C7AK - Endorse Fdot A1a Project, Explore Bike Lane

Resolutions - C7 AK

COMMISSION MEMORANDUM

RECOMMENDATION

The City Administration (“Administration”) recommends that the Mayor and City Commission (“City Commission”) adopt the Resolution.

BACKGROUND/HISTORY

At the September 13, 2023 City Commission meeting, the Administration referred an agenda item (C4 H) to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC” or “Committee”) for discussion and a recommendation.

In accordance with the City of Miami Beach (“City”) adopted 2016 Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan (“BPMP”) and Transportation Master Plan (“TMP”), the City is working to expand its bicycle network through the planning and implementation of safe and connected bicycle lanes and facilities throughout the City.

The TMP recommends a protected bicycle lane and a dedicated transit lane on Collins Avenue between 63 Street and 75 Street in order to create a safe, connected, and efficient bicycle and transit network in North Beach. While the implementation of dedicated transit lanes on State roads requires a lengthy process consisting of comprehensive traffic studies and an analysis of current and future transit service, the implementation of protected bicycle lanes can be accomplished efficiently through roadway resurfacing and restriping projects.

FDOT is currently designing a roadway resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation (“RRR”) project on Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street (“Project”) as part of its Five-Year Work Program. As proposed by the FDOT, the Project will include milling and resurfacing of the existing roadway pavement; reconstruction of damaged sidewalk; reconstruction of damaged curb and gutter and Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) curb ramps; upgrading crosswalks; upgrading pavement markings and signage; and installing additional streetlight poles along the corridor. The FDOT identified the absence of bicycle facilities along the corridor and the potential impact to on-street parking on the west side of Collins Avenue to accommodate a northbound dedicated bicycle lane

as part of the Project. FDOT is currently at 60% design development phase, and, as currently designed, the Project does not include a dedicated northbound bicycle lane along the Project limits. FDOT anticipates commencing construction of the Project in 2027.

FDOT has reached out to City staff to ascertain the City’s position regarding the potential of incorporating a northbound bicycle lane on Collins Avenue as part of the Project. In addition, FDOT has requested that the City provide direction to FDOT via a City Commission Resolution either supporting or not supporting the implementation of a bicycle lane as part of the Project.

ANALYSIS

The FDOT RRR Project presents an opportunity to introduce an essential bicycle facility along the Collins Avenue corridor in North Beach as recommended in the TMP. However, given the limited scope and scale of the Project, a bicycle lane, if implemented, would not connect to any other bicycle facility in the area for some time. Although the lack of bicycle lane connectivity along Collins Avenue would not be a desired condition, note that most bicycle facilities along FDOT roadways are constructed in segments as part of separate roadway projects, rather than as one contiguous project, due to various reasons, including cost, feasibility, and other engineering factors. To this end, FDOT is planning a future/long-term reconstruction of the Collins Avenue corridor from 41 Street to 63 Street (“Collins Avenue Multimodal Corridor project”) which proposes to include a protected two-way bicycle path on the west side of Collins Avenue (adjacent to the Indian Creek waterway). The proposed bi-directional bicycle facility would ultimately connect at 63 Street to a potential future northbound bicycle lane on Collins Avenue. However, the construction of the future Collins Avenue Multimodal Corridor project is currently not funded in the FDOT Five-Year Work Program.

FDOT has preliminarily analyzed the potential impacts of adding a bicycle lane on Collins Avenue between 63 Street and 75 Street as part of the upcoming RRR Project and determined that the implementation of a bicycle lane would require either the elimination of one (1) of the three (3) existing northbound travel lanes or the elimination of the existing on-street parking lane on the west side of Collins Avenue, resulting in the elimination of approximately 75 existing on-street parking spaces, including Freight Loading Zones, and the potential elimination of the existing concrete curb extensions (some landscaped) within the Project limits (“Option 1”).

While the Administration has concerns with the potential loss of on-street parking spaces in an area of North Beach where a high demand for parking currently exists, it is important to note that a bicycle lane on Collins Avenue would improve safety and mobility for numerous residents and workforce employees who commute by bicycle and/or use their bicycles on a regular basis for trips within the City, thereby contributing to reducing traffic congestion and helping Miami Beach achieve its strategic goal to become a less car-centric city. Additionally, a bicycle lane on Collins Avenue would 1) help relieve some pressure off the Beachwalk as some bicycle trips would shift to Collins Avenue, thus benefiting pedestrian safety on the Beachwalk; and 2) ultimately connect to future bicycle lanes on Collins Avenue both to the north and south of the Project, thus creating a safe and continuous bicycle facility along Collins Avenue in Mid and North Beach.

February 14, 2024 PSNQLC Meeting At the February 14, 2024 PSNQLC meeting, the Committee discussed the item and recommended that the Administration reach out to the community to obtain feedback on Option 1 and return to the Committee with an update at a future date.

Pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation, on May 13, 2024, the City conducted a virtual public meeting, in collaboration with FDOT, to obtain community input on the potential bicycle lane option (Option 1) with the purpose of providing direction to FDOT on the upcoming Project. Attachment A includes the public meeting presentation. Approximately 25 members of the public attended the virtual public meeting. During the public meeting, two (2) participants expressed a need for bicycle safety and bicycle network connectivity in North Beach, and one (1) participant acknowledged a need for bicycle safety but expressed concerns with the potential loss of on-

street parking. In addition, during the public meeting, Commissioner Alex Fernandez spoke and requested that the Administration obtain data with respect to 1) current parking demand and potential on-street parking impacts along alternative north-south corridors in comparison to Collins Avenue, including Harding Avenue/Abbott Avenue and Indian Creek Drive; 2) bicycle crash/safety statistics along Collins Avenue and other north-south avenues in proximity; and 3) identify east west corridors to ensure bicycle network connectivity in North Beach. Below is a summary of City staff’s analysis of the three (3) aforementioned requests.

1. Comparison of Parking Impacts of a Potential Bicycle Lane on Alternate Parallel Corridors The demand for on-street parking is high along Collins Avenue from 67 Street to 75 Street, while the demand for on-street parking is moderate along Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 67 Street. Transportation and Mobility Department staff conducted a high-level assessment of the potential loss of on-street parking along Abbott Avenue and Harding Avenue within the same limits of 63 Street to 75 Street if a continuous bicycle lane would be implemented along those avenues in lieu of Collins Avenue. Based on staff’s analysis, given Collins Avenue has on-street parking on the west side of the street only, a bicycle lane on Collins Avenue would result in the lowest on-street parking loss as compared to Abbott Avenue and Harding Avenue. As previously mentioned, the loss of on-street parking on Collins Avenue would be approximately 75 spaces, whereas the loss of on-street parking on Abbott Avenue would be approximately 112 spaces, and the loss of on- street parking on Harding Avenue would be approximately 109 spaces.

2. Bicycle Crashes From January 1, 2021 to November 30, 2024, there were a total of 25 crashes involving bicyclists on Collins Avenue between 63 Street and 75 Street, including along Abbott Avenue, Indian Creek Drive, and Harding Avenue, within the same limits.

3. East-West Connectivity 72 Street between Collins Avenue and Dickens Avenue has existing bicycle lanes which provide east-west connectivity. The Transportation and Mobility Department has completed the design of green bicycle lanes on 73 Street between Dickens Avenue and Ocean Terrace as proposed in the TMP. In addition, the TMP proposes protected bicycle lanes on 69 Street between Indian Creek Drive and Collins Avenue; however, the project is currently unfunded.

May 22, 2024 PSNQLC Meeting At the May 22, 2024 PSNQLC meeting, the Committee recommended that the Administration approach FDOT to discuss a potential redesign of the Project, including the potential elimination of a travel lane to accommodate the bicycle lane (with no loss of on-street parking) and return to the Committee with an update.

Pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation, on June 3, 2024, the City staff met with FDOT representatives to discuss the potential redesign of the Project. During the meeting, FDOT advised that the existing right-of-way constraints due to the abutting land uses along the Project limits preclude the widening of Collins Avenue to accommodate a dedicated northbound bicycle lane. In addition, the existing travel lanes are approximately 11 feet wide and cannot be narrowed further. Furthermore, FDOT advised that in January 2022, a comprehensive assessment of the entire State roadway network in Miami-Dade County (“County”) was conducted to identify roadways or roadway segments that could be considered potential candidates for lane elimination/repurposing consistent with the FDOT Lane Repurposing Guidebook (dated August 2020). The assessment was divided in two (2) phases. Phase 1 consisted of a high-level evaluation of all State roads in the County. Phase 2 consisted of a more detailed, corridor-specific traffic study for the roadways that met the Phase 1 criteria. The study methodology for Phase 1 involved a two-tiered process that consisted of first identifying roadways potentially suitable for lane repurposing based on the number of travel lanes and other roadway criteria (“Tier 1”), followed by an analysis of the roadway level of service (“LOS”) to determine if repurposing one (1) travel lane in each direction would be feasible from a traffic operational perspective (“Tier 2”). Although Collins Avenue within the Project limits met the Phase 1/Tier 1 criteria, as it consists of three (3) travel lanes plus dedicated turn lanes, the corridor did not meet the Phase 1/Tier 2

evaluation criteria as the resulting LOS (if a lane would be removed) did not meet the FDOT Target LOS D. Therefore, based on the Phase 1 analysis, FDOT does not support a travel lane elimination/repurposing along Collins Avenue within the Project limits. As such, in order to include a bicycle lane as part of the Project, without impacting the existing travel lanes and sidewalks, approximately 75 on-street parking spaces on the west side of Collins Avenue would need to be eliminated.

September 18, 2024 PSNQLC Meeting At the September 18, 2024 PSNQLC meeting, the Committee recommended that the Administration reach out to the businesses within the Project limits that would be affected by the loss of approximately 75 on-street parking spaces on the west side of Collins Avenue and return to the Committee with an update.

Pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation, the Administration reached out to 277 businesses (via an online survey) with an active Business Tax Receipt (“BTR”) to obtain their feedback on the potential elimination of approximately 75 on-street parking spaces on the west side of Collins Avenue for the implementation of a bicycle lane (Option 1). A total of 12 responses were received. Below is a table summarizing the survey results.

Question

Do you support the addition of a bicycle lane on Collins Ave between 63 - 75 streets, replacing the existing parking lane?

Based on the survey responses, 25% of respondents expressed support for the removal of on- street parking spaces for the implementation of a northbound bicycle lane, whereas 75% of respondents did not support the removal of on-street parking spaces for the implementation of a bicycle lane.

Since the number of responses to the online survey was extremely low, the Administration resent the survey in January 2025 and subsequently went door-to-door to the businesses along the Project limits to obtain their feedback on the potential elimination of approximately 75 on-street parking spaces on the west side of Collins Avenue for the implementation of a northbound bicycle lane (Option 1). A total of 27 responses were received during the second survey. Below is a table summarizing the survey results.

Question

Do you support the addition of a bicycle lane on Collins Ave between 63 - 75 streets, replacing the existing parking lane?

Based on the feedback received from the second survey, 26% of respondents expressed support for the removal of on-street parking spaces for the implementation of a bicycle lane, whereas 74% of respondents did not support the removal of on-street parking spaces for the implementation of a bicycle lane.

As an alternative option to eliminating on-street parking to introduce a northbound bicycle lane on Collins Avenue within the Project limits, the Administration discussed with the FDOT the possibility of narrowing the existing sidewalks on the east and/or west sides of Collins Avenue (currently ranging from 12 feet to 17 feet wide) in order to gain the width necessary to accommodate a northbound bicycle lane (ranging in width between 4 feet wide (if unprotected) and 7 feet wide (if protected)) within the existing right-of-way (“Option 2”). However, it is important to note, that any narrowing of the sidewalks will require curb/gutter and drainage modifications which would necessitate a major reconstruction project along Collins Avenue rather than the currently proposed milling and resurfacing project. While Option 2 would cost significantly more than Option 1 and delay the design and construction timeline, it would result in the most balanced option to improve bicycle safety and mobility, while avoiding impacts to the existing on-street parking on the west side of Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street.

Answer Yes No Respondents 3 9 Percentage 25% 75%

Answer Yes Respondents 7 Percentage 26%

No 74%

January 29, 2025 PSNQLC Meeting The discussion item (OB 20) was not reached during the January 29, 2025 PSNQLC meeting.

February 12, 2025 PSNQLC Meeting At the February 12, 2025 PSNQLC meeting, the Committee recommended that the Administration, in collaboration with FDOT, host a community meeting and present the potential alternative option (Option 2) consisting of narrowing the existing sidewalks on the east and west sides of Collins Avenue to gain the necessary width (7 feet) to accommodate a northbound buffered bicycle lane within the existing FDOT right-of-way, while maintaining the existing on- street parking spaces on the west side of Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street, and to return to the April 9, 2025 PSNQLC meeting with an update.

Pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation, on March 11, 2025, the Transportation and Mobility Department staff met with FDOT to discuss Option 2. During the meeting, FDOT presented a conceptual plan consisting of narrowing the sidewalks in order to accommodate a 7- feet wide buffered bicycle lane while maintaining the existing on-street parking spaces on the west side of Collins Avenue. Per FDOT, the narrowing of the existing sidewalks would necessitate the relocation of trees, sidewalk reconstruction, curb and gutter reconstruction, street lighting improvements, traffic signal mast arm relocations/upgrades, and drainage improvements. It is worth noting that based on the conceptual plan developed by FDOT for Option 2, with the narrowing of the sidewalks on the east and west sides of Collins Avenue, the resulting minimum width of the sidewalks at any given location between 63 Street and 75 Street would not be less than 6 feet wide from the FDOT right-of-way line.

A hybrid community meeting to be hosted by the City and FDOT is tentatively scheduled on July 1, 2025 to obtain community feedback on the potential alternative option (Option 2), consisting of narrowing the existing sidewalk widths on the east and west sides of Collins Avenue to accommodate a 7-feet wide northbound buffered bicycle lane and not significantly impact existing on-street parking on the west side of Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street.

Tangentially, City staff believes that it is crucial that FDOT explore opportunities to add safe pedestrian crosswalks as part of the Project and is working with FDOT in this regard.

April 9, 2025 PSNQLC Meeting The discussion item (OB 33) was not reached during the April 9, 2025 PSNQLC meeting.

May 14, 2025 PSNQLC Meeting At the May 14, 2025 PSNQLC meeting, the Committee passed a motion endorsing the FDOT RRR Project as currently designed (without a northbound bicycle lane) in order to not impact the existing on-street parking on the west side of Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street. The Committee further recommended that City staff work with FDOT to explore a potential future reconstruction project in order to incorporate the desired dedicated bicycle lane along Collins Avenue in North Beach. City staff will return to the PSNQLC with an update on the discussions with FDOT and feedback from the upcoming community meeting.

FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT

N/A

Does this Ordinance require a Business Impact Estimate? (FOR ORDINANCES ONLY)

If applicable, the Business Impact Estimate (BIE) was published on: See BIE at: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/city-clerk/meeting-notices/

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

N/A

CONCLUSION

A bicycle lane on Collins Avenue in North Beach would improve safety and mobility for numerous residents and workforce employees who commute by bicycle and/or use their bicycles on a regular basis for trips within the City, however, given the existing configuration along Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street and the constrained scope of the proposed FDOT RRR Project, the addition of a bicycle lane would necessitate either elimination of one (1) travel lane or elimination of approximately 75 on-street parking spaces, including Freight Loading Zones, on the west side of Collins Avenue within the Project limits (Option 1). Based on a traffic analysis conducted by FDOT, the elimination of a vehicular travel lane on Collins Avenue to accommodate a bicycle lane along the Project limits is not supported by FDOT.

Given the Administration’s concerns with the loss of 75 on-street parking spaces in an area of North Beach where a high demand for parking exists (Option 1), City staff will work with FDOT to explore a potential alternative option (Option 2) consisting of narrowing the existing sidewalks on the east and west sides of Collins Avenue in North Beach (currently ranging from 12 feet to 17 feet wide) in order to gain the width necessary to accommodate a 7-feet wide northbound buffered bicycle lane. If Option 2 is determined to be viable, the improvements would necessitate a major reconstruction project along Collins Avenue; however, Option 2 could result in the most balanced option to improve bicycle safety and mobility while minimizing the impacts to the on-street parking spaces along the west side of Collins Avenue in North Beach which are critical to the businesses in the area.

Should the City Commission adopt a Resolution accepting the recommendation of the PSNQLC endorsing the FDOT RRR Project, as currently designed (i.e. without a dedicated northbound bicycle lane in order to not impact the existing on-street parking on the west side of Collins Avenue from 63 Street to 75 Street), the Administration will transmit the Resolution to FDOT and work with FDOT to explore a potential future reconstruction project that would incorporate the desired northbound dedicated bicycle lane along Collins Avenue in North Beach. City staff will return to the PSNQLC with an update on the discussions with FDOT and feedback from the upcoming community meeting.

Applicable Area

North Beach

Was this Agenda Item initially requested by a lobbyist which, as defined in Code Sec. 2-481, includes a principal engaged in lobbying? No

If so, specify the name of lobbyist(s) and principal(s):

Department

Transportation and Mobility

Sponsor(s)

Commissioner Alex Fernandez

Co-sponsor(s)

Condensed Title

Accept Rec/Approve FDOT RRR Project on SR A1A/Collins Ave from 63rd - 75th St. (AF) TR

Previous Action (For City Clerk Use Only)