This item is sponsored by Commissioner Micky Steinberg and was referred by the City Commission on December 11, 2019 to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) for discussion.  The item was discussed at the March 4, 2020 NQLC meeting wherein the Committee recommended that the Administration pursue strategies to improve pedestrian safety on the beachwalk and return to the September NQLC meeting with an update.  

Given the high amount of activity on the beachwalk, some residents have expressed concerns with safety due to conflicts with bicyclists, roller-skaters, skate boarders, and motorized devices.  As such, at the December 11, 2019 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Micky Steinberg referred a discussion item regarding pedestrian safety on the beachwalk to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee.

The Miami Beach beachwalk is one of the most popular shared-use paths in Miami-Dade County, generally located between abutting private properties on the west and the coastal dune system on the east and extending from South Pointe Park on the south to the city limit on the north.  The beachwalk is used daily by thousands of pedestrians, bicyclists, roller-skaters, and skate boarders for recreational and work-related trips.  The width of the beachwalk varies from 12 feet to 23 feet; however, most of the segments are limited to about 15 feet or less in width.

In 2012, via Ordinance No. 2012-3780, the City prohibited the use of personal electric assistive mobility devices (i.e. Segways) and other motorized means of transportation on the beachwalk, baywalk, cutwalk, and interior paths of certain parks.  The current rules and regulations on the beachwalk are enforced by the City’s police officers and park rangers. 

The beachwalk has been constructed in segments over a span of several years with funding provided by the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Transportation Alternatives grant program, a federally funded discretionary grant program.  Pursuant to the joint funding agreements executed between the City and FDOT for the construction of the beachwalk, the City cannot legally prohibit non-motorized vehicles, including bicycles, from using the shared-use facility.  

The City relies heavily on its Park Ranger program to educate and enforce the proper use of permitted mobility devices along the beachwalk and park pathways.  The Park Rangers’ primary goal is to attain compliance by way of education, and they take an ambassador approach to enforcement by first educating riders (including those using electric mobility devices) about the safety concerns and current rules/regulations on the City’s beachwalk and park pathways.  Their presence and approach to enforcement serves as a deterrent to unauthorized activity.  The Park Rangers have received a clear directive to engage with any conflicts involving reckless use of bicycles or any other vehicles on the beachwalk and park pathways.

To mitigate the safety concerns of pedestrians using the beachwalk, the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department staff has explored delineating separate lanes for pedestrians and other uses.  Based on the existing beachwalk width, however, delineating lanes is not feasible as it would not meet the minimum width required by FDOT for either use.  For example, to delineate a two-way bike path, a minimum width of 10 feet for bicycles would be required.  With the high number of pedestrians using the beachwalk, a desired width of 12 feet would be desirable to delineate a two-way path for pedestrians.  Thus, a minimum width of 22 feet is desired to safely segregate pedestrians and bicyclists on the beachwalk.  Anecdotally, the beachwalk in Hollywood Beach is approximately 30 feet wide and delineated for pedestrians and bicyclists; however, during peak times (weekends), pedestrians frequently spill-over into the bicycle lanes and conflicts inevitably arise despite the delineation of modes.

While conflicts between pedestrians and other modes on the beachwalk cannot be completely eradicated, various strategies are being explored to raise awareness and supplement enforcement by the City’s park rangers.  Strategies include:

• Installing additional signage and/or pavement markings at all street ends and along the beachwalk to reinforce the message that bicycles, and other non-motorized devices must yield to pedestrians. 

• Deploying a citywide safety/educational campaign in collaboration with area hotels, condominiums, and stakeholders.  This strategy is more effective for recurring users.

Update Since The March 4, 2020 NQLC

At the March 4, 2020 NQLC meeting, the Committee recommended that the Administration pursue the above strategies and return in September with an update.  Pursuant to the NQLC’s recommendation, various city departments, including Police, Communications, and Transportation and Mobility, coordinated to develop an approach to address the pedestrian safety concern on the beachwalk.  City staff visited the beachwalk during March and April 2020 to survey the existing signage and determine potential locations for additional signs and markings.  Based on staff’s field reviews, it was determined that there is an adequate number of signs posted at the entrances to the South Beach area of the beachwalk; however, there is very limited coverage in the Middle Beach and North Beach areas.  The existing signage inventory was mapped to assist in the development of a comprehensive signage plan for the area.

City staff developed various design concepts for pedestrian scale signs which were shared with the Middle Beach Neighborhood Association at its June and July 2020 meetings. Attachment 1 depicts an illustration of the selected signs.  The production of 60 new signs has been completed and the additional signs are currently being installed at various locations along the beachwalk. Also, additional signs reinforcing the prohibition of motorized devices on the beachwalk will be installed at street-ends leading to the beachwalk (Attachments 2 and 3).  Installation of the new signage is expected to be completed by the end of September 2020. 

It is worth highlighting that given the aesthetic pattern of the Beachwalk pavers, pavement markings were considered but found to not be context-sensitive and, thus, are not recommended.