This item was referred at the November 18, 2020 City Commission meeting to the Neighborhood and Quality-of-Life Committee for discussion. 

In July 2015, the City Commission adopted a modal prioritization which places pedestrians first; bicycles, transit, and freight second; and cars last.  Subsequently, in April 2016, the City Commission adopted the Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan (TMP), Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan, and Street Design Guide.  Since the adoption of these guiding documents, Transportation and Mobility Department staff has been working diligently to fill in critical gaps in the bicycle network and create new and safe pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

One of the critical gaps in the bicycle network identified in the master plans is the link between the west side of Middle Beach (Alton Road, North Bay Road, and Pine Tree Drive/LaGorce Drive) and the east side of Middle Beach (Indian Creek Drive, Collins Avenue, and the beachwalk).  No facilities currently exist for cyclists to travel east-west and connect to the beachwalk.  Given the limited roadway network in this area, 63 Street is the only east-west corridor that could potentially be retrofitted to include protected bike lanes.  This project was identified in the master plans as a priority one project given the high benefit it would have on bicycle connectivity in Miami Beach.

In 2019, the Transportation and Mobility Department completed a complete streets study that assessed the feasibility of implementing protected bicycle lanes on 63 Street.  The analysis identified feasible alternatives and ultimately a preferred alternative to retrofit the corridor to implement the desired bicycle lanes.  When completed, the improvements will provide bicycle connectivity to a future neighborhood greenway on North Bay Road, future bike lanes on Pine Tree Drive and LaGorce Drive, future bike lanes on Collins Avenue, and the existing beachwalk.  As part of the City’s 63 Street Feasibility Study, various community meetings were hosted in combination with the 23 Street Complete Streets Study.

The 63 Street Complete Streets project is included in the 2018 General Obligation Bond Program under Project No. 43 – Bicycle Lanes and Shared-Use Paths as a Tranche 3 project.

Given that 63 Street is an arterial roadway under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the City worked closely with FDOT on the recommendations of the feasibility study.

The preferred alternative of the 63 Street Complete Streets Study proposes protected bicycle lanes on both sides of 63 Street between North Bay Road and Collins Avenue.  In order to accommodate the new bicycle lanes within the current right-of-way, the following minor geometric modifications to the roadway were recommended:

• Adding a new dedicated eastbound left turn lane on 63 Street at LaGorce Drive

• Removing the shared left turn lane at 63 Street and Pine Tree Drive

• Narrowing travel lane widths to 11 ft (minimum allowed by FDOT for this type of arterial)

One of the critical modifications proposed as part of the project is the repurposing of an eastbound travel lane on 63 Street between Pine Tree Drive and Indian Creek Drive to accommodate the proposed protected bike lanes.  

In August 2020, FDOT approved a Lane Repurposing Guidebook to establish a process for lane eliminations and lane repurposing.  Following a request from the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department, FDOT performed a lane repurposing study for the 63 Street corridor in August 2020.  Given the challenges with collecting traffic data during the COVID-19 pandemic, FDOT used historical traffic data for the analysis.  

The lane repurposing analysis performed by FDOT included a review of the traffic conditions to determine estimated delays experienced by motorists under both the no-build scenario and the proposed lane repurposing.  The FDOT study concluded that although the vehicular delays would increase, the intersection of 63 Street and Indian Creek Drive would continue to operate as it is today at level of service D or better with the proposed lane repurposing.  The FDOT study also concluded that the alternative proposed by the City would foster the City’s complete street vision, encourage safer driving habits, and enhance safety for cyclists by reducing conflicts with vehicles.  In addition, implementing the proposed protected bicycle lane alternative would result in cost savings of approximately $3 million over a 20-year period as compared to the no-build scenario due to improved roadway safety and an anticipated reduction in accidents.

Attached is an FDOT presentation on the study findings and recommendations.