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2010-27306 ResoRESOLUTION NO. 2010-27306 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, FOLLOWING A DULY NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING, APPROVING A MODIFICATION TO THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY MASTER PLAN, TO ALLOW FOR THE CLOSING OF VEHICULAR ACCESS ON THE EXTENSION OF DREXEL AVENUE, FROM LINCOLN LANE NORTH TO 17T" STREET; AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS AUTHORIZED DESIGNEES TO MEET WITH MIAMI- DADE COUNTY OFFICIALS TO REQUEST THAT THE COUNTY, THROUGH ITS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, APPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATIONS ON DREXEL AVENUE, BETWEEN LINCOLN ROAD AND LINCOLN LANE NORTH (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 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 Lincoln Park Project site (immediately to the east of the NWS Campus Extension Project, which is currently under construction between Drexel and Pennsylvania 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 street, 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 approval by Miami-Dade County; and WHEREAS, at its October 14, 2009, meeting, the City Commission passed a motion authorizing the City Manager to retain a consultant 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 Drexel Avenue northbound movement at Lincoln Lane North 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 February 2010, for a period of one (1) month, after which time the City will request final approval from the County; and WHEREAS, two (2) public meetings were held on November 24, 2009, and on January 6, 2009,respectively, 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, at its meeting on January 4, 2010 the Transportation and Parking Committee unanimously approved a motion recommending that Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street, remain open to allow for passenger drop-off/pick-up and vehicle traffic flow to be smoother on north/south and east/west directions; and WHEREAS, if Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street is not closed, the portion of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North cannot be converted to a one-way northbound vehicular traffic street; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 2009-27272, a public hearing was noticed and duly held on January 13, 2010, to hear public comment regarding the proposed amendment to the NWS Master Plan, recommending the aforestated closure; and WHEREAS, accordingly, following the public hearing on January 13, 2010, the Administration hereby recommends that the Mayor and City Commission approve the requested modification to the NWS Master Plan, for closing vehicular access on the extension of Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street, and further request the City Manager or his authorized designees be authorized to meet with Miami-Dade County officials, to request that Miami-Dade County consider and approve traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane North; and WHEREAS, additionally, following the aforestated public hearing, the City Commission requests that the City Administration: 1) investigate the possibility of installing a traffic light at the 16th Street Garage; 2) provide stronger enforcement during special events, directing traffic from Drexel Avenue to Washington Avenue, as well as on Lincoln Lane for delivery trucks; and 3) consider widening the sidewalks on Drexel, south of Lincoln Lane, and creating aone-way turning lane from Lincoln Lane to Washington Avenue. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that, following a duly noticed public hearing, on January 13, 2010, the Mayor and City Commission hereby approve a modification to the New World Symphony Master Plan, to allow for the closing, vehicular access, on the extension of Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17th Street; and authorizing the Mayor and City Manager or his authorized designees to meet with Miami-Dade County ofFcials to request that the County, through its Public Works Department, approve traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane North (as required by the Miami-Dade Public Works Traffic Flow Modification /Street Closure Procedures). PASSED AND ADOPTED this ~ 3>~ day of ~~1~1.2010. ATTEST: ~ ~~'L~ CITY CLERK T:WGENDA\2010Wanuary 13\Consent\Drexel Closure Reso 1-13-09.doc A OR APPROVED AS TO FORM ~ LANGUAGE ~ FOR EXECUTION 5 z5 ~ 0 D e COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY Condensed Title: A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, following a duly noticed public hearing, approving a modification of the New World Symphony Master Plan to close vehicular access on the extension of Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Lane North to 17~' Street; and requesting that the Miami-Dade County Public Works Department consider and approve traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane North. Ke Intended Outcome Su orted: Enhance mobility throughout the City. Supporting Data (Surveys, Environmental Scan, etc.): 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 aths/lanes as excellent or ood. Issue: Shall the Ma or and the Ci Commission a rove the Resolution? Item Summa /Recommendation: The New World Symphony (NWS) Master Plan proposed to maintain vehicular traffic on the extension of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17~' Street. At the October 14, 2009 City Commission meeting the City Manager was authorized to conduct a traffic study to determine how the closure of Drexel Avenue would impact traffic, and to also solicit community input from surrounding neighborhoods. The recommendations of the traffic study indicated that the proposed closure would enhance the safety of the pedestrians within the area and the remaining streets in the area would operate at acceptable levels of service. The City Commission, at the meeting on December 9, 2009, set a Public Hearing for January 13, 2010 Commission meeting to hear public comment on traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and 17~' Street and the one-waying of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane North. Two public meetings were held in addition to the Commission Public Hearing. The first public meeting was held on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at City Hall, where the majority sentiment of the meeting attendees was in support of the proposed closure. A second public meeting was held on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 to gain additional public input on the proposed Drexel Avenue closure and the one-waying northbound modification. This second public meeting was better attended and the predominant sentiment expressed was a desire for Drexel to remain open. The attendees cited operational concems as well as a desire to maintain traffic flow options available for the surrounding community. On Monday January 4, 2010, the Transportation and Parking Committee ~TPC) unanimously approved a resolution recommending that Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17 Street remains freely open to allow for passenger drop-off/pick-up and vehicle traffic flow to be smoother on north/south and east/west directions. If Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17~' Street is not closed, the portion of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North cannot be converted to a one-way northbound vehicular traffic street. If the Commission agrees with the potential benefits associated with the closure of that portion of Drexel Avenue between 17th Street and Lincoln Lane North and the one-way pattern of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North, then it should adopt the attached Resolution. Should the Commission share the concems identified by the TPC and the attendees of the public hearing, no further action is required. Board Recom Financial Information: Source of Amount Account Approved Funds: ~ 3 OBPI Total Clerk's Works 6399 De artment Dire r Assistant Cit na er Ci na er FHB ~ JGG JMG .wocnurotvivuanuary iswonsenc~urexe~ taasure sum 1- ~ MIAMIBEACH U U AGENDA ITEM DATE `~ "'~ m MIAMIBEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachH.gov COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City mmission FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manage DATE: January 13, 2010 UBLIC HEARING SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, FOLLOWING A DULY NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING, APPROVING A MODIFICATION TO THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY MASTER PLAN, TO ALLOW FOR THE CLOSING OF VEHICULAR ACCESS ON THE EXTENSION OF DREXEL AVENUE, FROM LINCOLN LANE NORTH TO 17T" STREET; AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS AUTHORIZED DESIGNEES TO MEET WITH MIAMI- DADE COUNTY OFFICIALS TO REQUEST THAT THE COUNTY, THROUGH ITS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, APPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATIONS ON DREXEL AVENUE, BETWEEN LINCOLN ROAD AND LINCOLN LANE NORTH (AS REQUIRED BY THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC WORKS TRAFFIC FLOW MODIFICATION / STREET CLOSURE PROCEDURES). ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION The Administration recognizes that there are many design advantages created by the closure of Drexel Avenue, however, the Commission should be aware that many of the surrounding business owners as well as the immediate residential neighborhood are in opposition to the proposed closure. If the Commission agrees with the potential benefits associated with the closure of that portion of Drexel Avenue between 17~' Street and Lincoln Lane North and the one-way pattern of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North, then it should adopt the attached Resolution. Should the Commission share the concerns identified by the TPC and the attendees of the public hearing, no further action is required. 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 17~' Street. Recently, the NWS plan has been modified to propose the restriction of vehicular access along this publicly 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 this modification is the conversion of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane North and Lincoln Road to a one-way street for northbound vehicular traffic. This will facilitate widening and enhancement of the sidewalks along Drexel Avenue by reducing traffic lanes from a two-way bi-directional street to a single 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 17"' 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). Because of this, the closure of this street does not trigger the City Commission Meeting- Drexel Avenue Closure January 13, 2010 Page 2 of 4 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 from this street vehicular closure does, however, warrant a formal traffic analysis and a 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 17`h Street. In addition, the City held a second public meeting prior to the Commission public hearing, to elicit further comments from owners and residents of the nearby area. At the October 14, 2009 City Commission meeting a motion was passed authorizing the City Manager to proceed with retaining a consultant 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 onto Pennsylvania Avenue. 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: • The proposed area reconfiguration includes the permanent closure of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane North and 17`h Street and the conversion of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane North 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 17`h Street should be further examined for conversion to a signalized pedestrian crossing control. A study should be performed to confirm that this signal would be warranted based on the projected volume of pedestrians crossing 17~' Street. After receiving County approval, 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 is not recommended. ANALYSIS The City Commission, at the meeting on December 9, 2009, set a Public Hearing for January 13, 2010 to hear public comment on traffic flow modifications on Drexel Avenue, between Lincoln Road and 17`h Street. These modifications include closing Drexel Avenue to vehicular traffic between Lincoln Lane North and 17`" Street and the one-waying of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane North on the northbound direction. Two public meetings were held in addition to the Public Hearing. The first public meeting was held on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at City Hall. This meeting was not well attended and only members of Lincoln Road Marketing were present, along with NWS representatives. The Commission Meeting- Drexel Avenue Closure January 13, 2010 Page 3 of 4 sentiment of the attendees was support of the proposed closure. Due to the low turnout, a second public meeting was held on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at the Lincoln Road Community Church to gain additional public input on the proposed Drexel Avenue traffic flow modifications. Over twenty people attended, representing nearby businesses, property owners and the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association. The results of this second public meeting were quite different than the first with the majority sentiment expressed at the meeting was for the street to remain open to vehicular traffic. At this second meeting, members of the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association stated that a resolution had been adopted also urging the Commission not to permanently close Drexel Avenue to vehicular traffic. A more detailed report of the comments from the attendees will be provided during the January 13, 2010 City Commission meeting. On Monday January 4, 2010, the Transportation and Parking Committee (TPC) unanimously approved a resolution recommending that Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17~' Street remains freely open to allow for passenger drop-off/pick-up and vehicle traffic flow to be smoother on north/south and east/west directions. If Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Lane North to 17~' Street is not closed, the portion of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North cannot be converted to a one-way northbound vehicular traffic street. Operational Issues 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 17~' 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 February 2010. The results of the test will be forwarded to the County for their review and evaluation prior to obtaining their final approval. 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 aone-way road at Lincoln Road to a two-way road as it approaches 16`h 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 North and 17`h Street remains accessible for emergency vehicles. This will also be addressed during the design process if the Commission decides to approve the proposed modifications. Next Steps Assuming the Commission approves the proposed modifications, and according to the County's Traffic Flow Modifications/Street Closure Procedures Manual, the City must pass a resolution after a public hearing requesting to consider the proposed traffic flow modification on Drexel Avenue, from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North to a one-way northbound. Upon receipt of the resolution, the County will review the request, which will include the consideration of the results of the public meetings, public hearing, and traffic study. The County Public Works Department makes the final determination, which does not require presentation to the County Commission. If the traffic flow modifications and closure of Drexel Avenue are approved by the County, the design of the City Park will incorporate the closure of Drexel before 17"' and Lincoln Lane north. There may be an agreement with the NWS to design and build the proposed improvements on Commission Meeting- Drexel Avenue Closure January 13, 2010 Page 4 of 4 Drexel south of Lincoln Lane. 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 recognizes that there are many design advantages created by the closure of Drexel Avenue, however, the Commission should be aware that many of the surrounding business owners as well as the immediate residential neighborhood are in opposition to the proposed closure. There are no technical traffic issues with the proposed closure, but the surrounding neighborhood perceives many operational problems and a desire to maintain traffic flow alternatives. Closing the street, on the other hand, significantly improves pedestrian movement between Lincoln Road, the proposed park and the NWS concert hall as well as the Convention Center to the North. If the Commission agrees with the potential benefits associated with the closure of that portion of Drexel Avenue between 17~' Street and Lincoln Lane North and the one-way pattern of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road to Lincoln Lane North, then it should adopt the attached Resolution. Should the Commission share the concerns identified by the TPC and the attendees of the public hearing, no further action is required. Attachment: 1. Drexel Avenue Closure Traffic Study 2. City of Miami Beach Notice of a Public Hearing J MG/J G G/FHB/FV/XF/CL T:WGENDA\2010Wanuary 13\Consent\Drexel Ave Closure Memo 1-13-09.doc A-~fa~~ ~ ~,-~ ,~ ~_ ~~ ~ .,; ~ o ~~~, w~ ~F~- ~~ ~, *~:~ ~~ ~ ks, ~~ ~ ~ . mm.~ 3 ~~,a~~~ .x ,.. 4m MEr.. ~ $ ~~~. .. T t KM vk LL.~v ~ .~ i8pp,,. ~ x F 5 k ~ ,. 11 ~ y '~.~ rt ~: ! ' ~ i , ~' C a ~ x '~' ~4` .% a ~,~ m ~~ aam ~~^ ' ~ a~ a .:~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,~ «~ew ~ ~ * ~ a qK° ~ ~ ~r"~ .~~, € ~ ~ - ~ ~ 1 d _ ~„' ~:d: • v ~ ~ +~ ~ `,S .... .,f ~ ~- ~ y..e.~ ` ,yv, ,~ v u ' r ~^" tr ~ v.yp~~ ,~ ~ ~. u, ~ y~ P ~2` "~. , R do z` ~ "~ h? ~ t.~ ,~ > ~ s~ ,~, '~AP~ "~ ~ + t ;~ °'~ ~ _~ F~ ,g ~ ""5a # . ~ a~6°w~ w ~ ~`~+, ~~ MIS~aC °:R"~ p -+~,an TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. AREA OF STUDY 3. EXISTING CONDITIONS 3.1. DATA COLLECTION 3.1.1. Vehicular Traffic 3.1.2. Mass Transit 3.1.3. Sidewalks & Bike Lanes 3.1.4. Parking Facilities 3.1.5. Signal Timing 3.1.6. Deliveries/ Pick-Up and Drop-Off 3.1.7. School Traffic 3.2. CURRENT OPERATING CONDITIONS 4. FUTURE CONDITIONS 4.1. FUTURE SCENARIO 4.1.1. Emergency Services 4.1.2. Lane Geometry 4.1.3. Signal Timing 4.1.4. On-Street Parking 4.1.5. Transit 4.1.6. Pedestrian Sidewalks 4.1.7. Bike Lanes 4.1.8. Special Events Delivery 4.2. FUTURE OPERATING CONDITIONS 5. RECOMMENDATIONS 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 12 CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DREXEL AVENUE CLOSURE/RECONFIGURATION 1. INTRODUCTION: The New World Symphony is planned to be developed on a new site located immediately south of 17~' Street between Pennsylvania Avenue west and Washington Avenue east. The City of Miami Beach is considering the closure of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and 17~' Street, the conversion of Drexel Avenue from atwo-way north-south operation to a one-way northbound only between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane and the connection of Lincoln Lane east to Washington Avenue. This study examines the operational conditions resulting from this closure/conversion and the associated potential impacts on all modes of transportation including vehicular, mass transit, bicycles and pedestrians. It also examines the potential impact of this conversion on lane geometry, emergency services and on-street as well as off-street parking. 2. AREA OF STUDY: A map of the general area of study is as shown in Figure 1 which is bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue west to Washington Avenue east and from 16`" Street south to 17~' Street north. A close up aerial in Figure 2 shows the corridors and intersections within the area of study and identifies signalized intersections and the locations and directions where automatic counters were placed and counts were taken. 3. EXISTING CONDITIONS: 3.1. DATA COLLECTION 3.1.1. Vehicular Traffic The existing AM and PM peak period traffic volumes within the area of study were determined based on recent studies conducted and approved within the area. The following studies were provided by the City of Miami Beach and were reviewed for this purpose: 1 Name of Study Date of Data Collection Lincoln East Parking Garage 4/2/2009 TAO Restaurant Study (Supp) 2/2/2008 TAO Restaurant Study 12/11/2007 BODR for 16th Street Year 2007 New World Symphony Study 9/22/2006 Miami Beach City Center Mobility Study 2/4/2006 & 7/26/2005 The turning movement traffic counts from the studies above were all adjusted to year 2008. The adjustment of the traffic volume was based on the Average Daily Traffic at the four FDOT stations surrounding the area of study and the peak season factor for the period of data collection. The matrix of data and the adjustment factors are included in the Appendix along with the adjusted data for Weekday and Weekend peak hours. The weekend and special event traffic volumes were observed and counted. Automatic traffic counters were placed as shown in Figure 2 and continuous counts were taken on Friday, November 6th, Saturday November 7th and Sunday November 8th' During this weekend, Miami Beach hosted the Sleepless Night event which drew significant traffic particularly within this area of study. The traffic volumes extracted from the continuous traffic counters as summarized in the Appendix along with field observations clearly show that the majority of the traffic within the area of study was concentrated mostly on the two arterials; 17th Street and Washington Avenue. It was observed that even with heavy traffic volume and significant traffic back-ups and queues on 17th Street and Washington Avenue, the parallel roadways, specifically 16`h Street, Pennsylvania Avenue and Drexel Avenue did not experience the heavy congestions and back-ups. In fact 16th Street was seen to carry significantly less traffic than 17th Street with was operating at acceptable conditions during the special event. Similarly, Pennsylvania Avenue and Drexel Avenue both had moderate vehicular traffic even during peak times of the special event. Photographs taken on various roadways during this event are included in the Appendix. Additional turning movement counts were also conducted at the intersection of Drexel Avenue and Lincoln Road on 11/03/09 during the traditional AM peak and PM peak periods. The counts are included in the Appendix. 2 3.1.2. Mass Transit The study area is very well covered by mass transit routes. There aze nine existing bus routes and one planned in the neaz future that currently traverse at least one of the corridors within this area of study. The transit routes travel through Washington Avenue, 17th Street or both which gives this area a significant advantage in mass transit access. Figure 3 shows all bus routes within this area. 3.1.3. Sidewalks & Bike Lanes The study azea has sidewalks on all its roadways. Lincoln Road is a Pedestrian Mall which serves a large volume of pedestrian traffic. The study azea also has designated bike lanes only along both sides of 16~' Street. 3.1.4. Parking Facilities The surface pazking lot located south of 17~' Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington Avenue currently has 509 parking spaces. The proposed New World Symphony plans indicate that a new pazking garage with 650 proposed spaces will replace the existing 509 spaces pazking lot. Additionally, the capacities of other parking gazages and surface lots within this azea were obtained from the City of Miami Beach and included in the Appendix and show the pazking supply in the azea. There is no anticipated change in the number of on-street parking. 3.1.5. Signal Timing Signal timing at different intersections in the area was downloaded from the Miami-Dade County's online system to be used for the operational analysis of various conditions within the study area. The information downloaded is included in the Appendix. 3.1.6. Deliveries/ Pick-Up and Drop-Off The study azea is mostly commercial with various shops, restaurants, galleries and other entertainment venues, which would periodically need designated azeas for deliveries as well as for passenger pick-up and drop-off. Field observations show that within the study area the south-side of Lincoln Lane (North) has a designated commercial loading- unloading zone adjacent to the back of the shops and this is used throughout the day. Vehicles were also observed to frequently "double-park" on this one-lane, one-way eastbound roadway. Deliveries were also observed on Drexel Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue south of Lincoln Road. Since both roadways are two-lane, two-way facilities with on-street parking on both sides, delivery vehicles "double-park" on travel lanes, blocking traffic in that direction. 3 3.1.7. School Traffic Information regarding schools operating in the area was also obtained. The study area is located in zip code 33139 and does not have any demarcated school zone area within it. The nearest schools are: School Address 2231 Prairie Avenue Miami Beach Senior High School Miami Beach, Fl 33139 South Pointe Elementary School 1050 Fourth Street Miami Beach, F133139 Fienberg/Fisher K-8 Center 1420 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, F133139 Drexel Avenue does not provide any direct connection to any of the above schools. The daily traffic variation in the study area from the tube counts show that (i) The majority of the traffic including commuter traffic remains on the arterials, (ii) there is no peaking of traffic during the school hours of these schools. Additionally Drexel Avenue ends at 17th Street and up to Lincoln Road to the south there are no residential land uses therefore there are no origins/destinations of school traffic in this region. Therefore, it may be concluded that the traffic of the above schools does not use Drexel Avenue within the study area. 3.2. CURRENT OPERATING CONDITIONS The existing AM peak period within this area does not experience heavy vehicular nor pedestrian bicycle activity. This is mostly due to the fact that this area is frequented by shoppers, visitors and tourists for retail, restaurants and entertainment purposes. AM peak period is generally too early for such activity. The turning movement volumes at the intersections within the area of study during the AM peak period are not significant, which was also observed during the field visits in the area. The PM peak period experiences significantly heavier vehicular and pedestrian/bicycle traffic with the heaviest interaction being at Drexel Avenue and Lincoln Road. The segment of Lincoln Road between Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington Avenue is completely dedicated to pedestrians and bicycles with no access given to vehicular traffic. However, where pedestrians and bicycles have to cross Drexel Avenue to get to the other side of Lincoln Road, the existing signalized intersection controls this operation. The weekday traffic observed showed that during PM peak periods, pedestrians well in excess of 1,000 per hour cross Drexel Avenue at Lincoln Road. This obviously presents some safety concerns, particularly if the traffic volume on Drexel were to grow significantly. 4 Pedestrian activity was also observed at the intersections on Washington Avenue within the azea of study. The heavy pedestrian traffic sometimes crosses intersections during the "Do Not Walk" signal phases thus interrupting the traffic flow which leads to back up at the intersections on Washington Avenue. Based on the data collection, field observation and discussion with the City of Miami Beach it was decided that the periods with the most traffic impacts were weekday PM peak hour and the weekend peak hour and therefore these two conditions were modeled and analyzed in the SYNCHRO 7 software. The existing operational conditions were modeled based on the adjusted volumes and since the traffic volumes were gathered over a period of time, based on field observations some amount of volume balancing had to be performed using SYNCHRO 7 features. Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and 17`~ Street was temporarily closed for the construction of New World Symphony in January 2009. The existing conditions modeled show 2009 conditions before the closure. Table 1 below shows the vehicular operational conditions at different intersections in the study azea for typical weekday and weekend. As can be clearly seen the operating conditions aze healthy and aze within the acceptable levels of service since levels of service of D or below (A,B or C) meets the City of Miami Beach as well as the Miami-Dade County standards. S Table 1: Measure of Effectiveness of intersections within the Area of Study 2009 -Without Drexel Avenue Closure Weekday PM Peak Weekend Peak Intersection Intersection Dela LOS Intersection Dela LOS 17th Street & Convention Center Drive 21.9 C 24.0 C 17th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 3.5 - 3.9 - 17th Street & Drexel Avenue 6.9 A 3.4 A 17th Street & Washington Avenue 29.7 C 19.5 B Lincoln Lane & Pennsylvania Avenue 8 6 A 8.3 A Lincoln Lane & Drexel Avenue 8.1 A 8.0 A Lincoln Road & Pennsylvania Avenue 27 8 C 28.9 C Lincoln Road & Drexel Avenue 27.8 C 29.5 C Lincoln Road & Washington Avenue 25.3 C 31.8 C 16th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 5.1 - 4.9 - 16th Street & Drexel Avenue 9.4 A 8.3 A 16th Street & Washington Avenue 18.1 B 21.3 C 4. FUTURE CONDITIONS: To analyze the future traffic growth in the area of study, the traffic studies provided by the City of Miami Beach were reviewed and the traffic growth in the area was calculated based on the FDOT stations mentioned earlier in the report and from the Miami-Dade MPO planning model year 2015 and 2030. It was determined that the FDOT stations show no growth in traffic volumes and the planning model shows only 1.07% growth per year. Therefore, to be conservative, the growth factor from the planning model was used. This factor was applied globally at all the intersections. The New World Symphony traffic report shows the build out year of the project is 2010. The projected operational conditions in the area include the following changes: / Lincoln Lane (North) will remain One Lane, One-way eastbound only and will be extended to Washington Avenue. / Drexel Avenue will be closed between 17th Street and Lincoln Lane 6 / Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane will operate as One Lane, One- way northbound only. / Exit driveway from New World Symphony Garage (Build out year 2010) is located at Pennsylvania Avenue / Entrance driveway to New World Symphony Garage (Build out year 2010) is located at Lincoln Lane. The one-way eastbound operation on Lincoln Lane which is mostly utilized by commercial delivery vehicles is proposed to connect to Washington Avenue. Vehicles will be directed to make aright-turn on Washington Avenue. With the closure of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and 17~' Street, vehicles will lose the ability to connect directly with 17~` Street and the one-way northbound proposed on Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane would now force vehicular traffic to go to Washington Avenue. This enhances safety for the heavy pedestrian activity at Lincoln Lane Mall and helps direct traffic to the highway at Washington Avenue which connects to other east-west corridors. The traffic volumes for the New World Symphony Garage were obtained from the traffic study report provided by the City of Miami Beach. 4.1. FUTURE SCENARIO 4.1.1. Emergency Services The proposed Drexel Avenue closure/reconfiguration limits the access for emergency services to connect 17`x' Street directly into Drexel Avenue. Washington Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue both are parallel to Drexel Avenue and aze two-way corridors located approximately 400 feet from Drexel Avenue that would provide alternative routes to emergency services without degrading the quality of such services. On the other hand, the proposed connection of Lincoln Lane to Washington Avenue will help provide direct access for emergency services exiting the area which should be an enhancement to such services. 4.1.2. Lane Geometry The proposed Drexel Avenue closure at 17~' Street will require the reconfiguration of the existing signal control operation at this intersection. This signal control may need to be changed to a pedestrian signal control if a signal warrant study is performed to justify converting it. The signal would then operate based on demand and is activated upon push 7 button requests from pedestrians when needed which will result in minimal disruption to vehicular traffic bit will enhance pedestrian safety. Based on the fmdings from the analyses above, the Drexel Avenue one-way northbound operation between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane is recommended. Figure 4 shows the existing and proposed roadway cross section. The potential for allowing alert-turn northbound on Drexel Avenue to Lincoln Lane westbound was considered in this study at conceptual level and dismissed. This was due to many reasons including the introduction of additional vehiculaz conflicts on Lincoln Lane that may disrupt the operation at the entrance to the New World Symphony for the eastbound left-turning vehicles entering the site. The potential queuing traffic back up westbound on Lincoln Lane and Pennsylvania Avenue may block the entry and cause a gridlock on both Lincoln Lane and on Pennsylvania Avenue. Additionally, with Lincoln Lane currently configured as a one-way operation between Meridian Avenue to Washington Avenue (as proposed), the vehicular demand in the eastbound direction will increase and the two-way segment between Drexel Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue will likely be confusing and disruptive to traffic. The introduction of this northbound left- turning movement at Drexel and Lincoln Lane will also result in additional vehiculaz traffic that will increase the conflict with pedestrian traffic at the Lincoln Road Mall. It is important to emphasize that this study did not technically analyze the above scenario beyond the issues discussed above. Additional traffic analyses will be necessary if this scenario is to be considered further. The modifications above should better accommodate bicycles in the reconfiguration of Drexel Avenue between 16th Street and Lincoln Lane. This will not only connect the existing bike lanes currently operating along 16th Street with Lincoln Road Mall, but will also connect to the New World Symphony. 4.1.3. Signal Timing The existing signal timing within the azea of study will undoubtedly require some modification or tweaking as a result of the proposed/recommended changes. The weekend/event signal timing in particulaz will need to be flexible to accommodate various weekend events/activities. However, no significant changes in signal timing are proposed by this study. 4.1.4. On-Street Parking No loss of on-street parking is expected with the proposed closure of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane and 17th Street and the proposed conversion of Drexel Avenue to northbound only between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane. 8 Off-street surface parking will be compensated with the proposed parking garage. 4.1.5. Transit No proposed modifications to the existing transit routes are recommended. Adequate transit routes already provided access along Washington Avenue and 17`h Street. 4.1.6. Pedestrian Sidewalks The proposed geometric scheme increases the width of the sidewalks along Drexel Avenue to a 13-foot on each side between 16`" Street and Lincoln Road and to 6-foot (from a 3.5-foot) on each side between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane. 4.1.7. Bike Lanes The proposed geometric scheme provides Bike lane continuity from 16~' Street along Drexel Road on each side of the road all the way up to Lincoln Lane. This will provides a safe and dedicated access to bicycles connecting to Lincoln Road Mall and to the New World Symphony. This will also help free up capacity on the sidewalks that will be dedicated to pedestrians with no competing bicycles. 4.1.8. Special Events Delivery The Lincoln Lane corridor which has a designated commercial loading-unloading zone adjacent to the back of the shops is currently used for commercial delivery to the Lincoln Mall. This same area will serve as a special event delivery. With special events mostly occurring during weekends and at nights, it is anticipated that the potential conflict with other commercial deliveries will be minimal. Additionally, with Drexel Avenue's conversion to one-way northbound between Lincoln Road and Lincoln Lane, the use of the southbound lane on Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and 16~' street will be minimal. This could potentially provide an opportunity for special event delivery with a temporarily designated delivery area if and when necessary. 4.2. FUTURE OPERATING CONDITIONS The future operating conditions in the study area was analyzed in SYNCHRO 7 taking all the above in to consideration. Following scenarios were analyzed: • Future Conditions without New World Symphony Garage in Year 2009. (Table 2 shows the intersection operations in the area). • Future Build-Out Conditions in Year 2010. (Table 3 shows the intersection operations in the area). 9 Table 2: Measure of Effectiveness of intersections within the Area of Study Future Operating Conditions without New World Symphony Garage Year 2009 Weekday PM Peak Weekend Peak I t ti n ersec on Intersection LOS Intersection LOS Delay Delay 17th Street & Convention Center Drive 22.5 C 24.0 C 17th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 3.4 - 3.7 - 17th Street & Drexel Avenue 0.1 A 3.4 A 17th Street & Washington Avenue 20.5 C 17.8 B Lincoln Lane & Pennsylvania Avenue 8.9 A 8.4 A Lincoln Lane & Drexel Avenue 7.0 A - - Lincoln Road & Pennsylvania Avenue 26.8 C 28.0 C Lincoln Road & Drexel Avenue 30.0 C 29.8 C Lincoln Road & Washington Avenue 26.3 C 31.6 C 16th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 6.0 - 6.1 - 16th Street & Drexel Avenue 6.5 A 6.1 A 16th Street & Washington Avenue 21.4 C 19.9 B Lincoln Lane & Washington Avenue 1.2 - 1.3 - 10 Table 3: Measure of Effectiveness of intersections within the Area of Study Future Operating Conditions with New World Symphony Garage Year 2010 Weekday PM Peak Weekend Peak I t ti n ersec on Intersection LOS Intersection LOS Delay Delay 17th Street & Convention Center Drive 23.3 C 25.1 C 17th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 4.8 - 5.8 - 17th Street & Drexel Avenue 0.2 A 3.4 A 17th Street & Washington Avenue 24.7 C 19.2 B Lincoln Lane & Pennsylvania Avenue 10.2 B 9.4 A Lincoln Lane & Drexel Avenue 7.0 A - - Lincoln Road & Pennsylvania Avenue 27.6 C 28.0 C Lincoln Road & Drexel Avenue 30.0 C 29.8 C Lincoln Road & Washington Avenue 26.5 C 32.6 C 16th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 9.4 - 10.8 - 16th Street & Drexel Avenue 6.5 A 6.1 A 16th Street & Washington Avenue 21.9 C 20.9 C Lincoln Lane & Washington Avenue 1.2 - 1.2 - The above tables show that the delays at the intersections increase slightly however in all the conditions they perform within acceptable standards. 11 The recommendations based on the analyses conducted for this study are summarized as follows: • The proposed area reconfiguration include Drexel Avenue closure between Lincoln lane and 17~' Street, the connection of Lincoln Lane east to Washington Avenue and the conversion of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Road and Lincoln lane to one way northbound. This proposed reconfiguration will enhance the safety of the pedestrians and bicycles within the area and will operate at acceptable levels of service. • The existing signalized operation at the intersection of Drexel Avenue and 17`~ 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 17`h Street. The signal operation would be demand based as pedestrians would stop traffic on 17~' Street by activating the crossing signal when the signal push button is activated. • The Drexel Avenue northbound movement at Lincoln Lane will restrict vehicular traffic to an eastbound movement. No northbound to westbound operation is recommended at this intersection by this study. • With the modifications above, it is proposed that bicycles are accommodated in the reconfiguration of Drexel Avenue between 16~' Street and Lincoln Lane as a continuation to the existing bike lanes along 16~' Street and to connect to the Lincoln Road Mall and to the New World Symphony. • Some signal timing adjustments will be necessary within the area of study to accommodate the redistribution of traffic as necessary. 12 FIGURES cony tairo.aviiko.r.' Legend • Signals TUBE COUNT LOCATIONS Figure 2 I1J• 1 • \ . i ■ • z 4— -- Q a <0 O O Wrt ° -CO I CTI( ARE LD S HONY OT Pl.. TED SCALE 20' 40' 60' 80' 100' z i--. ol Z 4--4-- PROPOSED CROSS SECTION ON DREXEL AVENUE 4~ __..._ ___-_ ......... .._...._ ..._._._-_.._.....__-______-__ k 8 s - - - - - - - - - - - ._ - - ~ WASHINGTON AVE. ( o ~. I ~~_ g $ ~~ ~ ~ 'r I W ONLY ~ I Y Z -~ I I I I ~ I I z o Q z N U1 I I ~ o w o _J O N ,,``.. i LJ.7 I ~ ~ i I ~ O '~ ~ I ~ U 4 i ~ I LL o l •I• !I! o Z ~ ~ g ''' ~o~~w ~ ~ ~~~ y ~.=- --- - -~ ~ ~ __ - - _ ~ ~ ~ : :._ `l _ _ `~ ~ ..... ~ ~ _ ~ _ F~EXEL AVE. ~ s I , €o~ ~~ j ! i Q I t ~ i I z I I i a _ ~ a I I ct ~ Z -' U I I >- ~ z ~ W I I Q ' O o J I I o Z ~ J W x I ~ o I I s> I z I l I l; l b y I I ,~,~ ~~~ `~ _ _ CCC ------------- ---------- - ------ _"' I ---------------- ------ --- ~'~y /j--- o Y ~ m ~ ~ > ___, i ~V" Attachment 2 , __.__...__ __.__._ _ _____:._~.__ ___:, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009 I 25MB ~ __.__ __._. ~~ - MIahN BE'pcC~ ,~-. _ ' °- ~ ;y „ , ' Yy~ .a ~ CITY OF MIAMI BEACH - ~ - ., . ~'.,, RoF ~' ; -NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING- _ .._ LIQN LEA~U~F~ ~ _ NOTICE IS HEREBY given that a-First Reading and Public r~ °RENOVATED =i : .Hearing will be held by the City Commission of the City ~N}_~N• THE of Miami Beach, in the Commission Chambers, 3rd floor, " Cityc. Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive, ,Miami Beach, :AYES AI~I ART ? ~ ' Florida, ot# Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 3:00 P.NL, /I DES" : ` To Consider The Modification Of The New World Symphony S~RV ICES Master Plan For Closing Vehicular Access On The Extension YEARS.. ~Of Drexel Avenue from Lincoln Road North To 17"' Street; ->tgaaizatien vans g~e~ :; To Obtain Rub~c Comment Regarding A Request By :The C'dy Of Miami Beach To Miami-Dade County Public gementcontxact of the - - ` ; lfllorks For The Consideration Of Traffic Flow Mod'rfications •e~.avated -audito~um>_ it ` the th wh mo u' -- ~ ~ On. Drexe! Avenue, Between Lincoln Road And 17"' Street, y- en =c s n ;ion~voted:6-O to waive- - ~ , ~ : ., As Required By The Miami-Dade Public Works Traffic flow then = uireiuenrto bid' out ~: ModificatioNStreet Closure Procedures. - M~yor: Matti: Herrera whose daughter: Marie - - INQUIRIES may be directed to the Public Works Departmerft iez is°xhe organization's ~ a# (305) 673-7080. executive director, }~~~ = INTERESTED PARTIES are invi#ed to appear at this meeting, ant Gity 1Vlanager-i:iilda ~ . ~ or be represented by an agent, or to express their views in ez~ said aitystaff recom- ~ writing addressed to the City Commission, c/o the City Clerk, aorbid contract in ravailable- ickl fill=a - 1700 Convention Center Drive, 1~-Floor, City Hall, Miami qu y ; ty space with atrsgaai " _' 'Beach, Florida 33139.. This meeting may be opened and hat has a history in the pur 'Y continued and, under such circumstances additional legal and'is aTreadg ¢onsid- PICk~uP own notice would not be provided. bestpick to do t job. ` Very 1 ~cket commissioners FREE 20 - Robert E. Parcher i before the vote touts ' ~lerldar! C'dy Clerk de's long-standing: mis- preserve. historic struc- ~ ~~ City of Miami Beach ~n Miami Beach and There isno comparable CAE ~ ~ ~ Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Fla. Stat., the City hereby ation in the city that = ~,~ 811RE ~ advises the public that: if a person decides to appeal any iese: same-services.' - was d h ~ decision made by the City Commission with respect to any ~-~ e spare. t ig= sai for us" but ned allg desi ,~„y,~.a rwn Rona.. ;matter considered at its meeting or its hearing, such person . . g atrthe contract" which is., ~° ° """` °F ~a~-am.~ .. must ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedin s is 9 r>s :five ~ years vaith two=- "°"~'~°A - made,. which record includes the testimony and evidence peat five gear options at _ upon-which the appeal is to be based. This notice does y's discretion, doesn't- ithout conditions. R . 'not constifirte consent by the City for the introduction or -ugh we have. fantastical ~~~ -admission of.otherwise inadmissible or irrelevant evidence, the=sameaiame we're giv-: th t th m ic l to ' E SPECIAL r 'nor does it authorize challenges or appeals not otherwise a e serv es ~; - :gst more<to- contract outs= ncig-said: i - - , - - ~~~~ allowed by law. uest this material in accessible format si n lan ua e To re .e the preseraation or a- g _ DEfD DISTRtC.[: The hi .~K~ _ x.»yuruea.; ` , g g g q interpreters, information on access for persons with Lgexs anew facility anti , gems in South Bea ~ - ~osure that comes with - ~ m,, y, ~ disabilities, and/or any accommodation to review arty oused in Lummus Park,:, "That's• a~ big de - ~+~ } ~ documerrt or participate in any city-sponsored proceeding, is to receive as Art Deco nandez said;.: adding. TO_ ~` ~ please contact (305) 604-2489 (voice), (305) 673-7218 n within five> years- - led do n e - id League doesn't= meet it` : ~3dS~ S~'~ l' k it t o• t ti ('ffY) five days in advance to initiate your request. TTY users - w v r a, sca sa Auld open bq ApriL a : s s w po en mar renewals vvill° need=en >. ~ 8 atn-3 pm - may also Call 711 (Florida Relay Service). ~ . , ~ ~ , . Coerteous Service - ~_ - Index 99 3% ~ " (pd ff592) > . - THURSDAY DECEMBER 31 2009 1 25MB invention-lfer P 4 1 nesdaay, January 13, _• dification Of The-NetkONorld Sy(. b cu[a`rAcroess ilThe i acoln ad- North To 1.7": _ Comnieni egarding '1 P' �`� U ath [,iami Dade Cour tsonsidera#ion {if Traffic flow. Between ppthin Road And is rii-Dade:. Public Works' Closure P,� h' e directed to -the Public Works D are invited to appear at by an agent, or to je:_ 1mission, clo a F f ie,..14. Floor, -This meeting maye -sign :circumstances provided. [,,F Po ; e:1ormat, airlirgoaVe i ." s for ,persons - ' rata nsn d fs�`any -144,-14tufigt ,1047.714134- in TaJ�(3e 1D n _ r 1 -TY -Users may also call 771 (Rondos Relay Service).