LTC 157-2009 51st Street and Blackhawk Avenue Intersection`OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
No. LTC # is~-2oo9 LETTER TO COMIv1i~S~N,_
TO. Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Mem{ bers. oftthe City Com(`mis~sion
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Managers;~'1 ~/U ~°~' - ~' ~,
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DArE: June 12, 2009 ~ a ' t
SUBJECT: 515' Street and Blackhawk Avenue Intersection "~
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The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to provide you with an update on LTC 318-2008
for a request by residents for the installation of stop signs at the intersection of 51st Street and
Blackhawk Avenue. According to residents, motorists speeding on 51 s' Street has been an
increasing problem that has created a dangerous situation for pedestrians in the neighborhood, as
well as made it more difficult for those traveling south on Blackhawk Avenue to enter the roadway on
51 ~' Street. Residents believe that athree-way stop would result in traffic calming and would bring
order to the intersection movements.
City staff forwarded the request to the Miami-Dade County Public Works Department, Traffic
Engineering Division (the County), which completed a study to evaluate existing traffic conditions
and determined that it was not feasible to implement either an 'All Way' stop control or traffic
calming devices at this location.
The speed and volumes were measured by the County during a recent 24-hour period and the
results are indicated in Table 1.
Table 1. Existing Traffic Volumes and Speed
Street Name and Direction 8~Percentile Speed Volume
(Miles per Hour (MPH Vehicles er day)
5151 Street, Eastbound 30 1162
5141 Street, Westbound 30 1168
Blackhawk Avenue, _ 29
Southbound
The traffic data collected revealed that the traffic volumes on 5151 Street and Blackhawk Avenue are
far below the minimum required for the requested stop signs. Furthermore, a search of crash reports
for the last three (3) years revealed that there were no reported crashes atthis intersection. As such,
the County has not approved the installation of "All Way' stop control signs at this location.
In order to install traffic calming devices: minimum traffic volumes must be greaterthan 150 vehicles
per hour or 1500 vehicles per day; and the 85'" percentile speed must beat least 10 MPH greater
than the established speed limit of the road. The 85'" percentile speed is defined as "the speed at or
below which 85 percent of the motorists drive on a given road". The County did not approve
installation of traffic calming devices because the traffic volume is less than 1,500 per day and the
85"' percentile does not exceed the 30 MPH street posted speed limit by 10 MPH.
LTC
June 12, 2009
51" Street and Blackhawk Intersection
Page 2 of 2
RECOMMENDATION
At this time. the County has not approved the installation of stop signs or other traffic calming
measures at the intersection of 51S` Street and Blackhawk Avenue. The City will continue to
coordinate with the County in an effort to monitor the performance of the intersection in the future
and to recommend appropriate solutions if necessary.
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