136th Street Project update. Bike Lanes - My question remains unanswered. When did Palmetto Bay officials officially shift the SW 136 Street Bike Lanes project to the shared path? When, how and what public meetings/notification to the public, were involved?

We have all discussed Resolution 2017-47. CLICK HERE for prior updates. There was a resolution amending Reso 2017-47, but the only impact I observe is a shifting of costs. $500,000.00 in village funders were authorized under Reso 2017-47. The original allocation was $500,000.00 - $100,000.00 for design and $400,000.00 for construction. This was discussed as Agenda Item 10E at the February 4, 2019 council meeting.  Resolution 2019-28 merely reallocated how the money was to be spent, to $250,000.00 for design costs. 

THE LIGHTBULB GOES OFF! Perhaps this may be a very important clue: why does the design allocation need to go from $100,000.00 up to $250,000.00? Neither the staff report (agenda item 10E) nor the resolution itself mentions any reason to add $150,000.00 to redesign unless there was a need to redesign? Perhaps, just perhaps, there is something else happening outside the public view. No clues are given in the official minutes for this agenda item.

FINAL ACTION? No: No redesign – not yet, not at this time. The project is still referred to as a bike lane (very specific), not a shared path.  The village still posts the project rendering as bike lanes on the village website (See rendering at bottom).

Section 1. The Village Council hereby amends Resolution No. 2017-47 and allocates up to $250,000 for design services and the remaining funds from the total allocation of $500,000 towards construction costs for the bike lane along SW 136th 8 Street.

Section 2. The Village Council hereby approves the contract between the Village of Palmetto Bay and RJ Behar & Co. Inc, in substantial form and content to the attached Exhibit “A” to provide design services for the bike lane improvements.

Section 3. The Village Manager is authorized to take all action necessary to enter into contract with RJ Behar, subject to the terms and conditions negotiated between both parties prior to disbursement  of funds to the County.

(Bold emphasis added) 

The vote was unanimous – 5-0 in support of this updated resolution.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Please note, it is the Village of Palmetto Bay, not Miami-Dade County that continues to control and direct the design.  As discussed prior, this it not a project of Miami-Dade County. It is a project were Palmetto Bay is in full control (including veto) of the project design. Miami-Dade County hired the contractors to build what is designed. 

Note the information below reflects what was posted by Palmetto Bay Officials on the Official Village website as of December 13, 2019, 5:00 PM. 

136th St. Improvement Project This project is currently under design. Improvements include minor widening of the roadway to add bike lanes on both sides of the road and milling & resurfacing the existing roadway. We are looking to replace the existing 5’ sidewalk on the South side of SW 136TH Street (Village of Palmetto Bay Side) with a new 7’ wide sidewalk. Other improvements will include pavement markings, ADA Compliant pedestrian ramps, and landscape improvements. This is a LAP Project between Miami Dade County and FDOT, and Village of Pinecrest and Village of Palmetto Bay are also stakeholders.

This rendering no longer represents the project as currently proposed