The intersection of Chase Avenue and 40 Street currently operates uncontrolled for north-south traffic (Chase Avenue) and stop-controlled for westbound traffic (40 Street). There are marked crosswalks on the north and east legs (attachment).

Following concerns from residents, at the March 18, 2020 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Steven Meiner sponsored a referral of a discussion item to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) to explore modifying the current intersection traffic control to a multi-way stop control.

The evaluating criteria for multi-way stop signs are outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD specifies the minimum criteria that must be met prior to installation of a multi-way stop control at an intersection. The criteria are based on crashes and volumes (vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle) at an intersection over various periods of time.

The approval, implementation, and maintenance of traffic control devices is under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County; however, to expedite the approval process, the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department staff conducts warrant analyses for multi-way stop control, pedestrian flashing beacons, and traffic signals and works with the County to expedite the installation, if warranted.

It is worth highlighting that according to the 2019 City of Miami Beach Resident Survey, 74% of respondents expressed that they are most concerned/dissatisfied with pedestrian safety (vehicles not yielding to pedestrians) when crossing an intersection. As such, expediting the implementation of traffic control improvements is a priority for the Administration.

To perform an all-way stop control warrant analysis, the City engages a consultant to collect speed and volume data for 96 continuous hours (Thursday-Sunday).  Based on the peak eight (8) hours identified during the 96-hour count, turning movement counts at the intersection are extracted and used for the analysis.

As outlined in the MUTCD, the following criteria must be met for an intersection to meet the warrants for a multi-way stop control:

1. Five (5) or more reported crashes in a 12-month period that are susceptible to correction by a multi-way stop; or
2. The vehicular volume entering the intersection from the major street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 300 vehicles per hour for any eight (8) hours of an average day; and
3.  The combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volumes entering the intersection from the minor street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 200 units per hour for the same eight (8) hours, with an average delay to minor street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the highest hour.

Given that traffic volumes have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, no traffic data can be collected until traffic conditions are normalized.  Once data is collected, staff will need approximately three (3) weeks to complete the analysis.

Bayshore Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project

In 2017, the City completed a traffic calming study for the Central Bayshore neighborhood.  The project includes the implementation of a neighborhood traffic circle at the intersection of 37 Street and Sheridan Avenue to mitigate speeding and cut-through traffic at this intersection.  The traffic calming plan was approved by City Commission in May 2017.  Following City Commission approval, the recommended traffic calming improvements were added to the Central Bayshore South Neighborhood Improvement project; however, the neighborhood improvement project was placed on-hold in 2018 due to neighborhood concerns with the proposed roadway elevation.

As part of the General Obligation Bond program, voters approved the allocation of funding for the implementation of the approved traffic calming improvements in the Central Bayshore neighborhood.  Staff is currently negotiating with a consultant to design the proposed improvements.