The adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan was built on a mode share goal and modal prioritization strategy which places pedestrians first; transit, bicycles and freight second; and private vehicles third. Projects in the Transportation Master Plan are intended to move Miami Beach towards this mode share vision by increasing pedestrian, bicycle, and transit travel.

To enhance the pedestrian and bicycle experience between the Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road commercial and entertainment corridors, a connectivity plan is currently being developed by the City through its consultant, Calvin, Giordano & Associates, Inc. (CGA). In July 2021, the City issued a notice to proceed to CGA to perform a  feasibility study with the goal of exploring options for public right-of-way improvements, both short and long-term in nature, to develop a signature pedestrian connection between Lincoln Road, Española Way, and Ocean Drive. This South Beach Promenade Connectivity Feasibility Study will identify and assess existing transportation conditions and recommend multi-modal transportation improvements to create livability by providing walkable sidewalks, improved and connected bike facilities, character landscaping, streetscapes, wayfinding, and transit amenities. The study is also developing a tactical urbanism plan for the South Beach Promenade including a potential pilot plaza or traffic flow modification on Española Way between Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue and a potential road diet and one-way conversion along the Drexel Avenue corridor. The initial portion of the Feasibility Study is intended to provide the City with conceptual plans for a safe, comfortable, visually appealing, and seamless connection between Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road.

The initial South Beach Promenade discussions date back to an initial walking tour conducted in 2019  with  Commissioner Ricky Arriola, Miami Beach stakeholders and residents, as well as City staff from the Planning, Transportation and Mobility, Public Works, and Police department to identify the various needs and components of the project that stakeholders and the City were seeking to address. Based on the initial comments from the various City departments and stakeholders, several short-term potential alternatives were developed for each individual segment along the proposed Promenade.

The South Beach Promenade includes the following areas (Attachment A):

• Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Road on the north end, to Española Way on the south
• Española Way between Drexel Avenue and Collins Avenue
• Collins Avenue between Española Way and 14^th Place
• 14^th Place between Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive

The objective of the feasibility study includes performing the services needed, through Urban Design and Landscape Urbanism investigations and Traffic Engineering/Transportation Planning tasks necessary to increase pedestrian connectivity along the established routes through small, incremental interventions that can be achieved through an additive, budget-conscious approach. Cumulatively, these strategies will provide a collective enhancement of the pedestrians’ experience, increase the awareness and wayfinding of the collective path, and serve as an attraction itself to connect destination nodes along the path to guide individuals between the termini. This project will also serve as a pilot project to demonstrate the ideas associated with what is known as “Tactical Urbanism”.

The goal of this study is to utilize strategies and lessons learned from art-in-public-places and tactical urbanism strategies to build memorable, high-impact connections between Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road traversing through Española Way. These proposals consist of sidewalk and pavement treatments, branding strategies, artistic components, lighting, landscape planting, hardscape improvements, modification to existing parking, modifications to pavement marking striping, and the use of site furnishings and elements. All of these may be further packaged as individual projects for individual bidding, or they can be packaged as a single, unified project package.

The first phase of the study will as serve as a pilot project to implement temporary “test” improvements along the corridor. Phase two will then follow by offering more permanent infrastructure improvements that may be more involved from a procedural, budgetary, or construction standpoint. These may include, among others:

• Recommendations for substantial traffic flow pattern modifications
• Recommendations for land-use and zoning modifications
• Recommendations for streetscape improvements that may impact existing roadway and drainage configurations

There are several benefits to this approach.  First there is the benefit of testing temporary “proof of concept” ideas employing what is known as “Tactical Urbanism”. Another benefit is the alignment of this study and the current Zyscovich Art Deco Cultural District (ADCD) Vision Plan and the ability of timing this project with the medium and long-term proposals included in that plan. Finally, this project will support the growing desire to convert the eastern segment of Española Way to either a one-way facility or a pedestrian-only area.

Design Considerations

There are several design considerations that need particular focus.

• Parking – A determination needs to be made on whether all or part of the existing on-street parking along Drexel Avenue and Española Way will be removed to allow for increased pedestrian and/or bike paths, or for seating areas.

• Fire – Current fire safety standards require a minimum of 20 feet of unobstructed roadway space in front of buildings along the corridor. This will limit the areas allowed for alternative uses.

• Traffic – As stated previously, several sections of the study corridor that are currently two-way vehicular facilities could be reduced to single lane/one-way or pedestrian-only facilities.

• Interface with Lincoln Road Project – The South Beach Promenade project will need to be coordinated with the designs proposed as part of the Lincoln Road project.

• Cost – The current budget for this project is limited to the development and implementation of short-term/tactical urbanism improvements.  Additional funding will be needed for the overall implementation of a long-term project.

Drexel Avenue

The Drexel Avenue segment of the corridor presents the greatest opportunity for improvements. Today, Drexel Avenue, between Española Way and Lincoln Road, is a two-way, two-lane facility with on-street parallel parking on both sides of the street. Due to the low level of traffic volumes, initial designs include a conversion of Drexel Avenue to a one-way vehicular facility with a single bike lane and pedestrian-use area. Other alternatives to this design would keep all existing parking or limit on-street parking to one side of the street.

Española Way Between Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue

Along Española Way, the segment between Drexel Avenue and Washington Avenue would remain pedestrianized as it is today. The eastern segment between Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue was initially proposed to be closed to vehicular traffic and pedestrianized, similarly to the western segment, however, CGA has reviewed additional options including a conversion to one-way eastbound with an enhanced pedestrian area, a partial closure between Washington Avenue and Collins Court, or a woonerf. A woonerf is best described as a “living street”, usually all at one grade, which through shared spaces, traffic calming, and low speed limits, allows the roadway to be shared by all users.

On-Street Parking Considerations

The proposed alternatives include considerations for relocation and/or removal of on-street parking. Given the high demand for on-street parking in this area, the potential removal or relocation of existing parking implies that current demand would need to be satisfied through alternative parking options. A preliminary parking utilization survey was recently conducted along Drexel Avenue, which demonstrated that the existing on-street spaces were frequently occupied by Zone 2 residents. City staff has reached out to the private parking garage located at 1601 Drexel Avenue to identify both the availability and cost of providing alternative parking options for residents if the relocation option was selected. The cost to park at this garage would be approximately $150 per month. Cost estimates for the relocation of 30 on-street parking spaces was included in the proposed costs for implementing the recommended short-term alternatives.

Current Status

Following the issuance of the notice to proceed, CGA has studied the project area to develop the project approach and identify the issues and opportunities for the short and long-term project elements. Through the development of the existing conditions report and the project concepts, the Transportation and Mobility Department and CGA have held various meetings with internal stakeholder departments including Planning, Parking, Police, Fire, Capital Improvements, Tourism, Economic Development, and Public Works. Furthermore, the project team has met with the Zyscovich team conducting the ADCD Visioning Study to discuss project approach and ensure a cohesive vision for the area.

At this point, CGA has developed the short-term options in draft form and is prepared to present the concepts to the public and obtain feedback prior to finalizing the short-term plan. The short-term plan includes various critical components that are important to discuss and potentially pilot such as the relocation of parking to the private garage at 1601 Drexel Avenue and the partial or complete closure of Española Way from Washington Avenue to Collins Avenue.

Draft short-term concepts will be presented at the February 25, 2022 FERC meeting (Attachment B) to obtain input and direction on various critical project decisions related to approach and funding. Following the February FERC meeting, the project team will meet with the area stakeholders and residents to obtain input on the draft plan. The final recommendations for short-term improvements will be brought to FERC after the public meeting. Recommendations for long-term improvements will be developed as the project progresses. The project schedule is described below:

• February 25, 2022 – Draft concepts presented to FERC
• March 2022 – Community meeting
• April 2022 – Final recommendations presented to FERC
• May 2022 – Project presented to City Commission for final endorsement
• May 2022 – Commence design and deployment process
• July 2022 – Presentation to FERC on long-term concepts

Short-Term Project Costs

The estimated project costs for implementing the Recommended Strategy or the Alternate Strategy alternatives for the South Beach Promenade short-term improvements are as follows:

  Opinion of Cost (Conceptual Design)

  Site Preparation $     4,500.00

  Tactical Urbanism - Drexel Avenue $ 136,550.00

  Tactical Urbanism - Espanola Way $   44,222.40

  Sub Total $ 185,274.00

  Contingency 5% $     3,000.00

  TOTAL $ 188,274.00

Please note that these cost estimates do not include street furnishings, lighting/electrical, or parking relocation, and are subject to change as the project is further defined. 

The Transportation and Mobility Department has budgeted $200,000 in its FY 2021/2022 Operating Budget for the implementation of the recommended short-term/tactical urbanism improvements.  Long-term improvements are currently unfunded.

As the City continues to expand its pedestrian and bicycle network consistent with the City’s mobility goals and adopted Transportation Master Plan priorities, it is critical to establish enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections between major destinations in the City.

Pursuant to City Commission direction, the Transportation and Mobility Department engaged a consultant team to develop short-term concepts and a long-term vision for a “South Beach Promenade” connecting Lincoln Road, Española Way, and Ocean Drive. This memorandum and attached presentation are being presented to the FERC for discussion and input on key project components such as on-street parking, design considerations, traffic flow, and cost.   

The immediate next steps in the development of the South Beach Promenade project are to refine the draft short-term concepts based on FERC input and subsequently meet with the community and stakeholders to obtain feedback on the recommended short-term/tactical urbanism improvements. Subsequently, the final short-term recommendations will be presented to FERC and the City Commission for endorsement and implementation, while the team continues to develop concepts for the long-term improvements.