ITEM DEFERRED TO THE JUNE 30, 2021 NQLC 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 provide an update at the September NQLC meeting.

At the September 23, 2020 NQLC meeting, the Transportation and Mobility Department staff presented a signage plan to educate beachwalk users assist Police with enforcement. The signage plan consists of 1) regulatory signs at entrances to the beachwalk and baywalk to deter electric/motorized vehicles from entering the facilities, and 2) community-friendly advisory signs along the beachwalk and baywalk to advise lawful users to slow down and yield to pedestrians. The regulatory 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).  The NQLC recommended that staff proceed with the production and installation of both the regulatory signs and the community- friendly advisory signs. The Committee also recommended that staff meet with a resident, Mr. Henry Stolar, to review his recommendations for placement and provide an update at the December 2020 NQLC meeting.  The item was deferred in December 2020 and January 2021.

At the February 24, 2021 NQLC meeting, staff presented images of the advisory and regulatory signs and reported that signage installation along the beachwalk and baywalk as well as at entrances to the beachwalk was completed on an expedited basis to help Police enforce mobility rules on the beachwalk during Spring Break.  Several Committee members expressed a desire to strengthen the language on the new signs and expressed a need for more police presence and enforcement along the beachwalk.  Police confirmed that it had worked with Communications to develop the design and content of the new signs.  The Committee acknowledged that any changes to the new signs would not be immediate and be incorporated over time.  The Committee recommended that the Administration provide an update at the May NQLC meeting, including a report from Police on the March/April enforcement statistics and feedback as to how to move forward with modifications, if any, to the new signs.

BACKGROUND

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.  To a large extent, the construction of the beachwalk throughout the years has been funded with federal grant funds awarded through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

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 found in Section 70-67 of the City Code are being 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 the possibility of delineating separate lanes for pedestrians and other uses.  However, based on the existing width of 15 feet for the vast majority of the beachwalk, delineating lanes is not feasible or effective and would not meet the minimum standards and guidelines established by FDOT, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, (AASHTO), and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).   For example, to safely 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 width of 10 feet would be desirable to delineate a two-way path for pedestrians.  Thus, a minimum continuous width of 20 feet is desired to safely segregate pedestrians and bicyclists, yet approximately 70% of the entire length of the beachwalk is only about 15 feet wide.   

Pursuant to the NQLC’s recommendation at its March 4, 2020 meeting, various city departments, including Police, Communications, Property Management, 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 advisory signs was shared with the Mid-Beach Neighborhood Association (MBNA) at its June and July 2020 meetings for endorsement.  Furthermore, staff conducted various walk-throughs of the beachwalk with Mr. Henry Stolar and, based on his input, adjustments were made to refine the signage plan.

UPDATE SINCE THE FEBRUARY 24, 2021 NQLC MEETING

Since the February 24, 2021 NQLC meeting, the City has installed 116 new regulatory signs along the open sections of the beachwalk and at all beachwalk entrance points to assist Police and Park Rangers with enforcing applicable provisions of the City Code.  Furthermore, the City has completed the installation of 70 advisory signs along the open sections of the beachwalk to advise users that the area is a pedestrian-friendly zone where permitted/non-motorized devices such as bicycles, skates, and skateboards, must slow down and yield to pedestrians.  Approximately 26 additional signs will be placed within the portions of the beachwalk currently in construction and not yet open to the public. See attached updated beachwalk signage plan.

Police has advised that the newly installed diamond-shaped regulatory signs, which include the applicable section of the City Code, are sufficient for Police to effectively enforce mobility rules on the beachwalk.

The Miami Beach Police Department has begun a daily beachwalk pedestrian safety detail entitled Clear Path.  Clear Path has been carried out by officers in the Redevelopment Agency, Park Rangers and North Beach units beginning on March 15 with great success as shown by the below statistics over the month of April:

Between 15 St and 23 St: 

·       One felony arrest

·       Two misdemeanor arrests

·       One Baker Act

·       Ordinance enforcement:

o   13 Uniform Traffic Citation

o   21 written warnings

o   8 verbal warnings

Between 23 St and 63 St (Park Rangers – March 18 – April 30, 2021): 

·       328 spot/safety checks

·       137 dog off-leash warning

·        52 Homeless Outreach interventions (1 case where assistance was accepted)

·       14 individual camping sites removed

·       65 electric vehicles removed

·       223 face masks warnings

·       53 face masks issued

·       6 open alcohol container warnings

·       88 visitors removed from playground after hours

·       3 adults without children removed from playground

·       2 marijuana offenders removed

·       1 public urination

·       1 assist with boat that washed up on the beach

·       1 person selling food without permit removed

·       2 stolen CitiBike found and returned to bike station

·       1 warning for stealing electricity

One officer in North Beach is assigned to a “mule” to address pedestrian safety on each shift.

POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

Due to current FDOT standards and guidelines governing shared-use paths constructed with federal grant funds, the Administration consulted with FDOT to determine if the City could legally prohibit or restrict bicycles and other non-motorized means of transportation on the beachwalk in the interest of public safety.  FDOT consulted internally and with the Federal Highway Administration and advised that the City can address enforcement issues on the beachwalk as it deems appropriate.  Given FDOT’s response, Transportation and Mobility Department staff has been exploring the feasibility of segregating pedestrians and bicyclists within the beachwalk sections that are wide enough to safely and effectively do so.  This issue will be discussed as part of the upcoming Commission Workshop on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety on May 24, 2021.