C7P-Accept Recommendation Implement Mass Transit Circulator Loop In North BeachCOMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution Accepting The Recommendation Of The Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee To
Implement A Mass Transit Circulator Loop In North Beach And Work With Miami-Dade Transit To Implement A
North-South Express Bus Service To Connect A North Beach Circulator To South Beach.
Key Intended Outcome Supported:
Enhance mobility throughout the City.
Supporting Data (Surveys, Environmental Scan, etc.): According to the 2012 Community Satisfaction
Survey, 49% of all respondents reported a willingness to use "local bus circulators" as an alternative to driving.
Issue:
I Shall the Mayor and City Commission approve the Resolution?
Item Summary/Recommendation:
At the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) meeting on July 29, 2013, City staff presented a
preliminary route for a North Beach Circulator (Attachment) based on the Coastal Communities Transit Plan
(CCTP) Study completed for Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) and the City of Miami Beach by the Center for Urban
Transportation Research in 2007. As a result of the CCTP, MDT implemented Routes 115/117 (Mid-North
Beach Connection) serving the North and Middle Beach communities.
As part of its ongoing comprehensive bus service restructuring and cost savings initiative, MDT is considering
eliminating numerous circulator and connection services throughout the County. Due to extended headways
and span of service associated with MDT Routes 115/117 (from the City limit on the north to 17'h Street on the
south) as well as minimal ridership on both routes, MDT is proposing to restructure Route 115 and eliminate
Route 117. However, City staff believes that modifications can be made to this service to make it more effective
and improve transit mobility in North Beach.
City staff presented the proposed North Beach Circulator route to MDT and obtained positive feedback from
MDT. The proposed route is approximately 5.5 miles long with a round trip time of 33 minutes. The proposed
route would serve over one dozen origins/destinations in the North Beach community. In order to eliminate
service duplication, City and MDT staff discussed the truncation of the proposed MDT Route 115 service in the
vicinity of Collins Avenue and 69th Street. This location is one of the highest ridership locations for the existing
Route 115/117. A transfer stop at Collins Avenue and 691h Street would connect the proposed North Beach
Circulator and Route 115 to regional and limited-stop services along Collins Avenue.
Over the past several weeks, City staff has been working closely with MDT to coordinate the proposed North
Beach Circulator service to more effectively and effeciently meet the mobility needs of the North Beach
community and expedite the implementation of the circulator service operated by MDT in partnership with the
City. Significant progress has already been made in regards to route alignment, stops, and funding. At this time,
MDT has begun drafting the required lnterlocal Agreement for municipal circulator service. The Administration
will continue to work with MDT to develop a service plan and negotiate the terms of the lnterlocal Agreement.
The lnterlocal Agreement would need to be approved by City Commission by January 2014 and subsequently
by County Commission for implementation of the North Beach Circulator in June 2014 as part of MOT's bus
service restructuring and cost savings initiative.
THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION.
Advisory Board Recommendation:
This item was requested by Commissioner Libbin and discussed at the NCAC meeting on July 29, 2013 and at
the FCWPC on August 22, 2013. At the NCAC meeting, the Committee recommended the Administration work
with Miami-Dade Transit to establish a North Beach Circulator service and a North-South Express bus service to
connect North Beach to South Beach. Both the NCAC and FCWPC stated a desire for headways of 10-15
minutes.
Financial Information:
Source of Amount Account
Funds: 1
OBPI Total
Financial Impact Summary: N/A
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
Jose R. Gonzalez, Transportation Manager, Ext. 6768
Sign-Offs:
DepartmeiJ.t.DJirector I Assistant C!W]Manager I CityM nager
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lc1P AGENDA ITEM MIAMI BEACH 374 DATE f-/ /-/3
~ MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miomibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Me
DATE: September 11,2013
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAY AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT A MASS
TRANSIT CIRCULATOR LOOP IN NORTH BEACH AND WORK WITH MIAMI-DADE
TRANSIT TO IMPLEMENT A NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESS BUS SERVICE TO
CONNECT A NORTH BEACH CIRCULATOR TO SOUTH BEACH.
This item was requested by Commissioner Libbin and discussed at the
Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee meeting on July 29, 2013.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
BACKGROUND
At the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) meeting on July 29, 2013, City staff
presented a preliminary route for a North Beach Circulator (Attachment A) based on the Coastal
Communities Transit Plan (CCTP) Study completed for Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) and the City
of Miami Beach by the Center for Urban Transportation Research in 2007. As a result of the
recommendation in the CCTP for separate circulator service for the North Beach and Middle
Beach communities, MDT implemented Route 115 (Attachment B) in January 2010 and Route
117 (Attachment C) in June 2010. Routes 115/117 are commonly known as the Mid-North
Beach Connection. North of 69 1h Street, the service operates in a bi-directional route (one route
operating clockwise and the other counter-clockwise). Its service span extends from the City
limit on the north to 17th Street on the south serving the North and Middle Beach communities
and providing a generally linear connection to the South Beach Local at 171h Street.
As part of its ongoing comprehensive bus service restructuring and cost savings initiative, MDT
is considering eliminating numerous circulator and connection services throughout the County.
Due to extended headways and span of service associated with MDT Routes 115/117 as well
as minimal ridership since inception on both routes, MDT is proposing to restructure Route 115
and eliminate Route 117. However, City staff believes that modifications can be made to this
service to make it more effective and improve transit mobility in North Beach.
At the NCAC meeting on July 29, 2013, the Committee directed the Administration to present a
plan for implementation of a North Beach Circulator to City Commission in September and to
work with MDT to implement a north-south express bus service to connect the North Beach
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Commission Memorandum RE: North Beach Transit Circulator
September 11, 2013
Page 2of4
Circulator to the South Beach Local. Both
Further, the Committee recommended the Administration create a fifth category from the 50%
portion of Quality of Life resort (QOL) tax funding for mass transit circulator funding in tourism-
eligible areas. If a fifth category was created for circulators in tourism eligible areas, this would
result in approximately $1 million per category. While not all portions of the route of a North
Beach or Middle Beach Circulator would be tourism eligible, funding could be swapped with the
South Beach Local to result in $1 million being available regardless of the route.
A dedicated source of funding for mass transit circulators was further discussed at the Finance
and Citywide Projects Committee (FCWPC) meeting on August 22, 2013. At the meeting, the
FCWPC recommended that the Administration return with a plan for a North Beach Circulator
and a Middle Beach Circulator potentially funded from the creation of a fifth category from the
50% portion of QOL funding for mass transit circulators.
Both the NCAC and FCWPC stated a desire for headways of 10 to 15 minutes.
ANALYSIS
Subsequent to the NCAC meeting on July 29, 2013, City staff met with MDT staff to coordinate
the implementation of a North Beach Circulator and express north-south bus service as part of
MDT's on-going restructuring and cost savings initiative. At the meeting, MDT staff advised of
changes to be implemented to Route 115 as part of its restructuring and cost savings initiative.
The modified Route 115 would loop around North Beach (similar to current route 115/117) and
continue south as a linear route along Alton Road, thus connecting to Mount Sinai Hospital and
ultimately to 171h Street in South Beach. The proposed service would operate with two (2)
buses and approximately one (1) hour headways.
At the meeting with MDT, City staff presented the proposed North Beach Circulator route and
obtained positive feedback from MDT. The proposed route is approximately 5.5 miles long with
a round trip time of 33 minutes. The proposed route would serve over one dozen
origins/destinations in the North Beach community. In order to eliminate service duplication,
City and MDT staff discussed the truncation of the proposed MDT Route 115 service in the
vicinity of Collins Avenue and 69th Street. This location is one of the highest ridership locations
for the existing Route 115/117. A transfer stop at Collins Avenue and 69 1h Street would connect
the proposed North Beach Circulator and Route 115 to regional and limited-stop services along
Collins Avenue. City staff is currently working with MDT to model the North Beach Circulator
service and develop ridership forecasts. It is important to note that since MDT would implement
the above-recommended changes to Route 115 as part of its on-going service restructuring
initiative, the proposed route is preliminary and contingent upon final approval by the County
Mayor's Office.
Pursuant to the Transit Workers Union (TWU) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with
Miami-Dade County, bus service changes occur twice a year -in June and November. The
November 2013 service line-up has already been finalized and agreed to by MDT and TWU.
The bus scheduling, crew scheduling, and operator bid process usually takes about four (4)
months for regular service changes and six (6) months for major service over-hauls. Since the
County's ongoing bus service restructuring and cost savings initiative will result in a major over-
haul of the bus system, service plans must be finalized by January 2014 so that service
changes resulting from the effort can launch in June 2014. As such, an lnterlocal Agreement
376
Commission Memorandum RE: North Beach Transit Circulator
September 11, 2013
Page 3 of4
between the City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County for circulator service must be
completed by January 2014 for circulator service to begin in June 2014.
The County's bus service restructuring and cost savings initiative is anticipated to generate
approximately $10 million in savings. During the meeting with MDT, City staff was provided with
a preliminary operating cost estimate of $1.8 million per year for the proposed North Beach
Circulator service. This preliminary estimate corresponds to a circulator service operated by
MDT with two (2) buses and 20 minute headways for 16 hours each day for 365 days. MDT
staff has advised that a reallocation of the cost savings resulting from the elimination of Route
117 would not be a possible source of funding for the proposed North Beach Circulator since
these savings have been already been factored-in as part of the overall cost savings initiative.
City staff is working with MDT staff to reallocate the cost savings resulting from the truncation of
Route 115 as a practicable funding contribution from MDT for the operation of the proposed
North Beach Circulator. Further, City staff will continue to work with MDT to negotiate funding
contributions and achieve a partnership to provide a municipal circulator service in North Beach
that is in the best interest of the City and enhances public transit in the community.
RECOMMENDATION AND NEXT STEPS
The Administration recommneds that the Mayor and City Commission approve the
recommendation of the NCAC directing staff to work with MDT to implement a North Beach
Circulator. Over the past several weeks, City staff has been working closely with MDT to
coordinate the proposed North Beach Circulator service to more effectively and effeciently meet
the mobility needs of the North Beach community and expedite the implementation of the
circulator service. Significant progress has already been made in regards to route alignment,
stops, and funding.
At this time, MDT has begun drafting the required lnterlocal Agreement for municipal circulator
service. To expedite the implementation of a North Beach Circulator and ensure MDT's
contribution to the service, City staff and MDT staff have generated a schedule comprised of
various critical path activities and dates. The following target dates must be met for MDT to
begin operating the proposed North Beach Circulator service by June 2014:
1. City of Miami Beach Commission Resolution accepting NCAC recommendation for a
North Beach Circulator-September 11, 2013.
2. Miami-Dade County's Legal Review of the Draft lnterlocal Agreement -September 26,
2013.
3. City of Miami Beach Resolution approving the lnterlocal Agreement-October 16, 2013.
4. Miami-Dade County Board of County Commission Resolution approving the lnterlocal
Agreement-January 2014.
City staff will continue to work with MDT to negotiate funding contributions and achieve a
partnership with the County to provide a municipal circulator services in North Beach and Middle
Beach that is in the best interest of the City and enhances public transit in these communities.
377
Commission Memorandum RE: North Beach Transit Circulator
September 11, 2013
Page 4of4
Attachments:
A: Proposed North Beach Circulator Route
B: MDT Route 115 (Mid-North Beach Connection-Clockwise)
C: MDT Route 117 (Mid-North Beach Connection -Counter Clockwise)
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378
North Beach Circulator Route Attachment A
MDT ROUTES STOPS ,li!~~~~ Average Operating Speed: 10 mph ~ __,...,..;;-, Round Trip Time: 33 min.
115/117 BUS STOPS Number of Buses: 2
Expected Headway with 2 Buses: 20 min.
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RESOLUTION TO BE SUBMITTED
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