94-21427 Reso
RESOLUTION NO.
94-21427
A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO THE
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION FOR FUNDING UNDER
THE 1995-96 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM FOR THE MIAMI
BEACH TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN, AUTHORIZING
THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE ANY MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT
FOR THE FUNDS, WHEN AWARDED, AND AUTHORIZING
APPROPRIATION OF THE FUNDS, IF NECESSARY.
WHEREAS, in order to meet the December 20, 1994 deadline, the Administration
submitted the City's comprehensive Transportation Development Plan (TDP) application to
the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for funding by the 1995-96 Unified Planning
Work Program (UPWPI, under the Municipal Planning Coordination or other UPWP program;
and
WHEREAS, a TDP is needed to guide the identification of essential transportation
projects for construction in the near future; and
WHEREAS, the City's population balance, growth and redevelopment patterns are
changing and intensifying so rapidly that transportation solutions will be required; and
WHEREAS, at least $100,000 in funding is needed to prepare the TOP; and
WHEREAS, Miami Beach is an important tourist, convention, and beach destination
which, along with a residential and business community generates considerable tax
revenues to Dade County; and
WHEREAS, through its UPWP the Dade County MPO allocates funding for
transportation planning projects countywide.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA;
THAT the Mayor and City Commission ratify the application submitted by the
Administration to the MPO for 1995-96 UPWP funding, authorize the Mayor and City Clerk
to execute the memorandum of agreement for the funds, when awarded, and authorize
appropriation of the funds, if necessary.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 21st day 0
December
~EST: .
€J~~~
C}TY CLERK
alj (upwpres)
FORM APPROVED
19'~
By :]C.:;,
Date 11.- /4-,\-1
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CITY OF MIAI'll I BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMl'dEACH FLORIDA 33139
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. ~
FROM:
Mayor Seymour Gelber and
Members of the City Commission
Roger M. car"ll. ,- n I
CityManager~
DATE: December 21, 1994
TO:
SUBJECT:
A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO THE
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION FOR FUNDING UNDER THE
1995-96 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM FOR THE THE MIAMI
BEACH TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN; AUTHORIZING THE
MAYOR TO EXECUTE ANY MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FOR THE
FUNDS, WHEN AWARDED, AND AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATION OF THE
FUNDS, IF NECESSARY.
~ RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE ADMINISTRATION'S APPLICATION
REQUEST THAT THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, UNDER
ITS 1995-96 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM, PERFORM A
FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED SOUTH BEACH CIRCULATOR, A
DEDICATED BUSWAY LOOP, AND ITS CONNECTION TO DOWNTOWN
MIAMI; AND THAT THE STUDY ALSO INCLUDE DETERMINATION OF THE
MID-BEACH AREA TRANSIT NEEDS.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATIONS
The Administration recommends adoption of the attached resolutions ratifying, after the '~
fact, the funding applications submitted to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO),
in order to meet the new deadline of December 20, 1994 for the 1995-96 Unified Planning
Work Program (UPWP) for Transportation.
The first resolution (Exhibit "A") ratifies a $100,000 funding request for preparation of the
much needed Miami Beach Transportation Development Plan. If awarded, this request may
come as a direct grant to the City (Municipal Coordination Program) or planning work
performed by MPO staff or consultants on the City's behalf.
The second resolution (Exhibit "B") ratifies the request that the MPO perform a feasibility
study not only for the busway loop system for South Beach (pursuant to City Resolution
No. 94-21324), but also incorporating the South Beach Transportation Management
Association's (TMA) request that the scope of services be expanded to include a
determination of transit needs of the Mid-Beach, including 41 st Street, and the hospital
and hotel areas. TMA understands that the South Beach Circulator takes priority in study
and implementation.
AGENDA ITEM ~
DATE 1 L - 21-Cfc{
BACKGROUND
The annual MPO document known as Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) allocates
funding for transportation planning activities for the Miami Urbanized Area, which planning
activities are performed by MPO staff and consultants. Direct cash grants to municipalities
have been made only through Section 0-4.02, MPO Board Support and Municipal Planning
Coordination. This section has been recently contested by two federal agencies (FHWA
and FT A) which deemed ineligible the use of federal planning funds to cover salaries, be it
for MPO Board or city staff.
FY 1994-95 UPWP had allocated $805,000 ($455,000 for MPO Board staff support, and
$350,000 for municipal planning coordination). After the first appeal was turned down by
the federal agencies, the MPO has cut the proposed allocation to $400,000 in an effort to
win the second appeal, which has yet to be resolved. Miami Beach had used the funding
mostly to help cover the Transportation Coordinator's salary, but, as of September 30,
1994 this funding has stopped. Monies received or funding allocated to the City have
been as follows:
$39,501 for January-December 1993 (received)
$23,191 for January-September 1994 (received)
$63,000 for FY 1994-95, presently unavailable (under appeal).
ANALYSIS
Due to the facts that FHW A and FT A have deemed salaries an ineligible use of federal
"planning" funds and the 1994-95 proposed allocations for salaries may be compromised
by a failed appeal, the Administration has decided to bypass the salary issue in the 1995-
96 UPWP c{cle and apply exclusively for funding to prepare the much needed Miami Beach
Transportation Development Plan (TOP). Note that from its inception the Transportation
Coordinator position has been covered by the general fund budget and partly reimbursed
by this grant funding.
The Issue of a Miami Beach TOP: The City's population balance, growth and
redevelopment patterns are changing and intensifying so rapidly that transportation
solutions will be required. A TOP is needed to guide the identification of essential
transportation projects for construction in the near and long-term future, if Miami Beach is
to meet concurrency standards and further its desirability as a residential and business
community, and a convention and tourist destination.
A "Future Transportation P/an" (Exhibit "C") has been recently completed by Kimley-Horn
and Associates using available traffic data and making projections based on current and
ORB-approved developments. This preliminary document has identified seven areas of
concern and guided the selection of the first transportation project to be undertaken - the
Dade Boulevard Connector (23rd Street/Dade Boulevard/Alton Road), the proposed
alternate route to the southern section of Collins Avenue for north/southbound commuter
traffic.
The preliminary TOP, however, needs to be substantiated and confirmed by current data
which is generated, analyzed and projected through computer models by experts for the
purposes of a "Comprehensive TDP." Most transportation planning solutions carry a
multi-millian dallar price tag and federal funding is obtainable only when sufficient,
camprehensive data is made available to. the MPO and technical committees far project
evaluatian and priaritizatian.
The Issue af a Busway far Miami Beach: Resolution No.. 94-21324 dated September 22,
1994, autlined for the Flarida Department af Transpartation (FOOT) the City Commissian
recommendatians on issues cancerning the prapased Miami Beach segment af the East-
West Transit Carridar. Amang these recommendatians was a request that FOOT suppart a
Miami Beach application to the MPO far the develapment of an interim busway system.
The busway wauld run special buses in a dedicated right-af-way, an the praposed Sauth
Beach loap and into downtawn Miami, to. test the loop's ridership patential; further, that
a study to determine the transportatian system's feasibility be initiated. Pursuant to the
City Cammissian recammendations, an Octaber 4, 1994 the Administration submitted a
letter/applicatian requesting that the MPO agree to fund and perfarm the required
feasibility study for the busway laap. This study will be an integral part of a future
applicatian far federal demanstratian funding.
Subsequently, the TMA requested that the feasibility study also. cansider the transit needs
af Mid-Beach due to its large emplayment base (hotels, hospitals, and 41 st Street). The
Mid-Beach system wauld be a separate system but connected to the South Beach loop
which, by the way, wauld take study and implementatian priority. The Administration
agreed to this request far several reasons:
* The MPO has indicated that the expansian of the study's scape would be beneficial
and cast-effective since the two transit prajects, althaugh different in purpase and reach,
would eventually be interconnected; and
* The TMA shauld be involved by the City in the an-gaing advertisement and pramotian
af the Sauth Beach Circulatar and the Mid-Beach system for the fallawing reasans:
- Appraximately 600 af Maunt Sinai Hospital employees reside within the Mid/Sauth
Beach area, as evidenced by a residential zip code check perfarmed by the
haspital's TMA Baard member. Mount Sinai is the first Mid-Beach emplayer to.
canduct such survey, and others will fallaw; and
Significant TMA membership cantributian will come from the larger Mid-Beach area
emplayers who. have been unanimausly advacating the feasibility study's expansion,
and might passibly withdraw fram TMA if attentian is nat paid to the Mid-Beach
transit needs; and
The membership dues shauld eventually support mast TMA activities, thereby
keeping the City's share af financial responsibility to. TMA at a minimum.
CONCLUSION
The Administratian believes that, if any benefit is to. be derived fram the MPO's UPWP, it
will be fram planning studies canducted for Miami Beach by the MPO staff and
cansultants, with aur participatian. Direct grants far staffing purpases are being
contested by federal funding saurces and are difficult to. abtain. We recammend
ratificatian af the two. resalutians.
alj (upwpres)