LTC 322-2012 Mass Transit Connectivitym MIAMI BEACH
LETTER TO COMMISSION322' 74FL.
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Kathie G. Brooks, Interim City Manager
DATE: December 11, 2012
SUBJECT: MASS TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to provide an update on the City's ongoing efforts to
improve mass transit connectivity between Miami Beach and the mainland since the Finance
and Citywide Projects (FCWP) Committee meeting held on July 10, 2012 wherein this item was
discussed. Discussions regarding the Bay Link Project have been in consideration for some
time, with a discussion item placed on the Commission agenda by Commissioner Gongora in
June 2010. The discussion was not heard, but in May 2012, the item was discussed at the
Commission retreat. At that time, it was recommended that since there was a funding
consideration, it should be discussed as part of the FCWP Committee meetings on budget in
July. A copy of the agenda item from that meeting is attached.
At the meeting, City staff made a brief presentation on a modern electric streetcar system
operated by FEVE, a Spanish rail entity operating approximately 777 miles of rail service in
various parts of Spain, including a catenary-free modern streetcar system within historic Seville.
The FCWP Committee directed City staff to establish contact with FEVE to discuss the
possibility of conducting a feasibility analysis that would evaluate the viability of applying a
catenary-free technology in the context of the Bay Link Project, a bi- directional streetcar system
proposed to connect and circulate within the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. The Bay Link
Study was conducted under the auspices of the Miami -Dade Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) in 2044. The project did not move forward due to lack of funding and
political support at the County level at that time as well as some outstanding concerns related to
noise, vibration, and the proliferation of overhead catenary wires throughout the City's historic
South Beach district..
City staff met with a FEVE official on October 24, 2012. The purpose of the meeting was two-
fold: to provide FEVE with all the historical documents prepared by the MPO for the Baylink
project and to discuss an action plan for a preliminary study - based on the refined locally
preferred alternative from the Bay Link Study - that would evaluate the feasibility of a catenary-
free streetcar system connecting Miami Beach to the mainland and providing circulator service
within the City. As a result of that initial meeting, FEVE has completed its literature review of
the Bay Link studies and submitted a draft scope of services for a pre - feasibility study that
would include the technical and financial viability of a catenary-free streetcar system in the City..
The objectives of the pre - feasibility study are as follows:
• To define and develop the technical specifications required for the operation of a
catenary-free streetcar system in Miami Beach.
• To develop a preliminary financial feasibility steady for the streetcar project.
• To identify all potential funding sources available to the City for the capital, operations,
maintenance, and financing of the proposed streetcar system.
• To identify economic development opportunities associated with the proposed streetcar
system, including compatibility with land use policies and transportation goals.
• To identify social and environmental benefits, including improving safety, mobility, and
LTC - Mass Transit Connectivity
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quality -of -life.
At this time, City staff is reviewing the draft scope of services recently submitted by FEVE. A
meeting has been scheduled with FEVE for Friday, December 14, 2012 to discuss the scope of
services, fee proposal, and next steps, should the City wish to proceed with the feasibility study.
NEXT STEPS
Following the December 14' meeting with FEVE, City staff will provide an update to the
Commission on the progress of the discussions. In addition, an update on this item will be
presented to FCWP Committee in early 2013 for discussion and further direction prior to any
formal engagement of FEVE to commence a feasibility study.
Should a feasibility study find that a catenary-free streetcar system connecting Miami and Miami
Beach is viable, City staff will recommend that more detailed technical and financial studies be
conducted to further develop a streetcar project. The City will coordinate the additional efforts
closely with the Miami -Dade MPO, the Board responsible for short range and long range
transportation planning in Miami -Dade County. Currently, the Bay Link project is a Priority IV
Unfunded Project in the Miami -Dade MPO 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). After
the feasibility study is completed and the City Commission wishes to pursue a new mass transit
project, the City Administration will work through the MPO process to identify funding for the
additional planning and engineering studies in the MPO Five -Year Transportation Improvement
Program and to submit a new project to the MPO for inclusion in the LRTP. At this time, the
MPO is initiating the year -long process to update the LRTP to the year 2040, and the City will be
actively engaged in LRTP Update process via representation on the LRTP Advisory Committee.
City staff firmly believes that premium mass transit connectivity between Miami Beach and the
mainland is vital to the economic and environmental sustainability of our City. As such, please
be assured that the City will be engaged and take a proactive stance on this important
transportation project.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Attachment:
FCWP Committee Agenda Item from July 10, 2012 including photos of FEVE - operated
catenary-free streetcar in historic Seville
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COMMITTEE EE MEMORANDUM
TO. Finance and Citywide Projects Committee
FROM: Kathie G. Brooks, Interim City manager
DATE July 9, 2012
slisi� MASS TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY STUDY
This item was briefly discussed at the Commission retreat held on May 18, 2812 and referred to the
Finance and Citywide Projects Committee, The below information is provided to the Finance and
Citywide Projects Committee for discussion and further direcfion,
BACKGROUND
Pursuant to adopted policies, goals, and objectives in the Transportation Element of the City's 2025
Comprehensive Plan, the City coordinates closely with Miami -Dade Transit (MDT) to ensure that
transit service within the South Beach, Middle Beach, and North Beach communities improves
motility and promotes the use of altemative modes of public transit while preserving the historic
character of the community.
The City Administration warps closely with Miami -Dade Transit (MDT), the Miami -Dade Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO), and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) an various
short term bustransit projects and initiatives in orderto provide residentsand visitors traveling in our
City with an efficient public mass transportation system that offers safe, convenient, reliable, and
accessible transit service and connections_ However, a long -term visionary approach is needed to
ensure the transportation demands of the future are met.
At this time, there is renewed interest, increasing demand, and new options for additional mass
transit connections between the City and rather parts of the County. in addition, new technology
eliminates overhead catenary wires that were one of the concerns of the most recent potential mass
transit connections — Bay Link.
Bay Link-Transit Project
In 2004, the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) completed the Miami Miami
Beach Transportation Corridor Study. also known as Bay Link. The Bay Link study consisted of an
approximately eighteen (18) mile long bi- directional loop repute utilizing the Mac Arthur Causeway,
Washington Avenue, Altor Road, 17 Street and Dade Boulevard corridors. The estimated capital
cost of the Bay Link LPA was $482.7 million and the annual operating and maintenance cast was
estimated to be $12.1 million in 2004 dollars.
On September 8, 2003, during a Special Commission Meeting, the Miami Beach City Commission,
by a four -to -three vote, approved the streetcar mode and bi- directional loop route, with some route
Finance and Citywl& Projects Committee Memorandum — Mast Transit Connectivity
July 9, 2012
Page 3 of 4
implementing segregated managed lanes with all day variable pricing on existing un- tolled highways
(such as the 1- 395fM2c Arthur Causeway and the i- 195 /Julia Tuttle Causeway). The study will
evaluate the potential of using new revenues generated by the tolled managed laneslfacilities to
fund the capital, operating, and maintenance costs of implementing enhanced or express bus
services or other type of premium transit, such as light rail,
Traditional strategies of adding mare roadway capacity on our major highways and more louses on
our local street network are not only unaffordable, they are most often adversely impactful, time
consuming to implement, and do not solve the transportation problem in an effective manner. ]f we
continue to follow the same approach as in the .past, congestion will only continue to worsen
becoming more intense and for longer periods of time. The current condition and approach has and
will continue to have a disproportionate impact on lower income travelers who typically do not have a
choice and must rely on slaw - moving street running bus service.
It is time that we address the current and expanding transportation problem in our City with a new,
expedited, financially and environmentally sustainable approach. Toll managing the Mac Arthur
Causeway and/or Julia Tuttle Causeway can be financially self- supporting for an enhanced bus
service or light rail transit and represents an equitable approach to providing travel options for
everyone. A toll - managed Mac Arthur Causeway and /or Julia Tuttle Causeway, for example, can be
used to alter travel behavior and patterns by mode, by facility, and by (true of day. Implementation of
toll managed facilities would have very limited adverse impacts to the human and natural
environment while over long - terra they could result in fewer adverse impacts than the alternative of
doing more of the same. Tolled managed highway facilities are an innovative, lower costa Itemabve
to traditional highway construr -flo n that can offer a variety of travel options for avoiding congestion,
maintaining a congestion -free alternative 24/7.
OFTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
Re- evaluate a light rail transit/streetcar project to connect Miami Beach to the /Mainland.
This alternative would entail revisiting the Bay Link Transit Study and reevaluating the
Refined Locally Preferred Alternative in the context of applying new state -of -the -art
technologies for propulsion systems, such as that currently in use by FEVE in Spain, that do
not require the proliferation of overhead catenary wires throughout the City and minimize
noise and vibration effects_.
2. Evaluate the feasibility of implementing a cross -Bay Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This
alternative would explore opportunities for BRT operation along the general -use lanes and
shoulders of the Mac Arthur Causeway and/or Julia Tuttle Causeway. A BRT mode would
require signal pre - eruption that would serve as a `queue jumper" and allowthe BRT vehicles
to proceed through signalized intersections without stopping-
Although the consideration of these options can be done at different stages, a comprehensive look
at the fink between the City and the mainland would explore the feasibility of both alternatives. This
study would look at both options using a range of service oriented and financial criteria while
exploring the new vehicle technology that was not available in the 2004 Bay Link Study. In an effort
to enhance the transit connection between Miami Beach and the mainland, the administration would
go through mxtensive coordination with Miami -Dade MPO, Miami -Dade Transit (MI)T), and Florida
Department of Transportation (FDOT). The coordination with local agencies would facilitate the
process since the study requirements would not be as labor intensive as those required by the