This item was referred to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee by Commissioner Mark Samuelian at the March 9, 2022 City Commission meeting. 

Dade Boulevard, including the intersection with Purdy Avenue, is under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County.  The roadway is currently classified as a minor arterial and connects to the Venetian Causeway.  The intersection of Dade Boulevard and Purdy Avenue was reconstructed by the City as part of a resilience project in 2016/2017; however, the configuration of the intersection was not significantly modified as a result of the reconstruction project.  In 2017, the City funded and implemented green bicycle lanes along this western segment of Dade Boulevard and the Venetian Causeway.  Bicyclists currently use the green bike lanes on Dade Boulevard to connect between West Avenue and the Venetian Causeway.  As a result, the intersection of Dade Boulevard and Purdy Avenue currently experiences significant bicycle activity.

On February 15, 2022, a cyclist tragically lost his life at this intersection due to a right hook collision with a truck.  The cyclist was traveling in the westbound direction on Dade Boulevard and was impacted by a westbound single unit truck making a right turn onto Purdy Avenue.  The crash is still under investigation by the Miami Beach Police Department.

As a result of the recent fatal crash, the Transportation and Mobility Department staff met Matthew Gultanoff, a bicycle advocate and Miami Beach resident, to review the intersection of Dade Boulevard and Purdy Avenue and identify potential improvements to enhance the safety of the existing bike lanes.  As a result of these discussions, the group identified potential modifications, including improving the corner curb radius and installing bicycle lane protection devices at the intersection (attachment), which could potentially be implemented in the short-term.  Furthermore, City staff believes that the installation of a bicycle signal would provide additional protection for bicyclists at this intersection.  The bicycle signal would be equipped with detection technology to activate a stand-alone bicycle phase to prevent conflicts with any vehicular turning movements and allow bicyclists to navigate the intersection safely.

Given that the intersection of Dade Boulevard and Purdy Avenue is under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County, the Transportation and Mobility Department staff and bicycle advocates have partnered in submitting these recommendations to the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works and have requested a meeting/workshop with the County staff to discuss the recommended improvements and explore additional mitigation measures to address the bicycle safety concerns at this intersection.