Parking and Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities Committee (TPBPFC)

January 8, 2018 – presentation #1 to the TPBPFC

January 24, 2018 – NCAC deferral pending additional community meetings

February 20, 2018 – presentation to the Collins Park Neighborhood Association

October 10, 2018 – field meeting with Collins Park neighborhood representatives

November 16, 2018 – public meeting #2

December 10, 2018 – presentation #2 to the TPBPFC

January 22, 2019 – Presentation to the Collins Park Neighborhood Association (annual meeting)

March 5, 2019 – public meeting #3

March 26, 2019 –meeting with neighborhood business owner

April 24, 2019 – field meeting with neighborhood business owner and Collins Park Neighborhood Association representative

November/December 2019 – individual meetings with 23 Street stakeholders

December 9, 2019 – letter of support from the East Coast Greenway Alliance

December 10, 2019 – resolution of support from the Miami-Dade Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee

Throughout the feasibility study process, there have been internal coordination meetings with other city departments regarding the proposed improvements.  Coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works has also occurred consistently throughout the process given that 23 Street is a collector roadway under the County’s jurisdiction which intersects Dade Boulevard/Pine Tree Drive (a County road) and Collins Avenue (an FDOT road).   

Finally, please note that the 63 Street Complete Street project is being incorporated into the planned FDOT project on Alton Road (from 43 Street to Allison Road) currently scheduled for construction in 2023.  Going forward, the 63 Street Complete Street project will be considered as a separate project from the 23 Street Complete Street project, and the recommended improvements for 63 Street will be presented to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee and the City Commission at a future meeting.

The goal of the 23 Complete Street project is to create a mobility blueprint for both 23 Street and 22 Street that ensures safety and convenience for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users, and addresses the current traffic operational issues on 23 Street in order to maximize its economic development potential.

The proposed 23 Street Complete Street project includes:

• New green bicycle lanes on 23 Street from Dade Boulevard/Pine Tree Drive to Park Avenue, on Park Avenue from 23 Street to 22 Street, and on 22 Street from Park Avenue to Collins Avenue
• New green bicycle boxes at key intersections to improve safety of bicycle turning movements

• On-Street parking spaces on the south side of 22 Street and west side of Park Avenue between 22 and 23 Street will be absorbed by the new Collins Park Garage

• Enhanced shared-use paths to the Beachwalk at 23 Street and 22 Street
• New raised intersections to calm traffic and enhance pedestrian safety at Park Avenue/22 Street, Liberty Avenue/23 Street, and Liberty Avenue/22 Street
• A new traffic signal at the intersection of Park Avenue and 23 Street to reduce delays and queueing on Park Avenue, reduce blocking of the intersection, and provide a signalized pedestrian crosswalk
• Coordination between the proposed traffic signal at Park Avenue/23 Street and the existing traffic signal at Dade Boulevard/23 Street to ensure traffic progression
• Signal timing optimization for the traffic signals at Collins Avenue/23 Street and Collins Avenue/22 Street
• Exclusive pedestrian phases at the intersections of Collins Avenue/23 Street and Collins Avenue/22 Street to improve pedestrian safety

Bicycle lane connectivity on Pine Tree Drive and Dade Boulevard is being evaluated as part of separate feasibility studies which will be presented to the City Commission at a future date. 

The 23 Street Complete Street concept plan video, as originally proposed, can be viewed at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KexbbzrGoRk&feature=youtu.be

Community Outreach

Staff visited 12 neighborhood businesses within the project area and met with most of the property owners or their representatives, including the One Hotel, the W Hotel, local nightclubs, Miami City Ballet, and Miami-Dade Public Library to present the proposed concepts and gauge support for the 23 Street Complete Street project. 

There was general support for the project; however, the following concerns were expressed by the community during the outreach:

• Placement of bicycle lanes on 23 Street
• Bicycle and pedestrian safety crossing the Collins Avenue/23 Street intersection
• Narrow width of the existing path between the One Hotel/Roney Plaza and the W Hotel which provides access to the Beachwalk
• Need to improve the aesthetics of the fixed bridge at Dade Boulevard/23 Street
• Operation of the proposed traffic signal at 23 Street/Park Avenue which will be in close proximity to the existing traffic signal at 23 Street/Dade Boulevard
• Impacts to traffic flow given the reduction of one lane in the eastbound direction

Of note is the support from the bicycling and pedestrian community for the project, including the East Coast Greenway Alliance (attachment 2) and the Miami-Dade Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee (attachment 3).    

Community Input

Extensive community input was gathered throughout the process and incorporated into the study recommendations, including:

• A speed table (raised intersection) at the intersection Park Avenue and 22 Street, which was preferred by the community instead of the roundabout originally proposed
• Relocation of the entrance of the Collins Park Garage from Park Avenue to Liberty Avenue
• Flexible parking zone in front of the Palm Court building to incorporate on-street parking and valet operations
• Exclusive pedestrian phase at the intersection of Collins Avenue and 23 Street to improve the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians crossing at this intersection

Concept Plan Benefits

The recommended 23 Street Complete Street concept plan will:

• Improve aesthetics and accessibility to important cultural attractions, hotels, and the Beachwalk for residents and visitors
• Promote economic development in the study area, as research has consistently shown that property values and retail sales increase after installation of bicycle lanes, pedestrian amenities, and traffic calming in a neighborhood
• Improve safety for all users by providing for all modes of transportation in the study area, because all roadway users will have a dedicated space
• Improve pedestrian safety by implementing exclusive pedestrian phases
• Improve intersection operations through the addition of a new traffic signal and signal optimization
• Calm vehicular traffic and improve pedestrian safety by installing raised intersections/crosswalks
• Implement an important complete street and bicycle network project recommended in the adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan

Costs

The planning level cost estimate for the 23 Street Complete Street project, as recommended in the final draft feasibility study is approximately $2 million.  It is worth highlighting that this estimate does not account for any potential cost savings that could be generated by including some of the improvements as part of the City’s active Collins Park Garage project, which is the Administration’s goal.

Implementation

General Obligation Bond funding in the amount of $1.5 million has been allocated for this project.  Given that most of the above improvements could be implemented as part of the active Collins Park Garage project, savings in design and construction costs are anticipated.  Any unfunded components could be implemented in a future phase.

The proposed 23 Street Complete Street improvements support the City’s adopted modal hierarchy and its vision to be a people-first city where the pedestrian is prioritized in mobility options. Additionally, the proposed improvements will help mitigate the community’s expressed concerns with pedestrian and bicycle safety as reflected in the 2019 Miami Beach Resident Survey.

Based on extensive community outreach, input, and collaboration, the Administration has developed and refined a complete street concept plan for 23 Street that enhances safety and mobility for all users of the roadway – pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists – and increases the potential for economic growth.