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 JANUARY 28, 2021 MEETING, REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF BIKE RACKS ON PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY CLOSE TO MIAMI BEACH PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

On November 17, 2020, the Quality of Education Committee (QEC) passed a motion requesting that the City install bike racks on public rights-of-way close to Miami Beach public schools (see attached LTC 415-2020).  

On December 9, 2020, the City Commission referred this item, sponsored by Commissioner Mark Samuelian, for discussion to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC).

In response to QEC’s motion, the Transportation and Mobility Department immediately reached out to School Resource Officers (SROs) at each of the six Miami Beach public schools.  SROs conducted field observations in December 2020 at each school and provided their feedback.  Transportation and Mobility Department staff conducted additional field inspections at each of the schools during the months of December 2020 and January 2021. 

Additionally, staff reached out to the principals of each school and requested on-site meetings with each principal and representatives from the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) to further discuss the need, opportunities and/or challenges associated with placement of more bicycle racks within public rights-of-way given the unique characteristics of each school. 

To date, the Transportation and Mobility Department staff has met with the administration and PTSA representatives of South Pointe Elementary, Nautilus Middle School, and North Beach Elementary.  Coordination with the remaining three schools is ongoing.

Through on-site evaluations and close coordination with the schools, the Transportation and Mobility team will develop an action plan to assess the bicycle parking needs of each school and address opportunities to maximize convenience, safety, and security associated with placement of bicycle racks in the public rights-of-way. Furthermore, staff will work with each school and explore opportunities to add bicycle parking on school grounds using school resources as appropriate.

The Administration will provide an update on this item via LTC.   

Based on 2019 Resident Survey, 8% of residents are using biking as a primary and 14% as a secondary mode of transportation for the trips within the City. Based on the same survey, 33% of residents consider biking as the most viable alternative to using a personal car for trips within Miami Beach, and 64% of the respondents stated that the most important capital improvements are more walking/biking friendly streets, greenways and paths.