OLD BUSINESS  9.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

KEY INTENDED OUTCOME:
Ensure Comprehensive Mobility Addressing All Modes Throughout The City

HISTORY:

At the April 16, 2017 Commission meeting, the City Commission referred a discussion to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) regarding the City engaging in a traffic study with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to evaluate if removing the I-95 Express Lanes will improve the flow of traffic northbound and westbound. 

At the June 30, 2017 NCAC meeting, the Committee discussed this item and clarified that the intent is not to eliminate the I-95 Express Lanes, but to identify opportunities to provide access from the Julia Tuttle Causeway to the I-95 Express Lanes.  At the meeting, the NCAC directed the Administration to provide an update at the July 28, 2017 NCAC meeting.

ANALYSIS:

FDOT currently has two (2) corridor planning level studies underway for I-95 and the I-195/Julia Tuttle Causeway.  These ongoing studies will provide opportunities for the City to provide input on improving the operation and accessibility of the I-95 Express Lanes. 

Given that FDOT timelines typically require approximately 10 years from planning to construction, contingent upon funding availability, City Transportation Department staff is currently engaged in discussions with FDOT staff and its consultants regarding the potential to implement interim solutions prior to the long-term improvements resulting from these two planning studies. 

The FDOT planning studies and opportunities for interim improvements are further described below:

FDOT I-95 Corridor Planning Study

This study is evaluating I-95 from its southernmost point at US-1/SR 5 in Miami-Dade County to the Broward County Line.  The study is reviewing multiple concept alternatives to increase capacity and improve traffic operations along I-95 and will provide detailed operational information and conceptual cross sections for each alternative.

 Letter to Commission (LTC) No. 198-2017 (attached) describes the scope of this FDOT study.  Transportation Department staff will continue to monitor the FDOT study through active participation in the Project Advisory Team.  The Transportation Department has recommended that FDOT engage in intensive and pro-active community outreach to begin as early as possible; and to consider new ingress/egress ramps to/from the I-95 managed lanes and the I-195/Julia Tuttle Causeway, as well as other community and environmental factors in the evaluation criteria.

FDOT I-195/Julia Tuttle Causeway Corridor Planning Study 

This study is in the procurement phase and a consultant is expected to be on-board in July 2017.  The area to be studied is I-195 from I-95/NW 12th Avenue to SR 907/Alton Road.

According to FDOT, the objective of this corridor planning study is to evaluate the existing and future conditions, deficiencies, identify needs, and evaluate short and long-term transportation improvement concepts.  The study will include the evaluation of interchanges, interchange influence areas, and ramp junctions.

A conceptual improvement plan will include the evaluation of alternatives for continuous off-road/shared-use bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the corridor from SR 907/Alton Road to SR 5/US-1/Biscayne Boulevard, specifically addressing the existing shared-use path on the eastern section of the corridor.

In meetings between FDOT and City staff, FDOT has expressed its intention to include Miami Beach as part of the study advisory team.  Through the study process, the FDOT consultant team and City Transportation Department staff will identify opportunities for new ingress/egress ramps to/from the I-95 Express Lanes and the I-195/Julia Tuttle Causeway.

Interim Solutions

The City’s Transportation Department staff is currently in discussions with FDOT regarding potential implementation of interim solutions that would improve accessibility between the I-95 Express Lanes and the Julia Tuttle Causeway in advance of any long-term improvements resulting from the corridor planning studies. 

In a conference call on Friday, July 21, FDOT advised that it would be evaluating the feasibility of creating a "Texas U-Turn" at approximately NW 12 Avenue which would be accessible from the Southbound I-95 Express Lanes via the existing NW 12 Avenue I-95 Express Lane Fly-Over ramp. Due to concerns with the severe congestion that occurs at the Golden Glades Interchange in the northbound direction, particularly during afternoon peak periods, FDOT does not support any interim improvement which will create additional demand and congestion at this critical choke point in the northbound direction.  Thus, any interim improvement considered by FDOT at this time would focus on improving accessibility in the southbound direction only from the Express Lanes to the Julia Tuttle Causeway (via a Texas U-Turn) rather than accessibility from the Julia Tuttle Causeway to the northbound Express Lanes, until various planned capacity and operational improvements are implemented at the Golden Glades Interchange, which are anticipated for construction in 2021. 

CONCLUSION:

Periodic updates on the status of the two FDOT corridor planning studies and opportunities for implementing interim solutions will be provided to the Mayor and Commission via LTC.

The above information is presented to the NCAC for discussion and input.