Several residents have voiced concerns to the Office of Commissioner Steven Meiner regarding speeding vehicles in the City.  At the October 14, 2020 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Meiner placed a referral to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) to discuss methods to reduce excessive vehicular speeding as an important component of ensuring pedestrian safety.  

These concerns were discussed at the December 16, 2020 NQLC meeting, where members of the Police Department and Transportation and Mobility Department explained their respective efforts to reduce speeding through signage, pavement markings, and strategic enforcement.  Following the discussion, the Committee requested that staff return in 90 days with an update for the specific problem areas of Normandy Drive and Vichy Drive adjacent to Temples Moses and Terra Beachside Villas located at the 6000 Block of Collins Avenue. 

At the March 22, 2021 NQLC meeting, the Administration presented the below update and the Committee requested that the Administration return to the April 28 NQLC meeting with an update.

UPDATE SINCE THE MARCH 22, 2021 NQLC MEETING

FDOT has advised that it is expediting the issuance of a Notice To Proceed to a contractor for the installation of the plastic delineators at the intersection of Normandy Drive and Vichy Drive.  Per FDOT, the work will be completed within the next 60 days.

FDOT also advised City staff that it agrees with the City’s suggestion of installing rumble strips on the left travel lane of Collins Avenue approaching the horizontal curve at the 6000 Block to reduce speeding.  FDOT will include the rumble strips in the upcoming resurfacing project on Collins Avenue from the 5800 Block to 63 Street scheduled to commence in March 2022; however, FDOT is currently exploring ways of advancing this speed calming treatment as a stand along improvement to address the City’s safety concerns.  Staff will continue to coordinate with FDOT and request that FDOT expedite this safety improvement.  In addition, staff has also discussed with FDOT the possibility of installing bollards on the west sidewalk to protect pedestrians from errant vehicles at the curve; however, FDOT has concerns with this option because it does not comply with its lateral offset standard which requires bollards to be placed 4 feet from the face of the sidewalk curb (i.e. creating an obstruction on the sidewalk for pedestrians).  Staff has requested that FDOT consider a design exception to allow the installation of bollards on the west sidewalk to protect pedestrians.

Normandy Drive and Vichy Drive Intersection

As requested by the Committee at its December 16, 2020 meeting, the City has worked with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to review safety concerns due to vehicles turning from the center lane on Normandy Drive onto Vichy Drive adjacent to Temple Moses.  As discussed at the meeting, these illegal turns often result in crashes which have caused vehicles to swerve onto the sidewalk in front of the temple and jeopardize the safety of pedestrians.

On January 12, 2021, the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department staff and Temple Moses representatives met with FDOT staff to discuss options to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety at the intersection of Normandy Drive and Vichy Drive.  During the meeting, the City requested that FDOT consider the installation of bollards on the sidewalk in front of Temple Moses to protect pedestrians from vehicles swerving onto the sidewalk.  FDOT advised that this treatment was not feasible at this location because FDOT’s minimum lateral offset requirement of 4 feet from the face of the curb would result in the bollards being placed in the middle of the sidewalk which is about 8 feet wide.  As an alternative solution, the City requested that FDOT install plastic delineators between the left lane and the center lane on Normandy Drive to deter the illegal left turns from the center lane of Normandy Drive onto Vichy Drive.  The installation of the delineators will substantially address the illegal left turns from the center lane causing the accidents.  On March 15, 2021, FDOT responded favorably to this request and advised that it will be installing the plastic delineators on Normandy Drive within the next 90 days.

6000 Block of Collins Avenue

On a parallel track, and pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation, the City requested that FDOT consider installing bollards or similar protection on the west sidewalk on Collins Avenue adjacent to the Terra Beachside Villas located at 6000 Collins Avenue.  Bollards would protect pedestrians from vehicles swerving onto the sidewalk due to excessive speeding when approaching the horizontal curve adjacent to the Terra Beachside Villas.  FDOT advised that the installation of bollards at this location is unfeasible due to FDOT’s minimum lateral offset requirement of placing rigid objects at least 4 feet from the edge of the curb since the sidewalk at this location is only about 5 feet wide.  Furthermore, the City has suggested that FDOT install rumble strips on the left travel lane of Collins Avenue as a speed calming treatment as vehicles approach the horizontal curve. 

FDOT has an upcoming milling and resurfacing project on Collins Avenue from the 5800 Block to 63 Street which includes speed limit pavement markings and raised pavement markers to advise drivers of the reduced speed limit in an effort to reduce speeding along the corridor.  At the request of the City, FDOT has included additional speed limit pavement markings as part of the project.  The FDOT project is currently at the 90% design stage and is anticipated to commence construction in 2022.  It is worth highlighting that due to historic concerns with speeding in this area, FDOT had previously installed two speed feedback signs in the median and a curve advisory speed flashing beacon for northbound Collins Avenue between 5775 Collins Avenue and the 6000 Block. 

FDOT is also addressing the needs of the Collins Avenue corridor through a multi-modal planning study extending from 41 Street and 63 Street currently underway.  The study will make recommendations to enhance the multimodality of Collins Avenue in Mid-Beach which will include treatments to reduce the operating speed and facilities to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.  The FDOT study is being closely coordinated with the Transportation and Mobility Department and the Middle Beach Neighborhood Association.

Police Update at the March 22, 2021 NQLC Meeting

The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) takes speed enforcement seriously.  Between December 16, 2021 and March 18, 2021, the Department has issued 767 speeding citations citywide.  As part of its daily operations, the MBPD Motor Squad proactively addresses citywide locations historically known for traffic crashes.  Traffic crash reports are reviewed and analyzed by the Accident Investigations Unit in an effort to reduce potential for collisions and address crashes involving excessive speed.  Additionally, the Police Department occasionally receives complaints of excessive speed.  The Community Affairs Unit in concert with Area Captains consequently utilize speed technology to measure data of normal and excessive speed in and around a complaint area over a minimum two-week time frame.  If the analysis reveals a speeding condition, the Motor Squad is then deployed to conduct speed enforcement at the complaint location.