OLD BUSINESS  1.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

HISTORY:

The Miami-Dade County Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan contains six (6) Rapid Transit Corridors and nine (9) Bus Express Rapid Transit (BERT) routes for Miami-Dade County. BERT service consists of enhanced branded buses operating limited stop service on shoulders or dedicated transit lanes, where feasible, to reduce travel time and help ensure service schedule reliability.

On April 26, 2018, the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) unanimously approved Resolution #14-18 endorsing the identification and implementation of demonstration projects that advance elements of the SMART Plan.

On May 2, 2018, the TPO announced the SMART Demonstration Projects Cycle for Fiscal Year 2019. The demonstration projects are intended to be in service for a three (3) year duration. If the demonstration project is deemed successful by the TPO, it would be implemented on a permanent basis.

Pursuant to City Commission Resolution No. 2018-30317 adopted on May 16, 2018, Miami Beach and Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works applied jointly to the Miami-Dade TPO's SMART Demonstration Program for the proposed Beach Express North BERT Demonstration Service connecting the Golden Glades Multimodal facility, Earlington Heights Metrorail Station, and Miami Beach, operating on the shoulder of SR 112/Julia Tuttle Causeway.  The City's application was submitted to the TPO on May 21, 2018.

On June 11, 2018, the Transportation, Parking, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Committee (TPBPFC) discussed the Beach Express North BERT Demonstration Project. At the meeting, City staff presented the results of a market demand analysis that evaluated employment data for various areas of the City. The TPBPFC passed a motion recommending that the Beach Express North BERT Demonstration Project serve Mount Sinai Medical Center, then operate along 41st Street to Collins Express North BERT Demonstration Project serve Mount Sinai Medical Center, then operate along 41st Street to Collins Avenue, and continue north along Collins Avenue to 44th Street, then south along Indian Creek Drive to 23rd Street, in order to serve major hotels and entertainment destinations along the Collins Avenue corridor.

At the June 20, 2018 Nieghborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) meeting, the Administration presented the results of a market demand analysis that evaluated employment data for various areas of the City and recommended potential stops and terminus locations in the City as well as a draft Business Plan for the Demonstration Service.

At its June 21, 2018 TPO Governing Board meeting, the TPO adopted Resolution No. 29-18 which approved eleven (11) SMART Demonstration Projects, including the Beach Express North BERT project, for funding though its SMART Demonstration Project grants program.

At its June 29, 2018 meeting, the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee (FCWPC) also discussed this item. The Committee recommended that staff: 1) engage with Miami-Dade County administration quickly to finalize the Interlocal Agreement and Business Plan; 2) explore the possibility of providing a subsidy to City of Miami Beach Employees that use the BERT service; and 3) request quarterly presentations to FCWPC regarding the status of the Beach Express North BERT Demonstration Project.

On October 30, 2018, Transportation Department staff provided a quarterly update to the FCWPC.  The updated included the $2.6 million in FDOT funding for the permanent BERT service on the inside shoulder of the Julia Tuttle Causeway to be completed by 2022.  Regular meetings have been occurring between City staff and County staff regarding the Interlocal Agreement for the BERT service.  Committee members expressed interest in pursuing modifications to existing bus routes to enhance bus service, as an interim improvement while waiting for BERT implementation.  Lastly, City staff reported on the Miami-Dade Transit Corporate Discount Program and the $87,000 in the Transportation Department's FY 2018/19 operating budget allocated to purchase monthly transit passes for City employees who choose to commute to work via transit beginning in early 2019.

ANALYSIS:

As of December 5, 2018, FDOT has programmed funds for the design and construction of the inside shoulders modifications needed to operate the BERT service on the Julia Tuttle Causeway.  The FDOT Work Program printout is included in Attachment 1.  The Administration will continue to work with Miami-Dade County to finalize a Business Plan for the proposed Beach Express North BERT service on a parallel track while the programming of the inside shoulder work on the Julia Tuttle Causeway by FDOT is occurring.  As mentioned above, pursuant to a recent letter from FDOT, the work on the inside shoulders of the Julia Tuttle Causeway is anticipated to be completed by 2022. 

Additionally, the Administration is working with the County to potentially modify existing bus routes (such as the Airport Express (Route 150)) to provide service similar to the proposed Beach Express North BERT service in the short-term as an interim service enhancement.  The goal is to implement the interim service as part of the County's new service line-up in June 2019. 

Lastly, pursuant to the FCWPC's recommendation, the adopted FY 2018/19 Transportation Department Operating Budget has allocated $87,000 to subsidize monthly transit passes for 100 City employees who choose to use public transit to commute to work.  The anticipated start date for the transit subsidy program is February 2019.  Notices have gone out via e-mail to all City employees, and the program is being advertised on the City's internal website.  Attachment 2 includes the e-mail announcing the program to Miami Beach employees.  Attachment 3 includes the announcement appearing on the Miami Beach intranet site for employees.  Attachment 4 includes the registration form that City employees need to fill out to participate in the program. 

CONCLUSION:

The adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan was premised on a mode share goal and modal prioritization strategy adopted by Resolution 2015-29083 on July 8, 2015, which places pedestrians first; transit, bicycles, and freight second; and private automobiles 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. The County's proposed network of BERT projects, including the Beach Express North BERT demonstration project, promotes the City's mode share vision and modal prioritization.

The future BERT demonstration service also has the potential to shift the use of vehicles to transit, particularly for workers commuting to and from Miami Beach. The environmental benefits of the proposed transit service will reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions, and align with Miami Beach’s resiliency program and the goals of the 100 Resilient Cities partnership.

Staff will continue to present quarterly updates to the FCWPC.