The City Administration (“Administration”) recommends that the Mayor and City Commission (“City Commission”) refer this item to the February 12, 2024 Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC”) to discuss the raised rumble strips recently installed on Collins Avenue between 5700 Block and 5875 Block by Florida Department of Transportation (“FDOT”) as part of the current Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (“RRR”) project on State Road (“SR”) A1A/Collins Avenue/Indian Creek Drive from 5800 Block to SR 907/W 63 Street.

At the October 14, 2020 City Commission meeting, the City Commission referred an item entitled “Discussion Regarding Methods to Reduce Excessive Vehicular Speeding in Miami Beach” to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (“NQLC” or “Committee”). The item included a discussion on speeding on Collins Avenue between 5800 Block and 6000 Block and various actions to be taken by the City and FDOT to deter speeding along this portion of the Collins Avenue corridor in Mid Beach. The item was discussed at the December 16, 2020, March 22, 2021 and April 28, 2021 NQLC meetings. Attachment A includes the April 28, 2021 NQLC memorandum.

Based on the City’s request to reduce vehicular speeding along the Collins Avenue corridor approaching the horizontal curve at the 6000 Block, in November 2023, FDOT installed raised rumble strips on Collins Avenue between 5700 Block and 5875 Block in the northbound direction only, as part of its current Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (“RRR”) project on State Road (“SR”) A1A/Collins Avenue/Indian Creek Drive from 5800 Block to SR 907/W 63 Street.

Since the installation of the rumble strips, the Administration has received multiple complaints from adjacent residents due to the noise generated by vehicles driving over the rumble strips at all times of the day and night. The City reached out to FDOT to explore the potential removal of all or some of the existing rumble strips. FDOT has advised that if the City deems that the rumble strips should be removed due to quality-of-life concerns, the City may remove these from all travel lanes subject to obtaining a General-Use Permit from FDOT. FDOT does not support a partial removal of the rumble strips due to concerns with speed differential and potential sideswipe accidents due to lane swerving (i.e. drivers changing lanes to avoid the rumble strips).

Furthermore, after the implementation of the rumble strips, the Miami Beach Police Department collected speed data on Collins Avenue at two (2) locations (south of and north of the rumble strips) and found that the 85^th percentile speed was lower in the area just north of the rumble strips as compared to just south of the rumble strips. However, it is worth noting that the 85^th percentile speed south of the rumble strips was not considerably greater than the posted speed limit.

LOBBYIST DISCLOSURE

In accordance with Resolution No. 2023-32857, adopted by the City Commission on December 13, 2023, the following information has been provided by the Administration as it relates to the subject referral:

1.    Was the Agenda Item initially requested by a lobbyist which, as defined in Code Sec. 2-481, includes a principal engaged in lobbying?  No.

2. If so, specify name of lobbyist(s) and principal(s): Not Applicable

Should the City Commission direct the Administration to move forward with the removal of the rumble strips, the City would engage a pre-selected (i.e. rotational) contractor to perform this work. The estimated cost of the work would be approximately $12,000.

Should the PSNQLC, at its February 12, 2024 meeting, recommend the removal of the existing rumble strips on Collins Avenue from 5700 Block to 5875 Block, the Administration will bring the PSNQLC’s recommendation to the City Commission at its February 21, 2024 City Commission meeting for acceptance.