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R9G-Status Updates On Initiatives To Mitigate The Impacts Of Alton Rd ConstructiMIAMI BEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miomi Beach, Florida 33139, wwvv.miamibeachfl.gov COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members DATE: January 15, 2014 SUBJECT: STATUS UPDATE ON INITIATI ES TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF ALTON ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJ CT At the December 11, 2013 City Commission Meeting, a discussion was held regarding the Alton Road Construction Project, and in particular, potential ways to mitigate the financial loss being experienced by the business owners on Alton Road due to construction. As a result of the discussion, the following actions were identified for staff to pursue on an immediate basis. • Assist Businesses in forming a business association • Create routine events involving restaurants • Add incentives to create programs and advertising for the various businesses • Consider an emergency authorization to get a trolley in service for a one-year period, to service West Avenue and Alton Road • Reach out to homeowner associations and businesses on trolley's routing area • Waive fees or license fees • Relax the requirements for signage • Research Mom and Pop grant programs offered by Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, including availability south of Fifth Street • Avoid fines or violations for signage when relating to parking availability Since the Commission meeting, staff has worked on these actions to achieve significant progress for presentation to the Commission. Below is the status of these initiatives as well as other opportunities identified by staff. Business Promotion As there is significant benefit to there being a single entity speaking as the voice for the businesses and property owners impacted by the Alton Road construction, the Economic Development Division is facilitating the creation of an Alton Road association. Several property and business owners whom have expressed an interest in such an organization were identified and met for the first time on Monday, December 30th. Those in attendance have agreed that an association makes sense for all and will work to create a legal entity and seek to create a diverse membership base of property and business owners. City staff has offered basic assistance to this group such as providing lists of business and property owners from the public record and information on creating an association. The City will continue to provide assistance as requested and appropriate during the creation of the organization. 999 Agenda Item Date Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate the Impacts of Alton Road Construction Project January 15, 2014 It is hoped that working through a business and property owners group, the City will be able to have an open dialogue with those affected by construction to discuss assistance that can be provided by the City and other relevant issues. A dedicated group of business and property owners would also be a less cumbersome avenue for the City to provide assistance such as a waiver of special event permit fees for outdoor displays, a festival celebrating merchants at Flamingo Park, or similar group activities or marketing. The group can also be used as an avenue for the dissemination of information about these assistance programs as well as a sounding board in the formation of new programs and initiatives. Methods by which the City can assist area business are a key component to the overall Alton Road..West Avenue strategy. Staff is currently reviewing and seeking to finalize such programs. These programs include the creation of a list of methods to assist Alton Road..West Avenue businesses in group marketing. This will include a branding campaign indicating that Alton Road and West Avenue businesses are open with advertising in MB Magazine, the City website, other City controlled social media, banners on local light poles and other appropriate locations. The Office of Communications is already working on branding the Alton Road/West Avenue "Open for Business" campaign with several concepts that will be used in all promotional materials. Campaign materials may include street post signs, an oversized building banner, shuttle/trolley informational signage, vehicle wraps, online ads, etc. Additionally, a video PSA to run on MBTV, Atlantic Broadband and online. In the current edition of MB (winter 2014}, a half-page general advertisement is included to inform readers that businesses along Alton Road and West Avenue are still open for business, despite construction. The "Message from the City Manager" also references the need to support these businesses. A full-page advertisement will be featured in the spring 2014 edition. A webpage is being developed on the city's website that will include information on our efforts, parking and transportation, project information, and link to an external page- DiscoverMiamiBeach.com. Since advertising is not permitted on our website due to .gov restrictions, the Office of Tourism, Culture and Economic Development and the Office of Communications will work with the GMCVB to develop a Discover Alton Road webpage an the DiscoverMiamiBeach website that will include a listing of participating businesses and ads to promote them. In addition, messages on social media will be developed to drive the public to the events and webpage. Business Signage In addition to these efforts, the City Manager has authorized affected businesses to utilize Temporary Business Sign (as defined Sec. 138-132 of the City Code) to be erected through the entire term of construction rather than just for 30 days (as he is authorized to approve per Sec. 138-132(d) of the City Code). Staff will work to make this information known to the affected businesses through any association formed and through area visitation and other methods readily available to disseminate the information. Based upon the number of businesses and available space within the right of way for signage, the font size on any business wayfinding signage an West Avenue would be too small to be legible by the travelling public. And, if split into multiple signs, there would be even more signage on an already crowded street 1000 Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate the Impacts of Alton Road Construction Project January 15, 2014 Emergency Circulator Service -Alton Road/West Avenue Per Section 31-113 (m} of the Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances, operation of a fixed- route, fixed-schedule, public transit service by a municipality or a private operator contracted by a municipality requires an lnterlocal Agreement between Miami-Dade County and the municipality operating the circulator service and provides the County with a first right of refusal to provide the same transportation service. Under County Code Section 2-150(c), however, operation of transit services on an emergency basis may be approved administratively by the County Manager, or his or her designee, and shall not require a public hearing. Per the Code, however, the emergency service is allowed for a period up to one hundred eighty (180) days. While the emergency provisions pertain to Miami-Dade County transit service, Miami-Dade Transit officials have advised that the code requirement applies to municipalities as well. While City staff has received positive feedback from Miami-Dade County staff regarding the emergency nature of the proposed circulator service, the Administration is working on submitting a formal and urgent request to the Office of the County Mayor for an emergency authorization of a circulator service along Alton Road and West Avenue as further described below. Since the County Code only allows the Mayor to grant up to 180 days of emergency service, the City will work with the County on an interlocal agreement beyond that time frame. Further, separately on this agenda is a recommendation for a bid waiver with MV Transportation, Inc. to provide emergency transit service throughout the duration of the FDOT Alton Road Reconstruction project anticipated to be completed by July 2015. The bid waiver item provides additional information on the company, contract terms, pricing and funding sources. After evaluation of the route and based on surveys and discussions with business groups, the Administration is recommending that the City immediately engage a private operator to provide a circulator loop from 51h street northbound along Alton Road, to Lincoln Road west, and then back to 51h street southbound along West Avenue (see Attachment 1). With an approximate 20- minute round trip time (including stops located every other block and periodic lay-overs), the transit loop can be operated with a 10-minute headway using two (2) buses. The vehicles that are available for immediate use by the private operator are two (2) cutaway buses (see Attachment 2). The operator is also pursuing an option to lease trolleys for this service in lieu of cutaways, but the availability of these have not yet been confirmed. City staff is working with the Communications Department to brand the service with a unique logo which could be used to wrap the exterior of the buses. Additionally, as part of a provision in the proposed contract with MV Transportation for the emergency circulator services, the City will reserve the right to purchase these buses from the private operator at its sole discretion upon termination of the service. While businesses along the corridor operate anywhere from ?am to past midnight, discussions with residents and businesses have indicated that circulator service between Bam and midnight would be most beneficial for employees and patrons. As discussed further below, City staff is evaluating the potential for reduced parking fares at garages along the Alton-West Loop to encourage the use of parking garages as park-and-ride facilities. Beach/MacArthur Connector Buses It is important to note that there are four (4) major County bus routes operated by Miami-Dade Transit that travel across the MacArthur Causeway and provide a connection between 1001 Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate the Impacts of Alton Road Construction Project January 15, 2014 Downtown Miami, the bus terminal located in Government Center in particular, and South Beach. The routes are C, M, S, and 120 (Beach Max). As depicted in Attachment 3, these routes extend well beyond Miami Beach city limits. In general, these County bus routes operate 7 days a week year-round. The most robust service is provided by Route S which operates 24 hours a day and provides 15-minute headways consistently throughout most of the day with no more than 30-minute headways during late night service. This route also operates along Alton Road in South Beach. Route 120 (Beach Max) offers a limited stop service from 5am to about 10pm with consistent 12-minute headways throughout most of the day. Route C operates 20 hours a day and provides 20-minute headways throughout most of the day and 30-minute headways during late night. Route M provides the most limiting service operating from 6am to 11 pm with 45-minute headways. While City staff initially considered engaging a private operator to provide frequent circulator service across the MacArthur Causeway to connect Downtown Miami to the Alton-West Circulator Loop, Miami-Dade County Transit officials highlighted the high level of bus service that currently exists in this corridor and expressed some serious concerns regarding potential service duplication. However, many non-regular users of transit service are unaware of this high level of service. Therefore, in addition to immediately launching the Alton-West Circulator loop, the Administration is recommending that staff work with Miami-Dade Transit to identify opportunities to brand and co-label the C, M, S, and 120 bus routes as "Beach/MacArthur Connectors". City Transportation staff is working with the Communications Department and Miami-Dade Transit Marketing Division to create a unique brand that could be used to advertise or wrap the exterior of the Beach Connector buses. The intent of co-labeling and branding the existing Miami-Dade Transit routes traveling across the MacArthur Causeway as Beach/MacArthur Connectors is to more effectively promote a service intended to help reduce the number of cars coming across the causeway, and thereby decrease the number of cars coming into South Beach and potentially traveling through the active construction zone along Alton Road and the detour along West Avenue. Maintaining Traffic Flow Delivery Vehicles blocking lanes of travel has been an area of particular concern. The Police Department will continue to monitor traffic flow and enforce the traffic laws for vehicles stopping and blocking the moving lanes of travel. In addition pedestrian laws will be enforced to insure safety to the large number of pedestrians that frequent this corridor. Parking The City's Parking Department has developed the following multi-pronged approach to enhance parking opportunities along Alton Road between 6th Street and 17th Street. In addition to the municipal parking inventory in the area, there are privately owned/operated garages and surface parking lots in the corridor. These private garages and surface lots may serve as viable public self-parking and/or support a temporary valet parking initiative for the area. This would require enabling legislation {that may sunset at the end of the construction project) to allow expanded valet parking storage requirements for valet parking stations along the corridor. 1. Self-Parking: The following parking garages have varying levels of under-utilization and may play a vital role in enhancing parking opportunities: • 51h & Alton Garage • The Shoppes of West Avenue Garage (between gth and 1oth Streets)* 1002 Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate the Impacts of Alton Road Construction Project January 15, 2014 • 1111 Lincoln Road Garage* Each of these facilities has varying levels of under-utilization despite the loss of on-street parking in the corridor. The 51h & Alton Garage has between 300 and 400 parking spaces available; the Shoppes of West Avenue Garage has 100 parking spaces available; and the 1111 Lincoln Road Garage has 80 parking spaces available. In the case of the two privately operated garages* above, anecdotally, their underutilization may be primarily attributed to the following perceptions: (1) parking is only for patrons of the business on property; may lead to enforcement actions such as towing; and parking fees are high. Some of these perceptions have merit and others do not: • Fact: These facilities allow for hourly public parking, at least in one case, at an hourly rate of $1.00 per hour. • Fact: These facilities are not for the sole use of patrons of the businesses on property but are indeed available to the public at-large regardless of their destination. • Fact: There have been instances in the past where overtime or non-payment of parking fees has led to the towing of vehicles. In the case, of the Shoppes of West Avenue, their Property Manager has indicated that they have taken a more lenient approach in enforcement through towing. The 1111 Lincoln Road Garage has a gated revenue control system; therefore, towing is not an enforcement mechanism for payment. Pursuant to Section 138-132 of the Miami Beach Code, the following is permitted: (a) Business signs are signs identifying a particular activity, service, product or sale of limited duration. (b) There shall be a maximum of two permits for the same premises within one calendar year for signs requiring permits. Window signs as described in subsection 138- 4(6) shall have no maximum number. (c) The sign area for window signs shall not exceed ten percent of total window area. The sign area for non-window signs for a nonconforming business in a residential district is four square feet. The sign area for non-window signs for a business in a nonresidential district is 15 square feet. (d) Temporary business signs may be erected and maintained for a period not to exceed 30 days, except that the city manager may approve an extension of time for the business to erect and maintain such signs beyond the 30 days, after the manager finds that such extension is necessary to mitigate the impacts of public construction on visibility of, or access to, the business. Such extension beyond 30 days shall terminate concurrent with the termination of the public construction. (e) Temporary business signs shall be located only upon the lot in which the special use, activity, service, product or sale is to occur. The City Code authorizes the City Manager to extend business signs during construction periods as referenced above beyond 30 days. The expansion of signs on private property and City right-of-way identifying self-park, park & ride, and valet parking opportunities and their respective user fees is recommended. 2. Park and Ride (Trolley) Patrons of the Alton Road corridor may park and ride utilizing the 51h & Alton Garage and aforementioned trolley service. For patrons, a validation program providing the first four (4) hours of parking at no fee may be offered. The City has discussed this with Berkowitz/Eden, the 1003 Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate the Impacts of Alton Road Construction Project January 15, 2014 City's joint venture partner at the 51h & Alton Garage, and we are awaiting their response. Currently, the first two (2) hours of parking at the garage is at no charge. At an hourly rate of $1.00 per hour, the additional two (2) hours of validated parking may have an estimated annual value of $92,621. With the approval of the Mayor and Commission, this may be subsidized wholly, or in part, by the City's Parking Enterprise Fund. A validation program for participating merchants would be implemented to ensure audit controls at the garage. Additionally, monthly parking is available, for employees to park and ride. 3. Valet Parking The Mirador Condominium Association {MCA) has offered up to 130 parking spaces in their garage to provide relief to the area. A self-parking option was not deemed viable; however, a collaborative effort between MCA and the City in the form of a valet parking service has great potential. MCA, via Southern Parking, Inc. (SPI), their valet parking service provider, would deliver valet parking service on 11 1h Street, immediately adjacent to Alton Road businesses. MCA would provide parking spaces in the garage and would be responsible for all operational expenses. SPI would be the valet parking service provider. The City's contribution would be to provide two (2) on-street parking spaces on 11th Street as the valet parking ramp (passenger loading area), at no charge. Valet parking rates are proposed to be $5.00 up to three (3) hours and $8.00 up to six (6) hours. MCA's offer is predicated on two requirements: (1) the program must be financially self-sufficient and any proceeds will be donated to the charity of the City's choice; and {2) an initial two {2) week test period to determine the financial feasibility of the program. The program must yield sufficient revenue to, at a minimum, offset all expenses. Implementation of this program would require a temporary amendment to the City Code temporarily (to sunset at the end of the construction project) that would permit certain types of required parking for valet parking storage. 4. Marketing and Promotions An aggressive marketing and promotional campaign that includes signs, banners, etc., on private property and City right-of-way promoting self-parking and valet parking opportunities at public and privately operated parking garages. 5. Deco Bike (Bike Sharing) The bike sharing program has been very successful since its inception. The program is specifically intended to promote, the bicycle, as an alternative form of mobility. Nowhere else is this need more evident than on Alton Road. To this end, Deco Bike and the City are surveying the corridor in order to temporarily add bike stations in order to reduce vehicular trips in the area. 6. Temporary On-Street Parking Reconfiguration The Parking and Public Works Departments are evaluating temporary reconfiguration of on- street parking throughout the corridor to evaluate any potential opportunities for increases in parking spaces. Elimination of Various Fees City staff is in the process of evaluating the impact of waiving various fees for businesses in the Alton Road/West Avenue Corridors, including annual Business Tax Receipts, Certificate of Use, 1004 Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate the Impacts of Alton Road Construction Project January 15, 2014 and Fire Inspections fees which are typically due as of September 30 each year. Pedestrian Safety In response to recent concerns brought to FOOT and the City of Miami Beach, certain adjustments have been made to the Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Plan to facilitate the flow of traffic and to address pedestrian safety. FOOT has temporarily reduced the speed limit along West Avenue to 25 MPH. The 30 MPH speed limit signs have been replaced with a 25 MPH sign at the following locations. Existing "SPEED LIMIT 30" signs SB: • One (1) Southbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign mounted on light pole between Lincoln Rd and 17th St. • One (1) Southbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign mounted on light pole at southwest quadrant of Lincoln Rd. • One (1) Southbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign just south of 16th Stat southwest quadrant. • One (1) Southbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign at southwest quadrant of 14th St on grass area/utility strip. • One (1) Southbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign between 11th Stand 1 01h St. • One (1) Southbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" just south of ath St on grass area/utility strip. TOTAL Southboundf\IVest Side: Six (6) signs Existing "SPEED LIMIT 30" signs NB: • One (1) Northbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign at northeast quadrant of ath St. • One (1) Northbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign at northeast quadrant of 11 1h St. • One (1) Northbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign at northeast quadrant of 14th St. • One (1) Northbound "SPEED LIMIT 30" sign mounted on light pole at northeast quadrant of 16th St. TOTAL Eastbound/East Side: Four (4) signs In addition, FOOT and the City have worked in conjunction to make sure that striping and signage improvements have been implemented throughout the West Ave detour in order to provide more clarity regarding the lane assignments and better identify pedestrian crossings. FOOT has committed to complete additional improvements including a tempera~ signalized intersection at West Ave and 14th Street as well as pedestrian flashers at 121h and 91 Streets. We will continue to work with FOOT to make sure that safe conveyance for all modes of transportation is provided during this challenging construction project. JMLIKGB T:\AGENDA\2014\January 16\Status Update on Initiatives to Mitigate Impacts of Alton Road Construction Impacts 1005 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 1006