ANALYSIS:
Although there are no pedestrian scramble intersections currently in operation in Miami-Dade County, there are various intersections in Miami Beach where exclusive pedestrian phases are in operation, including Lincoln Road and Collins Avenue; Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue; Lincoln Road and Alton Road; and 5th Street and Collins Avenue. In addition, most intersections adjacent to a school in the City are equipped with exclusive pedestrian phases during school drop-off and pick-up times. In order to balance both pedestrian and vehicular demands, some signalized intersections in the City operate as dual mode, providing exclusive pedestrian phases only during certain hours of the day (when most needed) and normal pedestrian phasing at all other times.
Unlike exclusive pedestrian phases, pedestrian scramble operations have to be in effect 24 hours a day, regardless of whether there are pedestrians crossing the intersection or not. Federal standards in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) specify that crosswalks at signalized intersections must be equipped with pedestrian signals. Given that a pedestrian scramble intersection allows for pedestrians to cross diagonally, the scramble feature must be in effect at all times. While this feature is intended to enhance pedestrian safety, it is worth noting that pedestrian scramble operations will adversely impact vehicular traffic flow more than exclusive pedestrian phase operation given that the crossing distance is diagonal and longer, and, hence, the pedestrian crossing time needs to be longer (i.e. more red time for vehicles).
While the County's recently adopted Complete Streets Handbook provides for pedestrian scramble operations to enhance pedestrian safety at intersections, no specific warrant analysis currently exists to evaluate the need for exclusive pedestrian phases or pedestrian scramble operations, thus, candidate intersections need to be studied and presented to the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) or the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), as applicable, for review and approval. While no formal opinion has been submitted by the County, City staff has had conversations with DTPW staff and operational concerns on the County’s would need to further discussed and mitigated. In addition, the County has concerns with additional maintenance as a result of the additional pedestrian heads and striping.
As part of the City's ongoing Meridian Avenue Bicycle/Pedestrian Study, the Transportation Department is evaluating a pedestrian scramble operation at the intersection of 17th Street and Meridian Avenue. The study is anticipated to be completed in July 2018 and the draft recommendations will be presented to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee and the City Commission upon study completion. Additional candidate intersections in the City may include those in the vicinity of Lincoln Road (Washington Avenue, Collins Avenue, and Alton Road) where exclusive pedestrian phases are already in operation and have proven effective in terms of improving pedestrian safety.