2009-27272 ResoRESOLUTION NO. 2009-27272
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON JANUARY 13,
2010 FOR THE CITY COMMISSION TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: 1.) A
MODIFICATION OF THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY MASTER PLAN TO
CONSIDER CLOSING VEHICULAR ACCESS ON THE EXTENSION OF
DREXEL AVENUE, FROM LINCOLN LANE NORTH TO 17T" STREET; AND 2.)
TO OBTAIN PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING A REQUEST BY THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH TO MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE
CONSIDERATION OF TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATIONS ON DREXEL
AVENUE, BETWEEN LINCOLN ROAD AND 17t" STREET, AS REQUIRED BY
THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC WORKS TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATION /
STREET CLOSURE PROCEDURES.
WHEREAS, the approved New World Symphony (NWS) Master Plan included maintaining
vehicular access on the extension of Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street; and
WHEREAS, a modification to the NWS Master Plan is now being proposed, which
recommends closing, for vehicular access, the aforestated extension of Drexel Avenue, from
Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street, thereby incorporated the closed portion as part of the
proposed NWS Park Project site (immediately to the east of the NWS Campus Extension
Project, which is currently under construction between Drexel and Washington Avenue; and
WHEREAS, the City has also proposed the conversion of Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln
Lane North and Lincoln Road to a one-way northbound to facilitate enhancement of the
sidewalks along Drexel Avenue by only allowing one lane of traffic; and
WHEREAS, the traffic impacts associated with the traffic flow modifications resulting from
the closure, and the proposed one-waying of Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and Lincoln
Lane North would warrant a formal traffic analysis and subsequent Miami-Dade County
approval at the administrative level; and
WHEREAS, the amendment to the approved NWS Master Plan, recommending the
aforestated closure, should also be considered following a public hearing to hear public
comment; and
WHEREAS, at the October 14, 2009 City Commission meeting a motion was passed
authorizing the City Manager to conduct a traffic study to determine how the proposed closure
of this extension of Drexel Avenue would impact traffic, and also to solicit community input from
surrounding neighborhoods regarding the proposed closure; and
WHEREAS, the City retained the services of PBS&J to conduct the requested traffic study;
and
WHEREAS, the recommendations of the study are as follows: the proposed modifications
will enhance the safety of the pedestrians within the area and will operate at acceptable levels
of services; the existing signalized operation at the intersection of Drexel Avenue and 17th Street
should be further examined for conversion to a signalized pedestrian crossing control; the
Drexe! Avenue northbound movement at Lincoln Lane will restrict vehicular traffic to an
eastbound movement; and no northbound to westbound operation is recommended at this
intersection; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has requested that the City conduct a test of all the
proposed changes in order to verify the assumptions in the City (PBS&J) study; and
WHEREAS, this test is scheduled to begin in January 2010, for a period of one (1) month,
after which time the City will request final approval from the County; and
WHEREAS, a public meeting was held on November 24, 2009, (in the City Commission
Chambers) to solicit input regarding the proposed closure from the residents and stakeholders
in the community, and the majority of those in attendance expressed support for the closure;
and
WHEREAS, a second public meeting is scheduled for January 6, 2010, to solicit additional
input; and
WHEREAS, accordingly, the Administration would recommend that the Mayor and City
Commission set a public hearing for January 13, 2010 for the City Commission to consider the
following: 1.) a modification to the NWS Master Plan for closing vehicular access on the
extension of Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street; 2.) to obtain public
comment regarding the proposed traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln
Road and 17th Street.
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 set a
public hearing on January 13, 2010, for the City Commission to consider the following: 1.) a
modification of the New World Symphony Master Plan for closing vehicular access on the
extension of Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street; and 2.) to obtain public
comment regarding a request by the City to Miami-Dade County Public Works for the
consideration of traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and 17th
Street, as required by the Miami-Dade Public Works Traffic Flow Modification /Street Closure
Procedures.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 9th day p~eceml$pQ9,
ATTEST:
~~~
CITY CLERK
Robert Parcher
M O
Matti Herrera Bower
T:\AGENDA\2009\December 9\Consent\Drexel Closure Reso 12-9-09.doc
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
>~~
tty o n ate
i
COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, setting a public hearing
on January 13, 2009 for the City Commission to consider closing vehicular access on the extension of Drexel
Avenue from Lincoln Road to 17tH Street; and further setting a public hearing to obtain public comment
regarding the consideration of traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and 17tH
Street.
Intended Outcome Su
Enhance mobility throughout the City.
Supporting Data (Surveys, Environmental Scan, etc.j: Transportation remains one of the most significant
areas to address from the 2009 Customer Satisfaction Survey results. Only 24% of residents rated traffic flow
excellent or good. Only 35% of residents rated the availability of pedestrian trails and bicycle paths/lanes as
Issue:
Shall the Ma or and the Cit Commission a rove the Resolution?
Item Summa /Kecommendat~on:
The New World Symphony (NWS) Master Plan proposed to maintain vehicular traffic on the extension of
Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17tH Street. At the October 14, 2009 City Commission meeting a
motion was passed authorizing the City Manager to conduct a traffic study to determine how the proposed
closure of Drexel Avenue would impact traffic, and to also solicit community input from surrounding
neighborhoods regarding the proposed closure. The requested traffic study was conducted and the
recommendations of the study indicated that the proposed modifications will enhance the safety of the
pedestrians within the area and will operate at acceptable levels of services.
The tract of land which is currently a street that extends north of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and
17tH Street is a fee simple property that is owned by the City of Miami Beach and it is therefore not a public
right-of-way (ROW). The closure of this street would subsequently not trigger the City Code requirements
stated under Article II Section 82.6 of the Miami Beach Code of Ordinances for the vacation of a ROW. The
traffic impacts associated with the traffic flow modifications surfacing from this closure would, however,
warrant a formal traffic analysis and subsequent Miami-Dade County (the County) approval at the
administrative level.
Although the City is not required to undergo a formal vacation process, the City is, however, required to set a
public hearing to request that the County consider all the traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue from
Lincoln Road to 17tH Street. The County has requested that the City conduct a test of all the proposed
changes in order to verify the study assumptions and this test is scheduled to begin in January 2010 for a
period of one (1) month, after which time the City will request final approval from the County.
A public meeting was held on November 24, 2009 to solicit input regarding the proposed closure from the
residents and stakeholders in the community. A second public meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 6,
2009. It is also necessary to hold a public hearing in accordance with the County's Traffic Flow Modification /
Street Closure Procedures. The results of these meetings as well as the test and the County's final approval
will be reported to the City Commission.
THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.
Adviso Board Recommendation:
N/A
Financial Information:
Uttice
Sign-Offs:
De artment Dire for Assistant Ci na er Ci Mina er
FHB JGG JMG ~'
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City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, voww.miamibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager '
DATE: December 9, 2009
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON JANUARY 13, 2009
FOR THE CITY COMMISSION TO CONSIDER THE MODIFICATION OF THE NEW
WORLD SYMPHONY MASTER PLAN FOR CLOSING VEHICULAR ACCESS ON
THE EXTENSION OF DREXELAVENUE FROM LINCOLN ROAD NORTH TO 17T"
STREET; AND FURTHER SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING TO OBTAIN PUBLIC
COMMENT REGARDING A REQUEST BY THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH TO
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF
TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATIONS ON DREXELAVENUE, BETWEEN LINCOLN
ROAD AND 17t" STREET, AS REQUIRED BYTHE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC WORKS
TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATION /STREET CLOSURE PROCEDURES.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
BACKGROUND
The New World Symphony (NWS) Master Plan originally proposed to maintain vehicular access
through the extension of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street. Recently, the NWS
plan has been modified to propose the restriction of vehicular access along this publically owned
portion of Drexel Avenue, while maintaining pedestrian access. The proposed pedestrian path will
be designed to be a part of the future City Park (Lincoln Park) site immediately to the east of the
NWS campus, which is currently under design between Drexel Avenue and Washington Avenue.
Also proposed in the NWS Master Plan is the conversion of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane
and Lincoln Road (north) to cone-way northbound. This will facilitate enhancement of the sidewalks
along Drexel Avenue by only allowing one lane of traffic.
It is important to note that the tract of land which is currently utilized as a street that extends north of
Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and 17th Street, commonly identified as Drexel Avenue, is a
fee simple property that is owned by the City of Miami Beach and it is therefore not a public right-of-
way (ROW). The closure of this street would subsequently not trigger the City Code requirements
stated under Article II Section 82.6 of the Miami Beach Code of Ordinances for the vacation of a
ROW. The traffic impacts associated with the traffic flow modifications surfacing from this closure
would, however, warrant a formal traffic analysis and subsequent Miami-Dade County (the County)
approval at the administrative level. Although the City is not required to undergo a formal vacation
process, the City is, however, required to set a public hearing to request that the County consider all
the traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to 17th Street. In addition, the City
will hold two public meetings prior to the public hearing, to elicit further comments from owners and
residents of the nearby area.
Commission Meeting- Drexel Avenue Closure
December 9, 2009
Page 2 of 3
ANALYSIS
At the October 14, 2009 City Commission meeting a motion was passed authorizing the City
Manager to conduct a traffic study to determine how the proposed closure of Drexel Avenue would
impact traffic and also to solicit community input from surrounding neighborhoods regarding the
proposed closure as required by the County's Traffic Flow Modification and Street Closure Manual.
The motion also requested City staff to determine the feasibility of allowing a left turn onto Lincoln
Lane North from Drexel Avenue to go west to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Traffic Study Results
The City retained the services of PBS&J to conduct the requested traffic study (see Attachment 1,
Drexel Avenue Closure Traffic Study). The following lists the recommendations of the study, which
have been reviewed and approved by the City's Transportation Manager:
• The proposed area reconfiguration includes the permanent closure of Drexel Avenue
between Lincoln Lane and 17th Street and the conversion of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln
Road and Lincoln Lane to one way northbound. These proposed modifications will enhance
the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists within the area and all intersections within the vicinity
will operate at acceptable levels of service (LOS), which exceeds the minimum acceptable
LOS standards of LOS D by Miami-Dade County (County) and the City.
• The existing signalized operation at the intersection of Drexel Avenue and 17th Street should
be further examined for conversion to a signalized pedestrian crossing control. A signal
warrant study should be performed to confirm that this signal would be warranted based on
the projected volume of pedestrians crossing 17th Street. The signal would then be
converted to pedestrian activated on demand.
• Signal timing adjustments will be necessary for traffic signals within the area of study to
accommodate the redistribution of traffic resulting from these modifications.
Recommendations from the study will be forwarded to the County Traffic Signals and Signs
Division for their review and implementation.
• Due to the existing one-way eastbound direction of traffic on Lincoln Lane North, it is
recommended to restrict traffic on Lincoln Lane North between Pennsylvania Avenue and
Washington Avenue to eastbound movement only. Therefore a left turn onto Lincoln Lane
North from Drexel Avenue to go west to Pennsylvania Avenue should not be allowed.
Prior to the approval of this modification, the County has requested the City to conduct a test of all
the proposed changes in order to verify the study assumptions and conditions. Since Drexel Avenue
has been closed between 17th Street and Lincoln Lane from the beginning of 2009, this portion of
the street will remain as is. As part of the test, temporary traffic control devices will be utilized to
close the southbound direction of traffic on Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane
for a period of approximately one (1) month starting in January 2010. The results of the test will be
forwarded to the County for their review and evaluation prior to obtaining their final approval. The
City may exercise at anytime the closure of Drexel Avenue as long the County issues their approval
on the impacts associated with the traffic flow modifications related with this closure.
Public Involvement Process
A public meeting was held on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at City Hall to gain the public's input on
the proposed Drexel Avenue closure and the one-way northbound modification. Approximately
twenty-two (22) stakeholders attended, including Mayor Matti H. Bower, Commissioner Jerry Libbin,
City and County staff, and representatives from the Lincoln Road Marketing Association, Hines, New
World Symphony, and PBS&J. An introduction to the project was provided, followed by a questions
and answers session. The majority sentiment of the meeting attendees was in support of the
proposed closure. City staff will hold a second public meeting to acquire additional public input. This
Commission Meeting- Drexel Avenue Closure
December 9, 2009
Page 3 of 3
meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, January 6, 2009 and it will be announced in a
future Letter to the Commission.
Operational Issues
A coordination meeting was held on Monday, November 30, 2009 with representatives from the
Miami Beach Police, Fire and Public Works Departments. The Police Department has determined
that their ability to respond to emergencies will be minimally impacted. However, they are
concerned with the transition of Drexel Avenue from cone-way road at Lincoln Road to a two-way
road as it approaches 16th Street. The details of this transition will be addressed during the design
process. The Fire Department determined that their ability to respond to emergencies will not be
impacted as long as the land extending north of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and 17th
Street remains accessible for emergency vehicles. This will also be addressed during the design
process.
Next Steps
The City recommends setting a Public Hearing on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 for the City
Commission to consider the modification of the NWS Master Plan for closing vehicular access on
the extension of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane to 17th Street. In addition, the County's Traffic
Flow Modifications/Street Closure Procedures requires a public hearing to obtain public comment
regarding the traffic flow modification on Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North to
a one-way northbound.
If the traffic flow modifications and closure of Drexel Avenue are approved by the City Commission,
the final outcome may be an agreement with the NWS to design and build the proposed
improvements. This negotiated agreement, the form of which still needs to be determined, would
come back before the City Commission for final approval.
CONCLUSION
The Administration recommends approving the Resolution.
Attachment:
1. Drexel Avenue Closure Traffic Study
JMG/J /FHB/FV/XF/CL
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