Approve the referral.

BACKGROUND

The adopted 2016 Miami Beach Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was built 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 TMP suggested the Neighborhood Greenways as a way to help reach this mode share vision.  Neighborhood Greenways, as defined in the TMP, are streets where cars are not excluded, but allow for bicycle and pedestrian travel to be comfortable for all ages and skill levels. Greenways can be accomplished through lower vehicular traffic speeds, landscaping to enhance the bicycle and pedestrian experience, and/or context-sensitive roadway design. The results of which improve the safety for all users of the roadway.

In summary, the goal is for Neighborhood Greenways to be so appealing that they encourage bicycle use for recreational riders and trips within Miami Beach.  Neighborhood Greenways will also reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions, and align with Miami Beach’s resiliency program and the goals of the 100 Resilient Cities partnership.

The project area for the Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway runs along Bay Drive, south of 71^st Street along the south side of Normandy Island.  The west side of the study area is the west intersection of Normandy Drive, Bay Drive, and 71st Street.  The east side of the study area is the east intersection of Normandy Drive, Bay Drive, and 71st Street. 

On May 17, 2017, the Transportation Department issued a Notice to Proceed to Zyscovich Architects for a Feasibility Study evaluating implementation of Neighborhood Greenways in North Beach.  A kickoff meeting initiated the studies and ensured that City Staff and the consultant team agreed on project deliverables and schedule.

The consultants then conducted field reviews and reviewed existing plans and studies to better understand the context and current conditions of the study area. From that review, initial design options were created for review by staff.  The approach was that the Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway would be part of a comprehensive network of bicycle facilities.

On August 7, 2017, the first public meeting was held to present the study to the public and invite community feedback.  The overall response from the community was positive.

The Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway concepts were then refined and reviewed extensively with Transportation Department staff and internal Miami Beach stakeholders.  The Bay Drive concepts were also presented to the North Beach Steering Committee on October 25, 2017.  The Transportation, Parking and Bicycle-Pedestrians Facilities Committee reviewed the Neighborhood Greenways concepts on April 9, 2018 and June 11, 2018.

Two (2) concept review meetings were held with internal stakeholders on March 19, 2018 and August 22, 2018.  Attendees included representatives from the Office of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), Emergency Management, Facilities Management, Parking, Planning, Public Works, Sustainability, and Tourism, Culture, and Economic Development (TCED) Departments.  

The Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway concepts were also reviewed with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on February 23, 2018 and Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) on April 11, 2018.   Input was received from FDOT on bicycle box placement and incorporated into the conceptual design.  Input was also received from DTPW on initial decorative mid-block crosswalk concepts that were incorporated into the initial design.  DTPW suggested that proposed mid-block crosswalks would not meet the warrant analysis required in such a quiet residential neighborhood.  As such, alternative design concepts with enhanced landscaping instead of decorative crosswalks were incorporated into the final concepts.    Final draft concept plans will be sent to both FDOT and DTPW for final review and approval. 

A second public meeting will be held on December 13, 2018 at 6PM at the North Shore Youth Center to review the final draft concept plans with the community.

The proposed Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway is important because it provides a safe and comfortable roadway for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians when travelling east and west through Normandy Island.  It encourages potential car-free living in the North Beach area and connects to existing bicycle lanes and the Miami Beach Trolley on 71st Street and Normandy Drive. 

Segment 1 of the feasibility study focuses on the west intersection of Bay Drive and 71st Street to Rue Granville and proposes to add sharrows to the roadway, narrow the travel lanes slightly, and add 2’ to the north sidewalk for trees and landscaping. 

Segment 2 of the study focuses on Rue Grandville to Rue Versailles and proposes to add sharrows (i.e. shared-use lanes) to the roadway, provide mid-block landscaping features, and raise intersections at all-way stops where Bay Drive intersects Trouville Esplanade, Rue Bourdeaux, and Rue Notre Dame.   The study also recommends installing 2,049 linear feet of sidewalk on the south side of Bay Drive between Rue Granville and Rue Bordeaux.  In order to promote a pedestrian friendly environment and connectivity, this gap in the existing sidewalk network should be filled. 

Segment 3 of the study area currently has a robust tree canopy.  Due to the existing tree canopy and geometric constraints, sharrows are the only proposed enhancement in this segment of Bay Drive. 

In order to establish bicycle connectivity along Bay Drive,  the feasibility study recommends creating a bicycle connection where Bay Drive has been closed at Rue Granville and Rue Versailles, as well as enhancements to the landscaped area.

No parking will be displaced along Bay Drive by the proposed Neighborhood Greenway. 

A supplemental part of the Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway Study recommends ways to fill in the bicycle lane gaps on 71st Street and Normandy Drive on an interim basis with a buffered bicycle lane.  These concepts will be incorporated into the SR 934/71st Street/Normandy Drive Exclusive Transit Lanes/Protected/Buffered Bicycle Lanes Feasibility Study initiated by the Transportation Department in Fall 2018.

The bicycle lane gaps are located in two locations.  One is located on the west side of Normandy Island between Bay Drive and Biarritz Drive.  The other is located on the east side of Normandy Island between Rue Notre Dame and Bay Drive.  The suggestion to fill the gaps is consistent with the recommendations of the adopted Miami Beach Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP).  As a Category 2 project improving existing facilities, the BPMP recommends:

• On Normandy Drive from Biarritz Drive to Bay Drive - upgrading to protected bicycle lanes.  Currently there are both sharrows and an unprotected bicycle lane.

• On 71st Drive from Biarritz to Bay Drive - upgrading to protected bicycle lanes.  Currently there are both sharrows and an unprotected bicycle lane.

• Implementing protected bike lanes on 71st St from Biarritz Drive to City limits.

• Implementing protected bike lanes on Normandy Drive from Biarritz Drive to City limits.

Replacement parking may be needed to accommodate these bicycle lane improvements on 71st Street and Normandy Drive.  On 71st Street, seven (7) on-street parking spaces on the north side of the road between Rue Notre Dame and Rue Versailles will need to be relocated.  On Normandy Drive, five (5) on-street parking spaces on the north side of the road between Rue Notre Dame and Rue Versailles will need to be relocated.

Potential replacement parking locations have been identified.  One location is an existing City-owned parking lot located just southwest of the eastern intersection of Bay Drive and 71^st Street on Beatriz Court.  The lot currently has 44 parking spaces and can be reconfigured to accommodate 5 additional parking spaces, for a total of 49 parking spaces, by converting from angled parking to 90° spaces.  (No street address has been assigned to the lot).  The balance of the replacement parking (7 spaces) is recommended to be found by revisiting existing striped roadway tapers within the area.  Field review identified over a dozen potential locations within the vicinity that could be evaluated for replacement parking.  The majority of the potential parking locations are either on Normandy Drive or 71st Street, therefore, coordination with FDOT and further review is required. 

The Bay Drive Neighborhood Greenway improvements will be important to the community because they will increase mobility options, calm traffic, and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety though the addition of sharrows (i.e. shared-use lanes).  Moving this project forward will advance the implementation of the TMP, increase bicycle safety, improve multi-modal options, increase shade/canopy, improve the pedestrian experience, reduce congestion, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and help the City reach its future mode share goals. 

Referral of this item to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee is recommended for the Committee's input and direction.