UPDATE: Series on Multi Paths - looking at the Red Road Linear Park Path. How it compares to the Palmetto Bay designed 136th Street project.

This video is part of a series examining multi use paths in our area. I plan in comparing the Old Cutler Trail, the Cutler Bay Shared use path, the Pinecrest Red Road Lineal Park Path. All compared with the current Palmetto Bay designed Shared Path now under construction on SW 136th Street. 

Many of you may be familiar with this Red Road Linear Park Path. It was originally created under Miami-Dade County and later nurtured and maintained by the Village of Pinecrest. Compare it with the JPA shared path that Palmetto Bay designed for SW 136th Street.

The Red Road Linear Park Path is a 2.5 mile lighted walking/bicycle path along the Snapper Creek Canal on Red Road. There are three rest areas accented with coral rock walls and enhanced landscaping along historic Red Road, located along the East-side of Red Road between Kendall Drive and Killian Drive in Pinecrest, Florida.

Now this is a shaded, park type amenity that provides safe mobility!

Here is a Yelp Review of this path/park:

Yes, per the Village of Pinecrest, this does qualify as parkland. It's a little strip of land bordered by Red Road on one side and the Snapper Creek Canal on the other. There is a meandering paved path, one upon which my running feet pound quite often. It's a running/walking/biking/blading path, and a good one.

The park is listed as 2.5 miles long. I'm surprised at that, because my internal odometer says it feels a little less. Maybe that's because unlike many other South Florida "parks," it actually has a bit of a tree canopy, helping somewhat to ease the pain the sun brings. In fact, there's a wide variety of native plant life on display along this path, from gumbo limbo to cypress to pond apple. This helps make the path as scenic as a path that close to a busy road can be.

This stretch of Snapper Creek looks like an enticing place to cast a fishing line, but in all honesty, the fishing here sucks. This stretch of the canal is just a deep featureless ditch, with little or no aquatic plant life or other structure providing cover for fish.

Insider tip....only run here when the wind is out of the east, the path is on the east side of Red Road. Run here during periods of westerly breeze, and you open yourself up to breathing truck exhaust.

Important note - this is one multi use path where there are no potential conflicts with motor vehicles - not one. At no point do vehicles cross the path at any point along any of this 2.5 mile path.

Take note of the following for this Red Road Linear Park Path:

• The appearance of park amenity including numerous park type benches. The uniformity of the path.
• The quality of the construction.
• There are no areas of conflict with cars anywhere along the entirety of the 2.5 miles of this path. It is a path uninterrupted by any conflict from motor vehicles crossing the path. 
• At no time does this path narrow from its uniform width, nor does it take any sharp turns or curves (once it begins – the southern terminus connects to the cross walk that leads to Pinecrest Gardens – and other path. 

Contrast this with the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Note that there will be as many as 70 separate areas of conflict with roadways and the numerous driveways that will cross the Palmetto Bay designed shared path along SW 136th Street. And note, I have previously identified that safety is compromised at each point where motorized vehicles cross shared paths. 

See PRIOR RELATED POST of September 29, 2021, Series on Multi Paths - looking at Cutler Bay's shared path project. How it compares to the Palmetto Bay designed 136th Street project.

Series on Multi Paths - looking at Cutler Bay's shared path project. How it compares to the Palmetto Bay designed 136th Street project.

This video is part of a series examining multi use paths in our area. I plan in comparing the Old Cutler Trail, the Cutler Bay Shared use path, the Pinecrest Red Road Lineal Park Path, all with the current Palmetto Bay designed Shared Path now under construction on SW 136th Street. 

Part 1. Please look at this shared use path that Cutler Bay worked on with Miami-Dade County and compare it with the JPA shared path that Palmetto Bay designed for SW 136th Street.

Take note of the following for this Cutler Bay designed shared path:

• The appearance of park amenity including numerous park type benches. The uniformity of the path.
• The quality of the construction.
• There are minimal areas of conflict with cars - in fact, there are no conflicts in the first 1 minute, 46 seconds of this video. The distance is .4 of a mile or 2,116 feet (measured via Google Earth) where there is a path uninterrupted by any conflict from motor vehicles crossing the path. 
• There are a total of 17 areas of potential conflict (after the .4 mile area mentioned above). There are few streets; most are business driveways all located in close proximity to the Franjo Road business district.
• At no time does this path narrow from its uniform width, nor does it take any sharp turns or curves. 

Contrast this with the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Note that there will be as many as 70 separate areas of conflict with roadways and the numerous driveways that will cross the Palmetto Bay designed shared path along SW 136th Street. And note, I have previously identified that safety is compromised at each point where motorized vehicles cross shared paths. 

Above and below, photos depicting the construction status of the Palmetto Bay designed shared path on SW 136th Street. Some landscaping will eventually be restored, but the widths will not change. The first photo shows a full 10 foot section that reduces to an 8 foot wide section. The other photo above shows a section where 8 feet is suddenly reduced to a mere 5 feet (standard sidewalk width). The photo below documents a section "separated" by mere feet and no curbing from SW 136th Street.

Please also note that there was no public input on the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Not a single public meeting. The re-design was developed in private by a few people with special influence and who enjoy special access to the current mayor.

Reference materials. See prior related posts of:

June 24, 2020, Yet another car v bike conflict along the Old Cutler Trail – a multi-use path, not a dedicated bike lane.

July 2, 2020, How Many Cyclists Have to Die Before We Get Serious About Bike Lanes?

MASTER LINK TO RELEVANT PAST POSTS - BACKGROUND MATERIALS (CLICK HERE)

And yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a cyclist and I am quite disappointed that this Palmetto Bay designed shared path will not get the cyclists off the road - that would require designation bike lanes - once designed for this SW 136th Street. See: June 22, 2021, Palmetto Bay can change the project, but municipal officials cannot change State Law which determines where bicyclists may ride. 

In other words, drivers will still be required to share SW 136th Street with cyclists. Please don't yell at the cyclists to move off the road. The fault is that of the current Palmetto Bay mayor and council who changed the plans from dedicated bike lanes to a shared path.

Update on Multi-Paths for Palmetto Bay - the request was for $1 Million for a project with a projected total cost of $6,195,345. The Palmetto Bay taxpayers would put up the $5,195,345 match.

When we will be put in the loop? Only careful readers of Village Council business would have a hint that the current Mayor and Village Council are hell-bent on wrapping Palmetto Bay in 10 feet of sidewalk. Where are the meaningful public hearings, updates, or town hall meetings? Whose voice(es) matter?

What is mindboggling is how the current mayor and some members of the village council are deflecting responsibility through alleging that the shared path now under construction on SW 136th Street is a County Project (it is not, it was started under Palmetto Bay as a bike lanes project and morphed under a JPA CLICK HERE for background). 

Watch out! The shared path lightning bolt may strike twice in Palmetto Bay! Keep an eye out. I am the one who is actually keeping you in the loop. That a look at a SW 184th Street project that the current mayor and 2019 Village Council pitched to the TPO under the name "SW 184 St Intermodal/Intercity Connectivity Pathway".

The TAP request was for funding in the amount of $1 Million for a project with a projected total cost of $6,195,345. The Palmetto Bay taxpayers would put up the $5,195,345 match. And best of all, this $6,195,345 is the Village spending municipal (and grant money) for a COUNTY road.  Yes, that's right, there is no County partnership, this is not Palmetto Bay sweetening the pot to obtain some control or enhancements; this is 100% Palmetto Bay taxpayer dollars ($$$) mitigated by a mere 20% contribution by a TPO Grant.

But, but but: I know what you are thinking, but our current elects keep referencing 136th Street shared path as a COUNTY PROJECT - surely they would have no more influence over 184 than they had over 136th.

The reality: Apparently they have less influence over 184 than 136. Palmetto Bay did submit an application for a TPO grant for the Multi-Path along 184th Street from US1 to Old Cutler Road. (CLICK HERE) to view this detailed application (21 pages). This item was placed on the February 4, 2019, Regular Village Council Meeting agenda as item 10N (CLICK HERE) to view this item that I obtained and saved to my Google Drive. You can also view the approved resolution, Resolution 2019-32, where the current mayor and 2019 village council approved moving forward on seeking this grant by a 4-0 vote (CLICK HERE).

The application was not funded by the Miami-Dade TPO. The TPO received 21 applications for TAP funding in the 2019 cycle. 

The list of the 21 applications for TAP funding in the 2019 cycle

MEASURING SUCCESS: The 2019 Palmetto Bay mayor and council were limited in their "success" on 136th Street, merely redesigning a bike lane project worked out by a prior Palmetto Bay administration to a shared path (placed solely onto the Palmetto Bay side), but this mayor and council have been unable to date to get a 184th Street shared path moving forward.

The Old Cutler shared multi-path. It is not a lane for motor vehicles. 2/19/2021 - Sidewalk Driving - Old Cutler Road (N to 152nd St.)

Wow, do not try this at home! Dangerous driving that, in my opinion, places any of the people who properly use the shared multi-path along Old Cutler Road at great risk of bodily harm or worse:

The shared path is NOT a turbo lane and should not be used for driving. The shared path is used by walkers, joggers (including strollers and dogs on leashes), cyclists (along the properly maintained sections when there is room).  the Palmetto Bay Village Council also approved a resolution calling on the County to approve the use of small motorized vehicles - in this case golf carts - to also use the shared path.

You can skip to 0:50:00 (50 seconds) to get to the point of the video.

 

 I wonder if traffic allowed this driver back in or did the attempted reentry lead to more conflict.

A great illustration of the term "stay in your lane".

Palmetto Bay "Shared Path" update - presentation for Pinecrest - no info for affected Palmetto Bay residents

Palmetto Bay: the clock is running, time is getting tight. Pinecrest Officials had yet another presentation on the design and status of the SW 136th Street at their Village Council meeting of November 12, 2019.

It appears that Miami-Dade County Officials are working to complete the (single Palmetto Bay side) shared path plans by February 14, 2020 - Valentine's Day - and, at least as of the date of this blog post, Palmetto Bay officials have not scheduled a single town hall meeting to update affected Palmetto Bay residents, to seek their input.  A February 14, 2020, design completion date does not provide much time for Palmetto Bay to get notice to affected residents. Working together on a shared plan is much, much easier than changing a plan developed in your absence.  

I have been posting about this issue - raising issues since January of this year. 2019 is about to come to a close and there has been nothing, zip, zilch, nada, set for our residents to have their input on this critical infrastructure. The entirety of 2019 has gone by for our residents without input or update.

 or 

I am still waiting to see how this MEGA sidewalk, which I am told will consist of 10 feet of sidewalk in some ares, down to 8 feet in others, will impact those who live on the Palmetto Bay side of 136th Street, and the effect on the student drop off in front of Howard Drive Elementary.  We need answers. Why the silence?

THE INFORMATION TOOL BOX - PRIOR RELATED POSTS.

Here is where you can find information relating to this issue:

Friday, November 8, 2019:
Time is past due for a Public Meeting to engage and update residents regarding the SW 136th Street Project

Wednesday, October 30, 2019:

Pinecrest Wins, Palmetto Bay loses. Pinecrest Council discusses material changes to 136 St Bike Lane. Palmetto Bay may be home to a 10 foot MEGA sidewalk instead of a shared project.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019:

Foreshadowing - for now, please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3, March 18, 2019.

January 13, 2019, 
Taking a close look. A ten foot multi-use path proposed for around Palmetto Bay by a member of the Village Council - here is how it might look. Actual photos of a similar, if not identical design. Offering some Pros & Cons

Time is past due for a Public Meeting to engage and update residents regarding the SW 136th Street Project

Transparency and public involvement matters to those Elected Officials who want their fellow residents to trust their government. Residents should be able to expect transparency from their elected officials.

The time is long past due for our elected officials to update and involve our fellow Palmetto Bay residents on the Howard Drive "bike lane" project.  As background, please review  a PRIOR RELATED POST of January 25, 2017: Update on the 136 improvement meeting held at Howard Drive Elementary & Temporary Traffic Tables coming to Farmers Road during County Pilot Program. Significant information was provided then and an update is long overdue, especially as the wheels appear to have come off the tracks for this project.  Transparency counts.

People who feared loss of trees for a simple bike lane will now face a much greater impact from a 10 foot 'multi-use path' (a/k/a a MEGA sidewalk) in front of their homes (OK, I understand that the MEGA sidewalk may be reduced a 'mere' 8 feet in some sections). Regardless, there will be much less room to park without violating the ADA by parking on a sidewalk. There will be significantly less room for trees. 

I am waiting to see how this MEGA sidewalk impacts the 136th Street student drop off in front of Howard Drive Elementary.  We need answers.

What happened to this project?  Other important questions include: 

• Did any of our village council members work to change out the agreed to bike lanes to a 10 foot MEGA path placed solely on the Palmetto Bay side? And, if so, why wasn't the public updated. 
• Or were they caught unaware? 
• Why weren't our residents consulted in advance of this major change, did our representatives not know, or do their voices not matter? 
• Is the MEGA path a 'done deal' or can our residents still have input? 
• Which residents were provided inside knowledge and if so, why were other concerned residents neither not invited to meetings or at least provided a timely update?

And still, the current Palmetto Bay Mayor and other officials still remain unaware, or unwilling, to update the facts of the project as the Village Website continues to incorrectly mislead the readers that the "136th St. Improvement Project remains as follows:

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 is how the web notice reads as of 3:00 PM, Friday, Nov. 8, 2019)

CLICK HERE if you want to see if the website has been altered as a result of this blog post.

Screen shot taken 2:35 PM, 11-8-2019

Do you want to see what a 10 foot MEGA Multi-Path looks like? Please see a PRIOR RELATED POST of January 13, 2019, Taking a close look. A ten foot multi-use path proposed for around Palmetto Bay by a member of the Village Council - here is how it might look. Actual photos of a similar, if not identical design. Offering some Pros & Cons

Will this be the new look for the Palmetto Bay side of Howard Drive?

 Other PRIOR RELATED POSTS of interest - part of your tool box of information relating to this process:

October 30, 2019, Pinecrest Wins, Palmetto Bay loses. Pinecrest Council discusses material changes to 136 St Bike Lane. Palmetto Bay may be home to a 10 foot MEGA sidewalk instead of a shared project.

EDITOR'S NOTE - There was no update on this project was provided (at least to the public) at the Palmetto Bay regular village council meeting of November 4, 2019. Why not?

October 29, 2019, Foreshadowing - for now, please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3, March 18, 2019.

I will place any updates here when the long-overdue public input session is set and noticed. This blog has a way to nudge Palmetto Bay into action.

Eugene Flinn

Pinecrest Wins, Palmetto Bay loses. Pinecrest Council discusses material changes to 136 St Bike Lane. Palmetto Bay may be home to a 10 foot MEGA sidewalk instead of a shared project.

Residents who live along SW 136th Street - prepare yourself for a 10 foot MEGA sidewalk (a/k/a 'multi-use path) to be placed in front of your homes.  The other shoe has dropped - and this one falls very loudly, with great impact. Far too many, if not all Palmetto Bay residents, will learn of this months old change to the project for the first time here on this blog post, rather than directly from their current elected officials. That is a shame. Please view the video posted below for the important information. I can add little over the statements and cackling contained in this video. It is a much watch and it may change your opinion of how those in our neighboring municipality view their neighbor to the south.

And to add insult to injury, Palmetto Bay residents - get ready to spend over $500,000 of our own tax dollars to relieve Pinecrest of its shared burden on this bike lane project. And apparently, no residents were ever consulted regarding this change in project. If they were, they were insiders with special privileged access. 

Let me preface some of my remarks with the statement that when I was Mayor, I kept a close eye on projects such as this Howard Drive Bike Lane Project, so I am not buying into any defense from the current Mayor and Palmetto Bay Council that they were unaware.  The Pinecrest Council even discussed that this matter was to be discussed at a Chamber South Transportation Meeting (was Palmetto Bay represented at this meeting?). The Mayor indicated that this project had been changed to the 10 foot multi-path months earlier. Palmetto Bay is not advising its resents, in fact, the village website continues to describe the project as follows:

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.

The above was the Palmetto Bay project description as of 11:00 AM, October 30, 2019.

There is so much more to being an elected official than selfies and trying to break records for the number of proclamations that can be awarded.  

Protecting your residents from having to shoulder 100% of a joint infrastructure project is one such example. People who feared loss of trees for a simple bike lane will now face a much greater impact from a 10 foot 'multi-use path' (a/k/a a MEGA sidewalk) in front of their homes.  There will be much less room to park without violating the ADA by parking on a sidewalk. There will be significantly less room for trees. And I am waiting to see how this MEGA sidewalk impacts the parking and 136th Street parking and student drop off at Howard Drive Elementary.

I knew how the (then) planned bike lanes would impact, or how we could and would mitigate impacts to neighbors at all times while I was mayor. Does current Mayor Cunningham have the insight for this material change? If so, when were we to be advised? Monitoring the project and actually delivering on the promises are even more important that the conceptualization. 

It appears that this current Palmetto Bay Council fail to read and understand their agenda; what they are voting on. (See prior post, link far below)

And now we see what happens to our residents when the same members of the Palmetto Bay Village Council fail to follow up and monitor projects in development.

How did the Pinecrest Council react? View for yourself. What bothers me the most as a Palmetto Bay resident? What I perceive to be the sheer glee exhibited by some of the Pinecrest Council which you can see at minute one of the video when the Pinecrest Manager reveals that the entire shared path is actually going to go on the Palmetto Bay side. The entire Pinecrest Village Council erupts in laughter that seem to indicate to me that they are relieved their community is now off the hook. 

“Excellent!” is the excited utterance of Pinecrest Vice Mayor Anna Hochkammer (at 1:11) when discussing how the project is entirely withing Palmetto Bay. 

Then there is what I feel to be a somewhat caustic comment at one minute, 11 seconds, “…those guys cannot organize a two car motorcade - they're going to screw this up." Is this comment direct to Miami-Dade County or Palmetto Bay? Decide for yourself.

Don't just take my word for it. See and hear for yourself:
00:00:37 Pinecrest Manager explained that the issue is that County has analyzed SW 136th Street - trees are going to be an issue. (Editor’s comment: Not for Pinecrest, but now only an issue for Palmetto Bay) 00:01:00 – Pinecrest Manager reveals that the entire shared path is actually going to go on the Palmetto Bay side [Laughter erupts and ensues amongst the entire Pinecrest Village Council – “Excellent!” – Pinecrest Vice Mayor Anna Hochkammer ( 1:11 )] 00:01:11 Impolite comment: “…those guys cannot organize a two car motorcade - they're going to screw this up." (Editor's Comment: does this refer to Miami-Dade County or Palmetto Bay?) 00:01:19 Pinecrest council discussed "pulling their million dollars back" - "It's now in Palmetto Bay, it's never going to happen" Redesign was created (1:45:30). 00:02:50 Pinecrest Council discussion, confirming that the County Commissioner is involved. 00:03:05 Mayor Corradino discusses bringing this project up for discussion at the Friday, Chamber South Transportation Committee (this would have been Friday, October 18, 2019). Pinecrest Council debate goes on in regard to staying involved as it will never happen if it relies upon Palmetto Bay alone. 00:03:15 One Pinecrest Councilmember asks a ‘legitimate question’ – why is Pinecrest paying $1 million when this project is now fully on the Palmetto Bay side? 00:04:05 Pinecrest Council in discussion, that they cannot pull out, the project will never get done if they do. 00:05:08 Discussion of Traffic Control devices on Old Cutler Road – preliminary plans were to include up to 2 traffic circles as part of the program 00:05:40 Note the discussion in Pinecrest on control over the art for the traffic calming - Pinecrest will control. (mocking Palmetto Bay’s past choices). Pinecrest Manager talks about how she pushed back with Palmetto Bay to maintain Pinecrest’s choice / control as a requirement of Pinecrest’s participation. 00:06:07 (to 6:26) Pinecrest Council laughing at the loss of Palmetto Bay Village Manager - mocking Palmetto Bay's Manager situation. 00:06:54 Pinecrest Manager states that the County has committed to new construction plans by February (2020) 00:07:30 Mayor mocks Palmetto Bay - "Wait till you tell Palmetto Bay, then all hell will break loose in Palmetto Bay because they (PBay) are doing something" (7:38) End of discussion on this topic – the meeting moves on to the remainder of the agenda.

RELEVANT MATERIALS - THE ISSUE 'TOOL BOX':

See prior posts of January 13, 2019, Taking a close look. A ten foot multi-use path proposed for around Palmetto Bay by a member of the Village Council - here is how it might look. Actual photos of a similar, if not identical design. Offering some Pros & Cons

October 29, 2019, Foreshadowing - for now, please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3, March 18, 2019. and

October 28, 2019, Village Council Chaos - Interaction with Village Attorney at a council meeting - Village Mayor & Council: You have been told repeatedly. You are the voting body. You have responsibilities of reading and knowing what you are voting on.

Foreshadowing - for now, please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3, March 18, 2019.

I am merely putting this out there for now- more to come later. This is foreshadowing.

Please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3, March 18, 2019. (CLICK HERE) to download and view this 23 page document.

And also please note - I do not believe this is available online on the official Village of Palmetto Bay web site, but you can find it here as it is posted to my Googledrive.

There is some good stuff (and some items where I will express opinions on at a later date) here - the SW 136th Street plan, consistent with the Joint Agreement with Miami-Dade County and Palmetto Bay - specifically resolution 2018-47.  And once again, please note - neither of these documents appear to be available online on the official Village of Palmetto Bay web site, but you can find it here as it is posted to my Googledrive. (CLICK HERE) to view this Miami-Dade County Memorandum of October 23, 2018 (17 pages). This County Memo includes Palmetto Bay Resolution 2018-47.

Here is what is currently posted on the official village website (CLICK HERE) - note the information is as posted on October 29, 2019, 4:00 PM.

136th St. Improvement ProjectThis 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.

Finally, I have uploaded (former) Item 10E from the February 4, 2019, agenda - the Staff Report (remember when those were made available to the public?). This is a 31 page document relating to this issue I will be discussing at a later date. Please consider this part of your SW 136 Street Improvement 'tool box' for now. (CLICK HERE) to download and view.

There is more to come - I promise you. Information that is relevant to transparency in government (or lack of) as well as the status of prior agreements, notice and impact to residents, especially those who are most directly impacted.