2003-25143 ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 2003-25143
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH , FLORIDA, REQUESTING THAT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND
THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO) EXTEND THE EAST-
WEST TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR PROJECT UP TO THE NORTHERN
BOUNDARY OF MIAMI BEACH TO GIVE THE CITY THE GREATEST
FLEXIBILITY; THAT THIS BE DONE AS PART OF THE COUNTY'S
REAUTHORIZATION REQUEST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21sT CENTURY (TEA-21); AND
FURTHER, THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ENGAGE ITS OWN MASS
TRANSIT CONSULTANT FOR THE PROJECT, TO BE FUNDED BY THE MPO
AND/OR THE COUNTY'S TRANSPORTATION TAX.
WHEREAS, at their Special Meeting of March 10, 2003, the Mayor and Commissioners
of the City of Miami Beach considered the Administration recommendation regarding a
Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) and technology for the Miami Beach leg of the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)-proposed Bay Link Transportation Corridor
Project (Project); and
WHEREAS, no action was taken on the above-mentioned recommendation; and
WHEREAS, the City was informed, both by the County Office of Public Transportation
Management (OPTM) and by the MPO, that a decision for the Bay Link LPA did not have
to be made at the Special City Commission meeting of March 10, 2003; and that the
Project would be submitted by the County, as part of OPTM's FY 2004 Legislative Package
for TEA-21 Reauthorization, without jeopardizing the Project's priority or possibility of
being funded; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission proposed that Miami-Dade County consider the
following request:
That,
the East-West Transportation Corridor be extended up to the northern
boundary of Miami Beach, as opposed to terminating at the Convention Center;
and
That,
the above-mentioned corridor be included as an amendment to the Fiscal
Year 2004 Federal Legislative Package already submitted to the TEA-21
Reauthorization process, by the County's Office of Public Transportation
Management; and
That, the City be allowed to engage its own consultant for the Miami Beach segment
of any ensuing transportation corridor study; and
WHEREAS, the funding for the expanded MPO-initiated Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) and the City's independent study for all of Miami Beach should be
funded in its entirety by the MPO and/or the County's Transportation Tax.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby
request that Miami-Dade County and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) extend
the East-West Transportation Corridor Project up to the northern boundary of Miami Beach
to give the City the greatest flexibility; that this be done as part of the County's
reauthorization request to the federal government for the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century (TEA-21); and further, that the City of Miami Beach engage its own mass
transit consultant for the project, to be funded by the MPO and/or the County's
Transportation Tax.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 10TM day~
l/MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
A FOR EXECUTION
F:\W OR K~TRA~,MELIA'~M PO\BayLinkMemo031003.doc
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CItY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
www.ci.miami-beach.fl.us
To:
From:
Subject:
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Date: March 10, 2003
Jorge M. Gonzalez
City Manager
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, SELECTING MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE
B-2, A DOUBLE TRACK LOOP SERVICE TO SOUTH BEACH, AS THE
LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE (LPA) WITH ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS, FOR FURTHER DETAILED ANALYSIS DURING THE
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING / FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT (FEIS) PHASE OF THE PROPOSED BAY LINK
TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR PROJECT.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
ANALYSIS
At the January 27, 2003 Commission Workshop to discuss the Miami-Miami Beach
Transportation Corridor, known as Bay Link, the Administration presented the Alternatives
Analysis / Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) findings and recommendations, as
well as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) alignment being recommended by both the
Administration and the South Beach stakeholders.
As a result of the Workshop, the Commission decided to further examine the Bay Link
issues, at the regular Commission meeting of February 5, 2003. Specifically, the
Commission requested the following:
1. That the Bay Link consultants prepare and submit aerial views or diagrams of the
Administration's proposed alignment, showing the right-of-way, how the parking will be
displaced, how the lanes are going to operate and the flow of vehicular traffic. Also
show from stop A to stop B and everything in between, parking, cutout for the bypass,
etc.
2. That the consultants prepare and submit a model that would provide a "visual tour" of a
trip down the proposed corridor alignment. The consultants stated that the modeling
has been scheduled for development as part of the next phase of the Bay Link Project;
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
Agenda Item
Date
March 10, 2003
Commission Memorandum
LPA for Bay Link
Page 2
That meetings be held with both the Washington Avenue and Alton Road stakeholders
to inform them of the proposed route and receive their input. These meetings could not
be scheduled before the next Commission meeting, due to time constraints.
That the Meeting Notice to be published by the City include route maps for the
Administration-recommended alternative, as well as the DEIS alternative options. This
has been done.
Items 1,3 and 4 were accomplished. Item 2 can only be done during the next phase of the
study since it requires preliminary engineering data and analysis.
Since the January 27, 2003 Commission Workshop, three public meetings were held.
Generally, in each of the meetings there wasn't good awareness and/or understanding of
the Bay Link Project. Some of the more common objections raised were; size and scale,
loss of parking, and construction impacts.
The Washington Avenue Corridor meeting, held on February 12, 2003, at the Police
Conference Room, had 33 people in attendance. There was significant amount of
opposition to construction of a LRT on Washington Avenue.
The Alton Road Corridor meeting, held February 13, 2003, at the Wachovia Bank
Bldg., 1200 Lincoln Road, had 28 people in attendance. A larger number of those in
attendance were in favor of construction of a LRT in South Beach, while some
remained ambivalent or in opposition to the project.
Homeowners Associations meeting held on February 24, 2003, at the Commission
Chambers, had 43 people in attendance. A balance of opinions for or against the Bay
Link project was expressed during this meeting.
In addition to the above meetings, a fact finding trip was made by City Commissioners, the
City Manager and City staff to San Francisco and Sacramento in California, and Portland,
Oregon. The review of the San Francisco, Sacramento and Portland transit systems was
undertaken for two important reasons. The Commissioners and senior staff desired to gain
a first hand knowledge, unfiltered by others, of operating transit systems and first hand
information to address many of the concerns or questions that had been posed by the
public and for which incomplete information may have been available.
As part of the field trips, the Commissioners and Administration sought out individual
comments from business operators and/or owners, residents, consultants and decision
makers. The questions posed concerned the following:
o Riders on bus vs. riders on trains
o Single track vs. double track
o Light rail transit (LRT) vs. bus rapid transit (BRT)
o Curb side vs. center median
o Dedicated lane vs. mixed traffic
March 10, 2003
Commission Memorandum
LPA for Bay Link
Page 3
Attached hereto is a list of people and organizations the Commissioners and
Administration interacted with during the field trips. Also attached is the power point slide
presentation that will be shown at the Special Commission Meeting, along with the video
summary of the trip.
The transit system review provided insight and valuable experience-based information on
a variety of topics, but primarily two principal insights:
Light rail transit systems were shown to have a remarkable flexibility in different
communities and under a wide variety of operating conditions. The systems reviewed
showed successes in adapting to physical and community issues while still addressing
the mass transit and congestion mitigation purposes for which they were created.
The other significant first hand observation was that to date the City has not been given
a full range of available system options and alternatives that Commissioners and senior
staff were able to actually experience in the field trip. This latter observation has also
confirmed the need to see and experience transit systems in order to make well
informed decisions. The first hand knowledge far surpassed the value of information
which has been relayed to the Commission and senior staff through studies and
presentations.
Specific observations of the transit system review are summarized in the following sub
points. These observations are based on senior staff review and discussion and can be
significantly expanded by the direct observations of the Commissioners in the March 10,
2003 special meeting. The direct observations of our citizen-elected representatives
should provide unique and previously unavailable and unbiased insights to transit system
value to the community.
Transit system mode. The field trip provided confirmation that the best available
mode of transit was a light rail transit (LRT) option, modified from previous discussions.
A smaller car light rail option that is currently in use in Portland and in several European
cities, such as Basel and Amsterdam, surpassed bus transit options on a direct pro and
con analysis. Significantly, the system operations reviewed were able to support the
theory that people make a choice to use LRT transit at a much higher percentage than
bus transit. The smaller car LRT option is also more in scale with the City of Miami
Beach than previous car options discussed and directly addresses a number of
concerns raised in community discussion.
Route alignments and operating conditions. The field trip clearly illustrated that the
previous assumptions of alignments and operating conditions needed to be expanded.
The more rigid pre-field trip view was shown to be unnecessary for system success.
Successful operations with both curb and center lane alignments and importantly,
dedicated and shared lane configurations were viewed. With options of shared train
and automobile traffic lanes also comes the opportunity to have a two track system with
little impact to traffic operations and the community. A shared right-of-way is also
March 10, 2003
Commission Memorandum
LPA for Bay Link
Page 4
flexible and scalable. If traffic conditions demand, the shared right-of-way can be
dedicated during peak traffic hours and shared during non-peak hours to adjust to
varying traffic flow conditions.
System appearance and aesthetic concerns. A wide variety of station configurations
and streetscapes were observed. Stations ran from large and formalized shelters with
street furniture amenities to very simple raised medians or curb side bump outs. In
each of the configurations the system intent, which was generally successful, was to
blend the station into the background environment. System function was not
compromised by any of the design options. In a design phase, the communitywould be
able to participate in choosing a station design that fit the specific environment with a
great deal of flexibility. The systems reviewed also demonstrated a wide variety of
landscape features and amenities such as public art. The opportunities to introduce
these elements are strictly a community choice, but clearly can be done successfully.
In systems that chose to utilize landscape, the electric wire used to power the LRT
tended to blend into the background.
The overhead electric wire was also seen in a variety of configurations. Systems ran
from a rather unsightly collection of wires to rather simple single wire configurations that
were not obtrusive. The technology to not use an electric wire system is available, but
there are trade offs in the vehicle size, noise and pollution impacts that would have to
be assessed.
Street beautification and the installation of public art. Successful examples of both
were viewed and can be incorporated into any design undertaken for the City.
Impacts to the community, construction and long term. In each community
inquiries were made as to the impacts of construction. Clearly there will be impacts as
with any project that the City builds. The level of impact that a LRT system would have
is no worse than the impact of one of our upcoming neighborhood CIP projects.
Portland was the best example of a community that had developed both construction
phasing and business assistance programs to help mitigate the impacts of construction.
The City of Portland cited that only one business, from a large sampling of businesses
described as fragile, went out of business as a result of their LRT construction. Their
success was based on both construction technique and business assistance provided.
Many of the successful techniques used for outreach and business assistance can be
incorporate into any plans pursued by the City to minimize adverse construction
impacts. In all of the communities visited, the long term impacts on land use and
economic vitality and sustainability were very positive. No community cited a negative
influence as a result of the respective systems construction.
March 10, 2003
Commission Memorandum
LPA for Bay Link
Page 5
CONCLUSION
Based on the results of the field trip, some important modifications to the previous
Administration recommendation to the Commission are appropriate. The trip was
extremely helpful in adding much needed details to our understanding of LRT systems and
technology and form the basis for the change in recommendation as follows.
· Requirements to be addressed in the FEIS: These requirements are additions to
those already presented earlier (see attachment):
The City will be provided, at MPO cost, an independent transit consultant to
assist the City with the conduct of the next phase of the study, to be selected by
the City.
The core team of Parsons Brinkerhoff shall be expanded to add an urban
planning and community development expertise.
During the FEIS, the City of Miami Beach will have a Commission-appointed
technical advisory committee to review and monitor the study and to provide
detailed design feedback as needed.
The Washington Avenue construction project is to be modified to reflect
immediate cosmetic improvements with little impact and to reserve significant
construction until such time as a LRT system is constructed.
The county collected contribution for art in public places on the Miami Beach
component is to be specifically earmarked for use in the City of Miami Beach, or
provided to the City's Art in Public Places account.
The City and the City of Miami enter into an interlocal agreement to specify that
the construction of a LRT system linking the two communities will preclude the
future development of a convention center in the City of Miami (City
responsibility).
Technical recommendation changes:
o The LRT mode is recommended with the addition of smaller LRT train car
technology.
A two track configuration is recommended in the basic loop configuration
previously recommended, utilizing shared lanes where feasible and in a center
median alignment.
The route previously recommended (Washington Avenue-Alton Road loop)
should be reviewed and possibly amended in light of the technical and system
options available to the City. This discussion is recommended for the March
10, 2003 special meeting.
March 10, 2003
Commission Memorandum
LPA for Bay Link
Page 6
Next Steps:
Subsequent to a decision by the City, the next steps towards further project development
and implementation are:
The MPO Governing Board, at its March 13, 2003 meeting, will consider a LPA for the
technology and alignment for the entire Bay Link Project, based on the input received
from the cities of Miami and Miami Beach.
Following adoption by the MPO, the Preliminary Engineering/Final Environmental
Impact Statement (PE/FEIS) Phase for the LPA will begin. During this phase, the
Administration will provide opportunities for community review and comments.
The Draft FEIS will be submitted for formal consideration and action by the cities of
Miami Beach and Miami. At this stage, the City Commission still have the opportunity
to terminate the Bay Link project
Subsequently, the MPO Board will act to approve the FEIS.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA)will review the FEIS, along with the comments
and mitigation measures, and a Draft Record of Decision (ROD) will be prepared. A
ROD determines whether the proposed project is suitable or not to be funded by the
Federal Government.
The FEIS will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
once the FEIS is accepted by the participating cities, the local MPO Board and FTA.
The EPA will place a Notice of Availability for the FEIS in the Federal Register, and the
FEIS will be distributed to agencies that have previously commented on the DEIS.
Thirty days after the notice of availability is published, FTA may sign the ROD and grant
location and design concept acceptance or issue separate RODs.
FTA may then authorize funding for final design and project construction (upon
acceptance of the ROD and availability of funding).
Environmental clearance for Federal monies (contingent on ROD accepted by EPA).
Full Funding Grant Agreement - FTA commitment of funding.
Final Design.
Right-of-way acquisition and project construction.
March 10, 2003
Commission Memorandum
LPA for Bay Link
Page 7
Based on the above sequence of required steps, construction of the Bay Link project is
estimated to start in four to six years.
The Administration recommends approval of the Resolution.
JG/RM/FB/a
Attachments:
List of people and organizations contacted during the rapid transit field trip.
Power-point slides/pictures.
Previous list of City requirements.
F:\WO RK~TRA~AM ELIA\MPO\BayLin kMe mo031003.doc
Coordinators/Tour Guides/Speakers for
Miami Beach Delegation
Myrna Valdez, Assistant Vice President
Kenya Wheeler, Transportation Planner,
Parsons Brinckerhoff
303 Second Street, Suite 700N
San Francisco, CA 94107
Lisa Mancini, Deputy Executive Director
Susan Olive, Project Manager
Suany Chough, Transit Planner
San Francisco Municipal Railway
Municipal Transportation Agency
1145 Market Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1547
Tom Tracy, Vice President
Parsons Brinckerhoff
3840 Rosin Court, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95834
Sidney Sparks, Director
Frank Guzzo, Marketing Manager
Siemens
7464 French Road
Sacramento, CA 95828
GB Arrington, Assistant Vice President
Parsons Brinckerhoff
400 SW Sixth, Suite 802
Portland, OR 97204
Vic Rhodes, former City of Portland Director of Public Works
1325 NW Flanders
Portland, OR 97209
Steve Iwata, Transportation Planning Supervisor
City of Portland
Office of Transportation
1120 SW 5th Ave, Suite 900
Portland, Or 97204
Robert DeGraf, Vice Prresident for Public Policy
Portland Business Alliance
221 NW Second Ave
Portland, OR
Phil Selinger, Director, Project Planning
Neil McFarlane, Executive Director
Anne Mason, Planner
Tri-Met
710 NE Holladay St.
Portland, OR 97232
Charlie Hales, Former Councilman and Tri-Met official
HDR
1001 SW 5th Ave, Suite 1800
Portland, OR 97204
Beverly A. Scoff, Ph.D., General Manager/CEO
Cameron Beach, Chief Operating Officer
Michael R. Wiley, Director of Customer Service
Sacramento Regional Transit District
1400 29th Street
Sacramento, CA 95812-2110
PREVIOUS LIST OF CITY REQUIREMENTS
This recommendation to proceed is conditioned upon a number of requirements that,
together with the chosen LPA, would constitute the complete Miami Beach
recommendation to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Support for a light rail
Bay Link system is premised on:
A local circulator bus route connecting the rail stations with the adjacent
neighborhoods.
[] Construction of an intermodal transit facility that would also accommodate the local
circulator route, above mentioned.
Replacement and enhancement of parking in Miami Beach.
Replacement and enhancement of landscaping in project corridor.
Analysis of transit mode to determine if technology other than electric is feasible.
Miami Beach is provided with assistance to complete a needed intermodal facility.
Operating funds for the system are from the Transit Tax, not Miami Beach soumes.
During any construction, a public outreach and awareness effort managed by Miami
Beach is to be funded from Transit Tax and other non-Miami Beach fund sources.
[] Miami Beach maintains control over the design of stations on the appearance of
vehicles used in the system.
[] Funds are provided to Miami Beach for business impact mitigation.
[] Complete an origin and destination study to guide future routing to serve the entirety of
Miami Beach.
[] A Supplemental DEIS shall be prepared for a continued LRT alignment from Dade
Boulevard to Middle Beach and North Beach, utilizing the Collins Avenue corridor, as
recommended by the Miami Beach Planning Board.
Develop a definitive plan for mainland expansion that clearly delineates future routes
beyond downtown Miami.
[] Diversion of all MDT bus traffic over causeways north of the MacArthur; and a plan for
bus traffic that does not result in a bus depot being created in Miami Beach.
[] Citizen's Oversight Board.
[] DEIS operating parameters responsive to Miami Beach peak traffic needs.
F:\WORK~TRA~AMELIA\MPO~BayLinkMemo.doc
CiTY OF MIAMI BE
NOTICE OF A SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that a Special Commission Meeting
will be held by the City Commission of'the City of Miami BeaCh,
on Monday, March 10, 2003, commencing at 3:00 p.m., in the
Commission Chambers, 3rd floor, City Hall, 1700 Convention
Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, to discuss and take action
regarding the proposed Bay Link Light Rail Transit (LRT)
System.
In addition, the City Commission may discuss other City
business at this meeting.
INQUIRIES may be directed to the Transportation/Concurrency
Management Division at (305) 673-7514.
Robert E. ParcheG City Cierk
City of Miami Beach .
=ursuant to Section 286.0105, Fla. Stat., the City hereby edvl~
the public that: if a person decides to appeal any decision ma;ii
by the City Commission with respect to any matter considered
its meeting or its hearing, such person must ensure that a
verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record
includes the testimony and evidence upon.which the apPeat Is to
the introduction or admission of otherwise inadmissible .or
rrelevant evidence, nor does it authorize .challenges or. ~
not otherwise allowed by law. ' ,
In accordance with the Americans with DisabI Itles Act of 1990t
persons needing special accommodation to participate in
roceeding or to request nformation on access for persons
P. ........... to r'~uest this publication in accessible
to request s gn language interpreters, should contact t~s
C erk's off ce at (305) 673-7411, no later than four days pdot'
the proceeding f hearing impaired, contact the CI~
off ce via tha,F'ieriila. Re~y, Servl~
'