R7K-Accept Recommendation Proposed Middle Beach Trolley Route And Service PlanCOMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution Of The MayorAnd City Commission Of The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Accepting The Recommendation Of The
Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee Regarding The Proposed Middle Beach Trolley Route And Service Plan; And
Authorizing The Mayor And City Clerk To Execute An lnterlocal Agreement With Miami-Dade County For Municipal Circulator
Services ln Middle Beach.
Key !ntended Outcome Supported:
Ensure Comprehensive Mobility Addressing All Modes Throughout The City
Supporting Data: As recently indicated in the 2014 City of Miami Beach Community Satisfaction Final Report, citywide Traffic
Flow, Parking Availability and Road Conditions have been rated as very poor and appear in a down trend. Additionally, according
to the same report, 49% of Miami Beach residents would be willing to use local bus circulators as an alternate mode of
Item Summarv/Recommendation:
Pursuant to the direction of the City Commission to develop a Middle Beach Trolley, the Transportation Department began to
evaluate the potential route alignments and service plans for the circulator service.
The proposed Middle Beach Trolley route takes into consideration high density corridors, location of local venues, employment
centers, parking facilities, commercial corridors and public facilities in order to serve major traffic generators and achieve the
highest impact on citywide mobility. There is a service need to connect high density residential areas along Collins Avenue (from
69 Street to Lincoln Road), the 41 Street commercial corridor, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Collins Park, City Hall, Miami Beach
Senior High School, and two Publix Supermarkets.
Given that providing the service as one continuous loop can take as long as two (2) hours of travel time per round trip, the
Administration is proposing two separate segments (loops), the Middle Beach Loop serving the 41't Street corridor south and the
Collins Link serving the area north of 41't Street. The Middle Beach Loop will connect Mount Sinai Medical Center to Lincoln
Road through 41't Street and Collins Avenue. The Collins Link will connect the Middle Beach Loop with the North Beach Loop
through Collins Avenue and lndian Creek Drive. The segregation of the alignment into two separate loops will improve the
reliability of the service. Both loops provide connection to various park-and-ride facilities including the 17th Street Garage, the City
Hall Garage ,lhe 42nd Street Garage and the 46th Street surface lot. Transfers between loops will be coordinated to ensure a
seamless connection.
The service is proposed to operate from 6:00 AM to 1 2:00 AM Monday through Saturday and 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM on Sundays in
order to satisfy the transportation demand of daily commuters and users of the public facilities. The frequency of service is
proposed to be consistent with the North Beach Trolley Loop (i.e., 10-15 minute headways between vehicles). A total of five (5)
vehicles will be assigned to the Collins Link and six (6) to the Middle Beach Loop, with three (3) spares for the overall route.
While MDT has expressed its support for municioal transit services. Countv staff has exoressed some concerns reqardinq
potential duplication of prooosed routes with existino bus routes oarticularlv the Collins Link. MDT has advised that on-board
survevs will be conducted within Miami Beach to ensure that the Collins Link does not duolicate or adverselv impact existinq MDT
routes. lnterlocal Aqreements with the Countv are required orior to commencement of municipal circulator services. The
Administration will be pursuinq individual lnterlocal Aqreements for the Middle Beach Looo and subsequently the Collins Link in
order to expedite the Countv's approval process as much as possible.
Once the County and City execute the lnterlocal Agreements for each route, the Administration will negotiate a contract
amendment with the City's trolley operator, Limousines of South Florida, lnc. (LSF), for the additional services related to the
Middle Beach Trolley. The Administration anticipates bringing the contract amendment to include the Middle Beach Loop service
to City Commission for approval in September 2015.
THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION.
Advisory Board Recommendation: The Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee passed a motion recommending the
approval of the proposed Middle Beach Trolley route and service plan at the May 29,2015 meeting.
Financial lnformation:
Source of
Funds:
Amount Account
@ Middle Beach
Loon $2,900,000 FY2015116 Transportation Fund; Subject to future budget
appropriations.
Collins Link $2,400,000 FY2015116 Transportation Fund; Subject to future budget
aoorooriations.
Total $5,300,000 FY2015116 Transportation Fund; Subject to future budget
appropriations.
Financial lmoact Summarv: N/A
Jose R.Ext. 6768
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OFFICE OF THE C Y MANAGER
C ISSION MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor Philip Levine and Members ofllthe City
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
June 10,2015June 10,2015 \l { 'l
\l
A RESOLUTTON OF THE MAyOn e\O CrTy COMMTSSTON OF THE CrTy OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REGARDING THE
PROPOSED MIDDLE BEACH TROLLEY ROUTE AND SERVIGE PLAN; AND
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AN
INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR MUNICIPAL
GIRCULATOR SERVICES IN MIDDLE BEACH.
The Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) passed a motion recommending the
approval of the proposed Middle Beach Trolley route and seruice plan at the May 29, 201 5 meeting.
BACKGROUND
On October 22,2014, the City Commission made a motion directing the Administration to proceed
with planning and developing a Middle Beach Trolley route and service plan as part of a city,vide
interconnected trolley system.
On February 2,2015, the Transportation Department presented a proposed Middle Beach Trolley
route and service plan to the Transportation, Parking and Bicycle-Pedestrian Facilities Committee
(TPBPFC) for inpuUfeedback.
On February 24,2015, the Transportation Department held a public workshop at the Miami Beach
Golf Course to present a proposed trolley route and service plan to the community and obtain
additional feedback. Approximately fifteen (15) residents attended the public meeting and an
additional twenty three (23) residents submitted feedback via email. The vast majority of residents
who provided feedback supported the proposed route.
On April 6, 2015, the Transportation Department presented a revised Middle Beach Trolley
alignment to the TBPFC. The proposed Middle Beach Trolley Route incorporates the feedback
provided by the committee at its February and April meetings.
On April 15,2015 the City Commission referred the Middle Beach Trolley to the NCAC for a
recommendation.
On April 21, 2015 the Administration presented the proposed Middle Beach Trolley route and
service plan to the NCAC. At the meeting, some members of the Commission requested to have
individual briefings for further clarification and that the Administration bring the item back to the
NCAC once these briefings had taken place.
611
Commission Memo - Resolution Accepting the Recommendation of the NCAC Regarding the Proposed Route Alignment
and Service Plan for the Middle Beach Trolley
June 10, 201 5
Page 2 of 4
As stated above, this item was discussed at the May 29,2015 NCAC meeting. At the meeting, the
Committee passed a motion recommending the approval of the proposed Middle Beach Trolley
route and service plan.
COST AND FUNDING
The estimated total annual operating cost of the proposed Middle Beach Trolley service is
approximately $5.3 million. This amount includes an anticipated annual cost of $2.9 million for the
Middle Beach Loop and $2.4 million for the Collins Link. The total $5.3 million will be provided from
the Resort Tax Quality of Life Transportation fund subject to FY2015/16 budget appropriations.
The Administration is currently identifying additionalfunding and resources needed to develop and
implement a citpride interconnected trolley system as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015116 budget
process. The proposed citywide system would consist of trolley routes in North, Mid, and South
Beach, including the existing North Beach Loop, the proposed Middle Beach Loop, a Collins Link,
and a South Beach Loop that would complement the current South Beach Local service. The total
funding for this comprehensive trolley system, including the cost of the existing South Beach Local
service funded by the City (one third of the total cost of operation and maintenance), is estimated at
$1 1.8 million annually (see table below). Funding is proposed to be augmented by approximately
$2.4 million of People's Transportation Plan (PTP) funds from Miami-Dade County currently
allocated to capital projects and an increase of the contribution from the Parking surplus funds from
$1.3 million to approximately $3.0 million.
$i [ ")Hil;il"Etji;=i}$[Htitui""
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# "# * $1,800,000
$2,900,000
," ,* *^.-ffir,900,000
$2,400,000:i _t" $1,400;ooo' - " !
$4oo,ooo
r',iili$siflg-.0,OG€
$3,600,000
$3,000,000' tr'
$11,800,000
The citywide interconnected trolley system can be considered as part of the FY 2015116 budget
process orapproved during the FY 2014115 fiscalyearwith currentfunding. However, given the lead
time necessary for the manufacturing and delivery of new low-floor trolley vehicles, funding for the
operation of the new service would not be needed until FY 2015116.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the direction of the City Commission to develop a Middle Beach Trolley, the
Transportation Department began to evaluate the potentialroute alignments and service plans for
the circulator service.
612
Commission Memo - Resolution Accepting the Recommendation of the NCAC Regarding the Proposed Route Alignment
and Service Plan for the Middle Beach Trolley
June 10,2015
Page 3 of 4
ln addition to providing a connection between existing North Beach and South Beach circulators, the
proposed route takes into consideration high densitycorridors, location of localvenues, employment
centers, parking facilities, commercial corridors and public facilities in order to serve major traffic
generators and achieve the highest impact on citywide mobility. There is a service need to connect
high density residentialareas along Collins Avenue (from 69 Street to Lincoln Road), the 41 Street
commercial corridor, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Collins Park, City Hall, Miami Beach Senior High
School, and two Publix Supermarkets.
Given that providing this service as one continuous loop can take as long as two (2) hours of travel
time per round trip, the Administration is proposing two separate segments (loops): the Middle
Beach Loop serving the 41't Street corridor south and the Collins Link serving the area north of 41't
Street. The Middle Beach Loop will connect Mount Sinai Medical Center to Lincoln Road through
41't Street and Collins Avenue. The Collins Link will connect the Middle Beach Loop with the North
Beach Loop through Collins Avenue and lndian Creek Drive. The segregation of the alignment into
two separate loops will improve the reliability of the service. Both loops provide connection to
various park-and-ride facilities including the 17th Street Garage, the City Hall Garage ,the 42nd Street
Garage and the 46th Street surface lot. Transfers between loops will be coordinated to ensure a
seamless connection.
The service is proposed to operate from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM Monday through Saturday and 8:00
AM to 12:00 AM on Sundays in order to satisfy the transportation demand of daily commuters and
users of the public facilities. The frequency of service is proposed to be consistent with the North
Beach Trolley Loop (i.e., 10-15 minute headways between vehicles). A total of five (5) vehicles will
be assigned to the Collins Link and six (6) to the Middle Beach Loop, with three (3) spares for the
overall route.
The Transportation Department sought feedback from the community at a publicly advertised
workshop on February 24,2015. At the workshop, the majority of residents were in support of the
proposed route alignment with the exception of a few residents who requested that the alignment be
extended to Alton Road. At the workshop, the Transportation Department noted that the highest
impact to mobility would result from providing a transportation alternative to the highest number of
residents, therefore attracting as many choice riders as possible. Additionally, staff has been
working with Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) staff to ensure that the County's Route 1151117 (Mid-North
Beach Connection), expected to be restructured in 2016, can provide a more efficient north-south
connection via the Alton Road corridor.
ln addition to the public workshop, the Transportation Department also sought guidance from the
TBPFC at two separate meetings. The route alignment attached to this memorandum incorporates
all comments received from this advisory board. One of the main comments from the TBPFC was
that the Middle Beach Trolley must provide a connection to a major supermarket. lt is important to
note that the 69th Street Publix Supermarket is one of the most highly-used stops by North Beach
Trolley users. However. extendinq the proposed Middle Beach Loop route to the Publix at Dade
Boulevard mav result in an increase in annual operating cost of approximatelv $500,000 (due to an
additional vehicle required to meet 10-15 minute headwavs) or an increase in headwavs of 5
minutes (to 20 minutes) if no additional vehicles are used.
The Transportation Department has also met several times with MDT staff in order to ensure that
the proposed Middle Beach Loop and Collins Link service does not duplicate current county bus
service and serves as a complementary feeder service. The proposed loops will increase transit
capacity along the Collins Avenue corridor and increase the frequency of service for residents in
need of a connection between Collins Avenue and Mount Sinai Medical Center. This direct
613
Commission Memo - Resolution Accepting the Recommendation of the NCAC Regarding the Proposed Route Alignment
and Service Plan for the Middle Beach Trolley
June 10, 201 5
Page 4 of 4
connection is not currently provided by the County bus service and has been repeatedly requested
by residents.
TI M ELI N E FOR I MP LEME NTATI ON
On April 15,2015, the City Commission passed a motion directing the Administration to use Low-
Floor Trolley vehicles for the provision of present and future trolley service. The manufacturing lead
time of this type of vehicle can be up to nine (9) months.
While MDT has expressed its support for municipal transit services, County staff has expressed
some concerns regarding potential duplication of proposed routes with existing bus routes,
particularly the Collins Link. MDT has advised that on-board surveys will be conducted within Miami
Beach to ensure that the Collins Link does not duplicate or adversely impact existing MDT routes.
lnterlocal Agreements with the County are required prior to commencement of municipal circulator
services. The Administration will be pursuing individual lnterlocalAgreements forthe Middle Beach
Loop and subsequent Collins Link in order to expedite the County's approval process as much as
possible.
Once each route's lnterlocal Agreement is executed by the City Commission and the Miami-Dade
County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), the Administration will negotiate a contract
amendment with the City's trolley operator, Limousines of South Florida, lnc. (LSF), for the
additionalservices related to the Middle Beach Trolley. The Administration anticipates bringing the
contract amendment to City Commission for approval in September 2015. Given the lead time
required to manufacture and deliver the fleet of new low-floor trolley vehicles, the Middle Beach
Loop is anticipated to begin service in spring 2016.
RECOMMENDATION
The implementation of the Middle Beach Trolley route is anticipated to have a significant impact on
citywide mobility by enhancing/expanding the citywide circulator network. The provision of the
circulator services along the proposed route alignment is anticipated to have the highest impact on
ridership by promoting convenient and reliable public transportation service.
The Administration recommends adopting a Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the
City of Miami Beach, Florida, accepting the recommendation of the NeighborhoodiCommunity
Affairs Committee regarding the proposed Middle Beach Trolley route and service plan; and
authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an lnterlocal Agreement with Miami-Dade County
for municipal circulator services in Middle Beach.
Sttachment: Proposed Middle Beach Trolley Route
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T:\AGENDA\2015\June\TRANSPORTATION\Resolution Accepting the Recommendation of the NCAC Regarding the Proposed
Route Alignment and Service Plan for the Middle Beach Trolley MEMO.doc
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COLLINS LINK:
Frequency - 10-15 Minutes
Number of Vehicles - 5
9t I - VUU| tLtI UtU(
Lenght - 6 Miles
Cost - 2.4M
MIDDLE BEACH LOOP:
Frequency - 10-15 Minutes
Number of Vehicles - 6
Direction -
Lenght - 8 Miles
Cost - 2.9M
Proposed Middle Beach Loop (Phase
Proposed Collins Link (Phase ll)
Potential Connection to Publix
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615
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REGARDING THE
PROPOSED MIDDLE BEACH TROLLEY ROUTE AND SERVICE PLAN; AND
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AN
INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH MIAMI.DADE COUNTY FOR MUNICIPAL
CIRCULATOR SERVICES IN MIDDLE BEACH.
WHEREAS, on October 22, 2014, the City Commission made a motion directing the
Administration to proceed with planning and developing a Middle Beach Trolley route and
service plan as part of a citywide interconnected trolley system; and
WHEREAS on April 15,2015, the City Commission referred the Middle Beach Trolley to
the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) for a recommendation; and
WHEREAS, on May 29,2015, the NCAC passed a motion recommending the approval
of the proposed Middle Beach Trolley route and service plan; and
WHEREAS, the proposed service route will be comprised of two loops (the Middle
Beach Loop and the Collins Link) in order to improve the overall service in Middle Beach ; and
WHEREAS, the Middle Beach Loop will connect Mount Sinai Medical Center to Lincoln
Road through 41"1 Street and Collins Avenue and the Collins Link will connect the proposed
Middle Beach Loop with the existing North Beach Loop through Collins Avenue and lndian
Creek Drive; and
WHEREAS, the service is proposed to operate from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM Monday
through Saturday and 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM on Sundays with a frequency of service of 10-15
minutes between vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the total estimated annual operating cost of the proposed Middle Beach
Trolley will be approximately $5.3 million (including $2.9 million for the Middle Beach Loop and
$2.4 million for the Collins Link); and
WHEREAS, funding will be provided from the Resort Tax Quality of Life Transportation
fund subject to future budget appropriations; and
WHEREAS, an lnterlocal Agreement with Miami-Dade County is required prior to
commencement of municipal circulator services; and
WHEREAS, the Administration will be pursuing individual lnterlocal Agreements for the
Middle Beach Loop and subsequent Collins Link in order to expedite Miami-Dade County's
approval process as much as possible.
616
NOW, THEREFORE, BE !T RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND GITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAM! BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby
accept the recommendation of the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee regarding the
proposed Middle Beach Trolley route and service plan; and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk
to execute lnterlocal Agreements for the Middle Beach Loop and the Collins Link with Miami-
Dade County for municipal circulator services in Middle Beach.
PASSED and ADOPTED this dayofJune,2015.
ATTEST:
Philip Levine, Mayor
Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & I.ANGUAGE
I ulr(,J
Dote
617