LTC 340-2021 RESUMPTION OF COUNTY BUS AND MIAMI BEACH TROLLEY SERVICE ON WASHINGTON AVENUEMIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 340-2021 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO :
FROM:
Honorable Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
Alina T. Hudak, City Manag ~
DATE: August 10, 2021
SUBJECT: RESUMPTION OF COUNTY BUS AND MIAMI BEACH TROLLEY SERVICE ON
WASHINGTON AVENUE
The purpose of this Letter To Commission (L TC) is to report on the resumption of County bus and City
trolley service on Washington Avenue on August 2, 2021.
As you are aware, as part of the ongoing Washington Avenue pilot project, County bus and City trolley
services were temporarily relocated to Collins Avenue in early August 2020. Temporary bus benches were
installed for passenger convenience and temporary bus bays were created by removing about a dozen
on-street parking spaces on Collins Avenue from 5 Street to 15 Street. However, given numerous traffic
and operational challenges, Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) expressed significant concerns with regard to the
safety and reliability of transit operation along Collins Avenue between 5 Street and 15 Street, including:
• Inability of buses to use the bus bays and approach the curb for passengers boarding and alighting
at the temporary stops (i.e . not meeting ADA requirements) due to illegally parked vehicles, ride-
share vehicles, and unauthorized vehicles loading/unloading from the curb
• Significant amount of large trucks conducting deliveries from the center lane and further constricting
Collins Avenue and creating significant vehicle friction and safety concerns
• Frequent obstruction of travel lanes by ride-share vehicles exacerbating congestion
• High pedestrian activity and jaywalking across Collins Avenue resulting in buses frequently
stopping
As a result of the above challenges, on Monday, August 2, 2021, MDT reinstated bus service along
Washington Avenue. Concurrently, the City reinstated operation of the Miami Beach trolley service along
Washington Avenue. The City's Transportation and Mobility Department staff has been working closely
with MDT staff and the City's Parking Department to accommodate transit operation along Washington
Avenue under the current street configuration, by removing approximately 12 on-street parking spaces on
Washington Avenue, without impacting existing parklets, so that buses can effectively approach the bus
stop/curb and not obstruct the travel lane while boarding/alighting, thus meeting ADA requirements and
not impeding the flow of traffic .
It is important to note that as a result of a thorough analysis performed by staff to maximize on-street
parking opportunities, a net amount of 23 additional on-street parking spaces are being created along
Washington Avenue between 7 Street and 15 Street. In addition, 11 on-street parking spaces on Collins
Avenue temporarily used for bus bays were returned to general purpose use on Monday, August 2.
It is also worth noting that Washington Avenue is identified in the adopted Miami Beach Transportation
Master Plan and the Miami-Dade County Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan as a priority
transit corridor. Currently, all existing transit amenities (bus bays and bus shelters) are located on
L TC-Resumption of County Bus And Miami Beach Trolley Service On Washington Avenue
Page 2
August 9, 2021
Washington Avenue.
Transportation and Mobility Department staff is working closely with MDT and the City's Marketing and
Communications Department on sharing this message with the community and area stakeholders.
Additionally, the City's Parking Department is conducting periodic enforcement to ensure that the bus bays
on Washington Avenue are kept clear of any illegally parked vehicles.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
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F:\TRAN\$ALL\L TC\L T Cs Transit\L TC -Resumption of County Bus and Miami Beach Trol ley Service on Washington Avenue August 2.docx