NEW BUSINESS  3.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

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

HISTORY:

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 recommended 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 road 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 North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway Plan runs along North Bay Road from its intersection with 63^rd Street south to 20^th Street.  In the vicinity of Mount Sinai Medical Center, two (2) concepts are identified for further study which connect upper North Bay Road with lower North Bay Road.

On May 12, 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 on July 5, 2017 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 to work toward a comprehensive network of bicycle facilities for Miami Beach and North Bay Road.

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

The North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway concepts were then refined and reviewed extensively with Transportation staff and internal Miami Beach stakeholders.  The Transportation, Parking and Bicycle-Pedestrian Facilities Committee reviewed the North Beach Neighborhood Greenways concepts on April 9, 2018 and June 11, 2018.  A small group of neighborhood representatives reviewed and supported the concepts during a meeting on June 26, 2018.

Two concept review meetings were held with internal stakeholders 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.  Transportation Department staff will continue to coordinate with other departments, particularly the proposed shared use path and seawall improvements project on the west side of Mount Sinai Medical Center.

The North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway concepts were also reviewed with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on February 23, 2018, July 24, 2018, and December 10, 2018, and Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) on April 11, 2018.  

A second public meeting will be held in the future in coordination with the Public Works resilience project, in order to provide the neighborhood with a comprehensive view of all proposed improvements along North Bay Road.

ANALYSIS:

The North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway is important because it provides a safe and comfortable roadway for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians when travelling along North Bay Road between Middle Beach and South Beach.  Sharrows are provided to encourage safe bicycling on North Bay Road given that bicycle facilities are not currently provided on Alton Road nor proposed under current conditions. North Bay Road, however, does not provide continuity for bicyclists as it terminates at the Surprise Waterway and Biscayne Waterway Bridges.  Bicyclists and pedestrians must transition to Alton Road to cross these bridges.  After they cross the bridge, they are able to re-enter the proposed North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway.  Safe crossings at these bridges have been proposed as part of the North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway, and the typical sections are shown in Attachment 1.  Coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding the proposed typical sections for the bridges is a critical path item given the two (2) FDOT projects on Alton Road in Middle Beach currently in design development phases. 

At 48th Street over the Surprise Waterway, bicyclists will need to cross the Surprise Waterway bridge on Alton Road, as North Bay Road terminates at the Surprise Waterway.  A safe bicycle crossing could be created by narrowing the sidewalks on the bridge from 6.5 feet to 5 feet, reducing the northbound and southbound center lanes of the bridge from 12' to 10', and narrowing the median on the bridge from 3.5 feet to 2'.  This would allow the creation of a 5' bicycle lane and 2' buffer on both the east and west side of the bridge over the Surprise Waterway.  

Additionally, crossing the Biscayne Waterway Bridge just north of the intersection of Chase Avenue and Alton Road is very challenging for bicyclists.  At this bridge, a safe bicycle crossing could be created by narrowing the western sidewalk of the bridge from 12' to 7', reducing the outside travel lanes of the bridge from 14' and 13' to 11', and narrowing the inside travel lanes of the bridge from 13' to 12'.  This would allow the creation of a 12' bi-directional buffered bicycle lane on the east side of the bridge that continues north and south along this section of Alton Road.  The bicycle lane is comprised of a 5' northbound lane, 5' southbound lane, and 2' buffer, and is located between the east sidewalk and the northbound travel lanes. 

The City's Transportation Department staff has met with FDOT on various occasions to discuss the proposed typical sections for the bridges on Alton Road.  An additional meeting with the FDOT Alton Road Project team is scheduled for January 31, 2019.  

In general, the North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway proposes to incorporate chicanes, sharrows, traffic circles, and additional trees to calm traffic, provide for bicycles, and increase shade on the road for pedestrians. This treatment is proposed along North Bay Road from 63rd Street on the north to 20th Street on the south. 

Two (2) concepts are suggested to continue the North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway around Mount Sinai Medical Center, and both will require extensive coordination with FDOT. One concept would utilize the proposed shared-use path around Mount Sinai Medical Center, and continue underneath the Julia Tuttle Causeway east bridge, and then head east along the existing Julia Tuttle Causeway shared-use path to the entrance of North Bay Road at Chase Avenue.  A second (and more direct) concept would connect through Mount Sinai Medical Center to the North Bay Road Greenway using a buffered bi-directional bicycle lane along the east side of Old Alton Road between the intersections of 43rd Street/Ed Sullivan Drive and Chase Avenue.   

No on-street parking is anticipated to be displaced along the upper and lower North Bay Road portions of the North Bay Road Neighborhood Greenway.  Some parking may need to be relocated along Old Alton Road and alternative locations have been identified and determined to be feasible based on discussions with the Parking Department. 

CONCLUSION:

While North Bay Road provides a safer and more convenient option for bicyclists, it does not provide continuity and, therefore, transitioning to Alton Road is a necessity at the Surprise Waterway Bridge at 48th Street and the Biscayne Waterway Bridge just north of Chase Avenue. FDOT is currently in the design development phase for two (2) roadway projects on Alton Road in Middle Beach.  This presents an opportunity to coordinate with FDOT to make these bridge crossings safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.  

The Administration recommends that the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC)endorse the proposed typical sections for the bridges across Surprise Waterway and Biscayne Waterway to provide safe and continuous crossings at these bridges.  If approved by the NCAC, these typical sections will be provided to FDOT for inclusion in the designs for the Alton Road reconstruction projects in Middle Beach.   

City staff will continue to coordinate the preliminary greenway concepts as part of the future North Bay Road resiliency project.  Future  public meetings are anticipated to present the project comprehensively to the community.