NEW BUSINESS  14.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

KEY INTENDED OUTCOME:
Enhance Beauty And Vibrancy Of Urban And Residential Neighborhoods; Focusing On Cleanliness, Historic Assets, In Select Neighborhoods And Redevelopment Areas

HISTORY:

The City of Miami Beach street name signs are currently installed and maintained by Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW). The current sign design, color (green), and lettering follow the standards set in the Federal Highway Administration Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).  The MUTCD also allows for some variations in color for street name signs, such as brown or blue.  Historically, any variation from the approved colors requires approval from FHWA.  The City has previously received FHWA variances for the existing blue wayfinding signs throughout the City.

City Transportation Department staff has contacted DTPW and various municipalities in Miami-Dade County, including City of Doral, Town of Miami Lakes, City of South Miami, and Village of Pinecrest  to understand the process and costs associated with the installation of new non-standard street name signs in their respective cities.  Given that the County has jurisdiction over all traffic engineering functions within Miami-Dade County, an Intergovernmental Agreement with Miami-Dade County is required for a municipality to be authorized to install non-standard street name signs.  Consistent with existing agreements executed between the County and the aforementioned cities, the municipality is responsible for maintenance of the non-standard street name signs.  City staff has also researched the anticipated costs for the removal of the existing street name signs, as well as the design, fabrication, and installation of new signs and decorative poles.

ANALYSIS:

Miami Beach currently has a total of 1,500 intersections (240 signalized and 1260 unsignalized). Per the County's standard, unsignalized intersections are equipped with pole-mounted street name signs in one of the corners of each intersection.  Signalized intersections are equipped, for the most part, with four (4) internally illuminated overheard street name signs (one for each leg of the intersection).  A few intersections throughout the City, particularly in the older neighborhoods, have span-wire mounted static street name signs. 

SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS

The benefit of upgrading internally illuminated street name signs at signalized intersections is limited given that the only change allowed by the County would be the background color of the street name panel (currently green). The cost of replacing each panel is approximately $400, thus the cost of replacing all four (4) street name panels at an intersection would be approximately $1,600 per intersection.

UNSIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS

Based on input received from DTPW and other municipalities in Miami-Dade County, the City would need to fund the following costs associated with installation of decorative street name signs at unsignalized intersections.  Costs may vary based on the design of the sign and the decorative pole.

• removal of the County's existing street name signs
• fabrication and installation of new poles, pole bases, pole caps, and sign topper (optional)
• fabrication and installation of the new street name signs

The cost to Town of Miami Lakes was approximately $1,000 per unsignalized intersection.  The cost to the Village of Pinecrest was approximately $1,500 per unsignalized intersection.  The cost to the City of South Miami was approximately $2,000 per unsignalized intersection.   The attachment depicts photos of decorative street name signs for all three (3) cities. In some instances, installation of the new street signs were phased in over time, e.g. 5 years.  Staff is continuing to reach out to other municipalities for additional information.

Based on Transportation staff's research to date, and taking into consideration the number of signalized and unsignalized intersections in Miami Beach, the cost to the City to replace all existing street name signs with a new design at all City unsignalized intersections would range from approximately $1.25 million (assuming $1,000 per unsignalized intersection) to $2.5 million (assuming $2,000 per unsignalized intersection).  If funded over 5 years, this represents a range between $250,000 and $500,000 per year.

Should the City Commission desire to upgrade street name signs at all intersections (signalized and unsignalized) in the City, the cost would range from $1.68 million (assuming $1,000 per unsignalized intersection) to $3 million (assuming $2,000 per unsignalized intersection).  This cost would include the removal of all existing street name signs in the City and does not include future maintenance of the new street name signs.

Similar to other municipalities, the City could potentially fund the cost of installation of new street name signs over several fiscal years.

CONCLUSION:

This item is being presented to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee for discussion and further input.