A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A COVENANT BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RIGHTS-OF-WAY FOR GREEN BICYCLE LANES ON THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY BETWEEN DADE BOULEVARD AND THE MIAMI BEACH CITY LIMITS.

It is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach authorize the City Manager to execute the covenant.

BACKGROUND

In 2015, the City commenced the green bicycle program with the striping of green bicycle lanes along 16th Street between Bay Road and Washington Avenue. Since the beginning of the program, the following roadways have been implemented:

• Alton Road, from South Pointe Drive to 5th Street, including South Pointe Drive from Alton Road to Ocean Drive (3,924 ft)

• Prairie Avenue from 34 Street to 44 Street (3,076 ft)

• Royal Palm Avenue from 42 Street to 47 Street (4,532 ft)

• 47 Street from Pine Tree Drive to Alton Road (4,688 ft)

• Ocean Drive from 5 Street to South Pointe Drive (3,784 ft)

• Dickens Avenue from 71 Street to 79 Street (4,646 ft)

• Byron Avenue from 82 Street to 87 Terrace (3,560 ft)

One of the corridors the City has been coordinating for green striping is the Venetian Causeway. The Venetian Causeway is the principal connector for pedestrian and bicyclists between the City of Miami Beach and the City of Miami. On a daily basis, many bicycle and pedestrians utilize this corridor for commuting and exercising. Given the activity through this corridor and the proven safety benefits of green bicycle lanes, the City Commission has prioritized this corridor for green bicycle lanes improvements.  

The Venetian Causeway is under County jurisdiction. All maintenance of devices related to this corridor fall under County responsibility. Given the interest from the City to stripe the bicycle lanes green along this corridor, the County has requested that the City assume maintenance of the green bicycle lanes because the anticipated maintenance of this improvement falls outside their current maintenance service levels.

To transfer the maintenance responsibility of the improvement, the County has drafted a covenant for maintenance of the green bicycle lanes along Miami-Dade County Right-of-Way. The covenant is specific on the maintenance requirements of the green bicycle improvement. According to the proposed covenant, Miami-Dade County will provide notice to the City (60 days) prior to any repairs affecting the City's green bicycle lanes and if the County needs to repair or maintain the City's green bicycle lanes, reimbursement by the City will be required. In order to approve the City's striping of green bicycle lanes along Venetian Causeway, the County is requiring that the maintenance covenant be executed by the City.

The City has issued a work order to a contractor for the implementation of the Green Bicycle Lanes along the corridor. Upon acceptance of the executed covenant by Miami-Dade County, the contractor will immediately commence work on the green bicycle lanes.