A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AT ITS SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 MEETING, TO INSTALL REGULATORY AND ADVISORY SIGNS ON THE BEACHWALK TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR ALL USERS.

The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission adopt a resolution accepting the recommendation of the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) at its September 23, 2020 meeting, to proceed with the installation of regulatory signs and community-friendly advisory signs at entrances to and along the beachwalk and baywalk to enforce the prohibition of electric/motorized devices and improve pedestrian safety.  Furthermore, the Committee requested that the Administration provide an update at the December 2020 NQLC meeting.

UPDATE AT THE SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 NQLC MEETING

At the September 23, 2020 NQLC meeting, the Transportation and Mobility and Police departments presented the proposed signage plan.  The signage plan consists of regulatory signs to be installed at all entrances to and along the beachwalk and baywalk  (Attachment 1).  The proposed regulatory signs are similar to the ones currently posted along Lincoln Road which have proven effective in deterring motorized scooters from entering upon the pedestrian mall.  The signs depict specific electric/motorized mobility devices which are not permitted on the beachwalk or baywalk and reference the applicable section of the City Code (70-67).  Additionally, community-friendly advisory signs will be posted along the beachwalk and baywalk to advise users that the area is a pedestrian-friendly zone where users of permitted/non-motorized devices such as bicycles, skates, and skateboards, must slow down and yield to pedestrians (Attachment 2).

At the meeting, the NQLC recommended that staff proceed with the production and installation of the regulatory signs and the community-friendly advisory signs on the beachwalk and baywalk.  Pursuant to the Committee’s request, once the proposed signs are installed, staff will track enforcement statistics and observe user behavior to gauge effectiveness of the signs and if further action is warranted.  Staff will provide an update to the NQLC at its December 2020 meeting.

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.

To mitigate the safety concerns of pedestrians using the beachwalk and baywalk, the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department staff 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.  Additionally, given the decorative pattern of the beachwalk pavers, pavement markings were considered but found to not be context-sensitive and, thus, are not recommended.

Pursuant to the NQLC’s recommendation at its March 4, 2020 meeting, 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 additional signage was warranted.  An inventory of the existing signage was mapped to assist in the development of a comprehensive signage plan for the area.  The design of the community-friendly signs was shared with the Middle Beach Neighborhood Association at its June and July 2020 meetings.

Prior to the September 23, 2020 NQLC meeting, various City departments including Police, Communications, Property Management, and Transportation and Mobility met to discuss enforcement and the signage plan for the beachwalk and baywalk entrances and paths.  Revisions were made to the signage plan focusing on strengthening the messaging on the regulatory signage to help deter electric/motorized mobility devices from accessing the beachwalk and baywalk. 

For maximum sign effectiveness while minimizing sign pollution, staff determined that the signs along the beachwalk/baywalk should be intermixed and spaced about every quarter mile.  The Administration is also exploring a safety/educational campaign in collaboration with hotels and condominiums along the beachwalk and baywalk.

The City’s beachwalk is a highly utilized shared-use path that serves recreational and work trips throughout the City; however, its popularity coupled with its constrained width contributes to frequent conflicts among pedestrians, bicyclists, and other users.  Due to FDOT requirements governing shared-use paths constructed with federal grant funds, the City cannot legally prohibit bicycles and other non-motorized means of transportation on the beachwalk.  Recently, however, motorized devices, including electric bicycles, e-scooters, and powered skateboards, have been reported on the beachwalk and baywalk although these devices are not permitted by City Code.

To help mitigate the safety concerns, staff developed a signage plan consisting of regulatory signs intended to deter electric/motorized vehicles from entering the facilities, and community-friendly signs  to advise lawful users to slow down and yield to pedestrians.  The production of 60 new signs has been completed, and the signs will be installed at the locations identified in the proposed signage plan.