A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AT ITS APRIL 18, 2023 MEETING, SUPPORTING ALTERNATIVE 3B PURSUANT TO THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SR-A1A/COLLINS AVENUE MULTIMODAL CORRIDOR STUDY.

The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission (“Commission”) approve the resolution.

State Road (“SR”) A1A/Collins Avenue is a major north-south arterial roadway under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation (“FDOT”).  Between 44 Street and 60 Street, Collins Avenue has three (3) travel lanes in each direction, separated by a curbed/landscaped median, and is the only roadway serving the Mid-Beach community, between the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Creek. In addition, Collins Avenue provides the only motor vehicle access for this segment's adjacent high-rise residential condominiums and hotels. North of the 5400 Block, condominiums and hotels line both sides of the roadway, whereas south of the 5400 Block, buildings line only the east side of the road. This segment also includes a separated two-lane one-way northbound frontage road between the 4700 and 5800 blocks that intends to facilitate local access and circulation to the properties along the east side of the street. In this section of Collins Avenue, the corridor lacks adequate bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including narrow sidewalks on the east side and crosswalks that are spaced very far apart. The corridor also experiences vehicle speeding and safety issues related to limited U-turn opportunities and limited access to/from the frontage road and mainline Collins Avenue. The current speed limit along this section of the corridor is 35 miles per hour. 

At the September 12, 2018 City Commission meeting, the FDOT Safety Project along Collins Avenue between the 4700 Block and 5800 Block (“Safety Project”) was discussed. At the time, the Safety Project was at 60% design stage and was scheduled for construction in 2023. However, City staff believed that the Safety Project, as proposed, would not effectively address the existing safety and mobility needs along the Collins Avenue corridor. The City reiterated its concerns to FDOT regarding the constrained scope of the Safety Project and its inability to address pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity. Furthermore, City staff requested that FDOT conduct a holistic review of the Collins Avenue corridor including the potential removal of the existing frontage road, evaluating exclusive transit lanes and bicycle lanes, narrowing travel lanes, lowering the speed limit, and adding safe pedestrian crossings. FDOT advised that the holistic review described in the City’s request would require placing the Safety Project on-hold in order to conduct a comprehensive multimodal planning study. FDOT further advised City staff that a Commission resolution recommending that FDOT suspend its design efforts and pursue a comprehensive study to address the long-term safety and mobility needs of the Collins Avenue corridor would be required.

As a result of the discussion held, and with the support of the Mid-Beach Neighborhood Association (“MBNA”), the Commission adopted Resolution No. 2018-30510, urging FDOT to suspend the design phase of the Safety Project and conduct a Multimodal Corridor Analysis, which considers the potential removal of the existing frontage road and inclusion of dedicated transit and bicycle lanes, to comprehensively address the multimodal needs of the Collins Avenue Corridor in Middle Beach pursuant to the City’s adopted Transportation Master Plan.

Pursuant to Resolution No. 2018-30510, FDOT proceeded to conduct the SR A1A/Collins Avenue Multimodal Corridor Study between 41 Street and 63 Street in Mid-Beach. The purpose of the FDOT study was to identify, develop, and evaluate multimodal improvements addressing existing and future mobility, focusing on pedestrian, bicycle, and transit needs in the study area between 44 Street and 60 Street, and develop recommendations on how to connect each mode of travel to logical termini (end points) at 41 Street and 63 Street. The study considered a holistic approach to the corridor to evaluate the feasibility of implementing dedicated transit lanes, protected bicycle lanes, additional pedestrian crosswalks, and the elimination of the frontage road.

Several alternatives were evaluated as part of the study to improve bicycle and transit quality of service, with a focus on repurposing the existing frontage road and improving safe and effective circulation and conditions for non-motorized travel, while maintaining satisfactory service levels for cars, trucks, and buses. The study concluded with a recommendation for Alternative 3B (“Recommended Alternative”) to advance into the design development phase. The Recommended Alternative proposes to eliminate the frontage road, keep the same number of travel lanes on mainline Collins Avenue, add a separated 2-way bike path (i.e. cycle track) on the west side of Collins Avenue (adjacent to the Indian Creek waterway), and expand sidewalks for improved walkability.

During the April 18, 2023 Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC”) meeting, FDOT presented the study findings and the Recommended Alternative (Attachment). During public comment on this item, the MBNA representative expressed that while MBNA is in agreement with the Recommended Alternative, the following considerations are requested to be discussed and addressed during the upcoming project design phase:

1. Confirmation of the need to fully reconstruct the corridor due to proposed drainage improvements;
2. Curbside management strategies to address the need for freight loading zones along the corridor;
3. Conduct a traffic operational study to evaluate traffic flow reconfigurations that may be needed at the 41 Street and 63 Street intersections with Collins Avenue; and
4. Intersection treatment of 44 Street and Collins Avenue to connect the northbound bicycle lane on Collins Avenue (from 26 Street to 44 Street) with the proposed two-way cycle track on the west side of Collins Avenue. Furthermore, MBNA would like to understand how the bicycle lanes will connect at both the south and north termini (end points) of the project (41 Street and 63 Street, respectively).

The PSNQLC passed a motion supporting the Recommended Alternative. It is worth noting that the above considerations expressed by MBNA will be addressed collaboratively between FDOT and the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department staff during the project design phase.

According to the 2022 Miami Beach Resident Survey, 81% of respondents expressed that they are most concerned/dissatisfied with pedestrian safety (vehicles not yielding to pedestrians) when crossing an intersection. In addition, 51% of residents responded that at least one person in their household regularly rides a bike and 37% of residents consider bicycling the most viable alternative to using cars for trips within Miami Beach. While 64% of residents feel somewhat safe when riding their bicycle in the City, 37% of residents feel unsafe. Based on the same survey, 76.9% of residents use their personal vehicle as a primary mode of transportation for trips within Miami Beach (7% increase as compared to the 2019 survey); and 84.3% use their personal vehicle as a primary mode of transportation for the cross-causeway trips (5% increase as compared to the 2019 survey).

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The City Administration believes that the Recommended Alternative proposed in the FDOT Collins Avenue Multimodal Corridor Study will meet the long-term safety and multimodal mobility needs of this major corridor in Mid-Beach. Through the upcoming design development process, City staff will work with FDOT to refine the Recommended Alternative in an effort to effectively address the outstanding freight loading needs of the hotels and condominiums along the corridor as well as the other considerations expressed by MBNA. Furthermore, the Administration will continue to work with FDOT to expedite the design and construction of this critical mobility project in Mid-Beach.