The Venetian Causeway is the primary route for bicyclists and pedestrians between the City of Miami Beach and the City of Miami.  The causeway is under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County although the western half of the causeway lies within City of Miami and the eastern half lies within City of Miami Beach.  Over the past years, an increase in vehicular traffic has been observed along the Venetian Causeway.  The increase may be attributed to the increasing demand and congestion on other primary causeways (MacArthur Causeway and Julia Tuttle Causeway).  Based on data collected in February 2018, approximately 263 bicyclists were observed using the bicycle lanes on the Venetian Causeway during the peak hours on a typical Saturday.  Within the City of Miami Beach, the posted speed limit on the Venetian Causeway is 25 MPH; however, speed data collected in February 2018 resulted in an 85^th percentile speed of 33 MPH.

In 2015, the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2015-29083 establishing a new modal hierarchy prioritizing pedestrians above all other modes of transportation.  Pursuant to this resolution, the City has worked with other jurisdictional agencies (Florida Department of Transportation and Miami-Dade County) to prioritize improvements to pedestrian and bicycle facilities on various roadways.  For example, in 2018, the City funded the implementation of the green bike lanes within the Miami Beach limits of the Venetian Causeway.  Of note, the County funded the portion within the City of Miami.

According to the 2019 Miami Beach Resident Survey 47% of the respondents claimed to have a member of their household regularly riding a bike, however, 37% of respondents claimed to feel unsafe while riding bicycle in Miami Beach.  On August 29, 2019, a bicyclist was fatally struck by a car on the Venetian Causeway.  While the crash occurred outside of the boundaries of the City of Miami Beach, the conditions of the road and bicycle lanes are the same within our city.

At the January 15, 2020 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Mark Samuelian referred an item to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee to discuss the status of bicycle safety measures being enacted on the Venetian Causeway. 

The existing roadway cross section along the Venetian Causeway varies.  The typical section on the low-level fixed bridges includes two travel lanes (one in each direction) that are 10.5 ft. to 11 ft. wide each and a bicycle lane in each direction that is 4.5 ft. to 5 ft. wide.  The typical section on the causeway portion along the Venetian Islands consists of three 11 ft. wide travel lanes and two 5 ft. wide bicycle lanes (attachment 1).  

Following a request from Commissioner Mark Samuelian’s office, Transportation and Mobility Department staff had discussions with Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) staff regarding the feasibility of installing physical protection on the Venetian Causeway bicycle lanes.  While County staff was open to exploring the use of delineators along the section of the causeway within the Venetian Islands, they expressed concerns with adding delineators along the bridges due to the narrow width of the structure.  The County specifically cited concerns with motorists driving closer to the center line of the road (to avoid hitting the delineators) and a potential increase in head-on collisions on the bridges.  As an alternative, the City has proposed the implementation of vibratory/audible pavement markings and raised pavement markings along the edge of the bicycle lanes to warn drivers if the tires touch the edge striping of the bicycle lanes.  Based on these preliminary discussions with the County, City staff has developed conceptual typical sections for the bridges and the causeway portions of the Venetian Causeway (attachment B).

According to the DTPW Traffic Engineering Division Chief, the City would be fully responsible for preparing the design plans, obtaining a Miami-Dade County construction permit, and executing an amendment to the existing maintenance agreement between the City and County for the Venetian Causeway green bicycle lanes to include the bicycle lane safety enhancements.  Furthermore, per the County, the City would also be responsible for funding the construction and maintenance of the enhancements.  Further coordination with the County regarding the most suitable type of physical protection and its implementation is required.