Transit on the ballot in Miami-Dade as officials look to expand Metromov...

See Channel 10 online for the full story - excerpts below:

MIAMI – Advocates say Miami-Dade voters have a choice on the Aug. 20 ballot.

“More highways, more congestion, or a new option?” Mark Merwitzer, with Transit Alliance Miami, said.

A measure on the primary ballot includes a non-binding question about expanding rapid transit in the county, specifically the existing Metromover and Metrorail systems.

It comes as choking congestion prompts county commissioners to look at elevated rail along the county’s East-West Corridor: a Metromover expansion along Flagler Street to Florida International University.

“The number one complaint about quality of life in Miami-Dade County is the traffic,” Merwitzer said. “Traffic is a nightmare and public transit is the solution to that.”

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins summed it up thusly: “People are trapped in traffic.”

see Channel 10 Miami - As congestion chokes Miami-Dade, transit on ballot as officials ponder Metromover to FIU

EDITOR'S NOTE: I am not sure how I will vote.  I am far from pleased as to how the current half cent sales tax is being (mis)spent. I'd like to send a message and vote NO, but they will play the vote how they want to, regardless of the results.

UPDATE: I am posting a screen shot of the County Straw Ballot question.  Do we really need to answer it? The answer is obvious. But note that this does nothing toward upgrading South Dade with anything elevated, which the prior mayors of Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay fought for.  This locks South Miami-Dade into the bus; but now with the old fashioned Railroad style crossing gates (talk about antiquated technology). 

The guard gates are being installed along the US1 busway - photos providing first look.

As seen on my public transit ride home from downtown today:

I took a few pictures of the gate arms being installed at the intersections along the US1 busway. The gate arms will go into operation with the start of the BRT service (which will most likely signal the end of the Palmetto Bay Express Bus service to the Datran South Metrorail station).

Above - boarded at Datran south for the return trip, road is clear ahead

Below: a few pictures of the safety gate arms - they appear to be the classic railroad crossing arms that existed back when the rail road trains traveled that rail easement 40-50 years ago (and much, much earlier).

SW 104th Street

SW 132 Street (by Tire Kingdom)

Above - bus way intersections at SW 124th and 144th Streets

True bike mobility - examples of bike mobility options - see for yourself. What is your vision?

The video documents conventional bike lanes, pained bike lanes v protected bike lanes, as well as a shared path (where the roadway remains marked for shared use by bicyclists - identical to the Old Cutler Path).  This information is important as current Palmetto Bay officials are not satisfied with the SW 136th Street project - next up are other streets, including SW 184 as well as Coral Reef Drive - January 28, 2022, Next issue - do we turn Coral Reef Drive into the next SW 136th Street? Time to get involved.

 

Examples of different bike lanes - traditional (conventional) - along SW 62nd Avenue (in front of Miami's Community Newspapers) 0:01:42 Painted, traditional non-separated bike lane. 0:02:17 Sharrow and wide sidewalk 0:02:43 example of a curbed protected bike lane 0:03:38 another example of a curbed protected bike lane 

More to follow on bike lanes.

When you look, please consider what you prefer as a motorist as bike lanes are for drivers as well. How? Because a bike lane places the cyclists in their own lane, rather than taking the lane in front of the motorist. Remember, a shared path is not a dedicated bike lane. See December 17, 2018, Taking a close look - Old Cutler Bike Trail - designed use, rules of the road - Types of bikeways - 2 discussed here: paved path & sharrows. Cyclists may choose to use it, but is not required to do so - and there are many examples I can give as to why 'taking the lane' is preferable, and safer, for a cyclist than riding a shared path.

Also think about what you would prefer as a homeowner living on that street. Look to SW 136th Street to see the loss of swale (drainage, landscaping - green space) and parking. Does the SW 136th Street project get bicyclists off the roadway. In then end, the SW 136th Street is just a disjointed collection off standard size sidewalks in part with wider sidewalk  sections in other sections. Barriers remain in many areas including signage, abrupt curves as well as utility boxes and poles. It is neither well thought out or well designed.  See: October 2, 2021, Special post - Photo(s) of the day. Reader submitted photos of the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Or is it a car park?

Another issue with projected bike lanes - what happens at time of deliveries - or garbage / recycling pick up? How are vehicles going to move down streets during these events? Delivery vehicles will remain in the street as they cannot pull off the road due to the barriers created for the protected bike lanes.  But at least no one will be parking on in the protected bike lanes (as they do on the shared paths) - the curbing or barriers prevent any such intrusion. 

We are seeing the impact of share paths in Palmetto Bay - far too many examples of vehicles parking on them as the right of way (swales) have been lost, so now where do guests or large families park? I have documented many such violations throughout this blog. So we need more?

This post is another in my series of relating to local issues, local places. This is part of a developing "taking a close look at" or "Fact Checking" series on issues and places in and around Palmetto Bay and our south Miami-Dade Communities.

Next issue - do we turn Coral Reef Drive into the next SW 136th Street? Time to get involved.

Coral Reef Drive is one of our signature main streets crossing through Palmetto Bay. Do we really envision remaking this street into one where the mature canopy shade trees are yanked out for a concrete path of 8 to 10 feet? Ask yourself, what is the problem they are trying to solve as well as is this a case where the proposed 'solution' is actually worse than the problem they allege? Seriously, why would we want to change the character of Coral Reef Drive? I did not see any issue alleged in the recent survey put out by Village Officials, so do we really need to spend significant tax dollars to pour tons of cement along Coral Reef Drive, ripping out many, many, mature signature shade trees in the process?

All of the above should be discussed when an update of the Palmetto Bay Multi-Use Trail and SMART Plan Connectivity Study is scheduled to come before the Palmetto Bay Mayor and Council at the February Regular Council Meeting.

SPOILER ALERT: The recommendations to be presented to the Palmetto Bay Council represent profound changes to SW 184 and 152 Streets (those along SW 168th and 144th can rest easy - for now).

CLICK HERE to review the current document, consisting of 38 pages. As always, these documents are subject to change. I will update documents as I become aware of any.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is no requirement for the mayor and council to make any changes to either Coral Reef Drive or SW 184th. This is all discretionary. "Keep as is" is an option. There is no compelling need to make changes to either road.

But for now, here is the issue for Coral Reef Drive:  Do you want to continue with Coral Reef Drive as it currently exists:

Is there really a problem with Coral Reef Drive as depicted in these photos? 

Or will the current mayor and council approve a change in scenery and go with the Howard Drive (SW 136th Street) model as seen below?

For perspective, comparing what is promised versus what is delivered, this is what was originally promised for SW 136th Street, as posted on the official Village Website as late as October 2021:

Then Village officials updated the SW 136th Street rendering to the following:

Actual photos of the 136th Street project disclose a much different reality:

All photos are actual photos, so we can see current conditions. The photos are fair comparisons.

Remember, this SW 136th Street project was once a bike lane project that would have extended the road surface a total of 8 feet; 4 feet on the Palmetto Bay side (east bound lanes) and the other 4 feet on the Pinecrest side (the west bound lanes) with minimal, if any impact on the existing tree canopy along Howard Drive. See related article of June 17, 2021: SW 136th Street update. There is no mistaking who owns responsibility for this SW 136th project design: Palmetto Bay officials (2019 to date) who redesigned it from bike lanes to a MEGA shared path.

Back to the current proposals being proposed for Coral Reef Drive:

The following have been taken from the current draft document. Note page 18, "SW 152 Street Existing Conditions". The street is characterized as a "Tree-lined residential Street" with a ROW (Right of Way) that varies from 73' - 96' feet. What is not detailed are sections of historic coral rock wall that exists within the ROW. See Page 18, posted below along with an actual photo of current SW 152 detailing the coral rock wall

BACKGROUND POSTS - CLICK HERE to view prior articles relating to share paths and the SW 136th Street project.

Excerpts from the present draft document. Please note the Pros and Cons presented. Feel free to formulate your own pro or con argument to the proposals:

TO BE CONTINUED ... stay tuned and check back for updates

A thought provoking article. Bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how: (AARP Livable Communities series)

NOTE: This is a reposting of a blog article that originally ran on March 23, 2019, but one that is especially relevant in the local current climate. The popularity of bicycling has increased dramatically during this COVID-19 pandemic. Sadly, long term strategic plans have been tossed aside on personal whims of the current local officials.   

10 Ways Bicycle-Friendly Streets Are Good for People Who Don't RideBikes

Benefits abound for those with no intention of ever getting on a bicycle

by Jay Walljasper, AARP Livable Communities

This article is part of the AARP Livable Communities series.

Please read the entire article and consider the 10 reasons – set out in detail in the full article. But first, I would like to start with the PS or post script, which really hits home the some major points for those who skim or fail to finish the article:

 P.S. People of All Ages Like to Bicycle

Contrary to myth, bikes aren't only for kids, and bicycling as a means of exercise and transportation is not the sole purview of young, male, ultra-fit daredevils.

The article notes that the number of older, younger, female and inexperienced bicyclists is rising.

Riders age 50 and over pedaled an estimated 2.6 billion miles rides in 2009, according to the latest data from the National Household Travel Survey conducted by the USDOT. That's more than a six-fold increase from 1995, when that age group covered less than 400 million miles.

Read this article. Bike lanes are not the enemy, to the contrary, they are part of the Safe Streets Guidelines that Palmetto Bay adopted under my administration which is still the stated Policy of Palmetto Bay, unless and until that resolution / policy is rescinded.

The author makes the case that the solution is to share the streets by providing a space for each listed category of user, again, making the case that bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how:

1. Safer Streets Are Safer For Everyone 

2. Safer Sidewalks 

3. Smoother Trips 

"The anxiety and anger that many people have about bicyclists is because we have streets designed for conflict," observes Randy Neufeld, director of the SRAM Cycling Fund. "Everyone is nervous because no one knows where the bikes belong. Protected bike lanes take that chaos and disorganization away. We're not all fighting over the same space."

In fact, says Martha Roskowski of People For Bikes, defining spaces is the reason why research shows that drivers like protected bike lanes: "It increases the predictability of bicyclists by giving them their own place in the streets."

4. Less Congestion 

It makes sense that having more people on bicycles will lead to less roadway congestion. However, a study by researchers at the University of Virginia finds that increased bike riding across America could mean more congestion if bike lanes are not included on busy streets. 

5. Increasingly Livable Communities 

"Bicycling makes cities more attractive," explains Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities, which promotes making community livability for people of all ages. "The quality of the air is better and the amount of noise is less. You're more likely to know your neighbors and stop for a conversation." 

Arlington's Leach notes that neighborhoods with bike lanes are often "filled with people on the streets going to stores, sitting in cafes." 

6. Economic Vitality 

One of America's most ambitious bicycling projects is Indianapolis' Cultural Trail, an 8-mile network of separated bike and pedestrian lanes that has reinvigorated a number of struggling business districts and sparked a whopping $1 billion in increased property values. The Cultural Trail has also bestowed considerable cachet on this often-overlooked city. 

7. More Opportunity 

8. Saves Money For Taxpayers 

In an era when streets and sidewalks across the country are in disrepair, bicycle projects can save us a bundle in maintaining and expanding our transportation systems. 

Even protected bike lanes are "dirt cheap to build compared to road projects," says Gabe Klein, a partner at Fontinalis, a venture capitalist firm founded by Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford. 

9. Health Care Savings 

The health benefits of bicycling look almost like a miracle. Moderate physical exercise such as bicycling for only 30 minutes a day reduces a person's chances of diabetes, dementia, depression, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and high blood pressure by 40 percent or more. 

10. A Greener Environment 

Transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all greenhouses gases, the second largest sector after electricity (30 percent), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

A study from the Worldwatch Institute found that swapping a car for a bike on short commutes of four miles to work and back would generate 2,000 less pounds of carbon every year — which adds up to a five percent reduction in the carbon footprint of an average American. 

More bicycles on the streets and fewer cars also lessen other forms of air and noise pollution.

Planning for an age-friendly community requires planning to keep everyone safe and active. 

Please see a related post: March 9, 2018, Age Friendly community - an update. Palmetto Bay is the 156th community to be accepted in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. Where an update was provided on Palmetto Bay moving onto the next step toward being recognized as an "Age Friendly" Community.

CONSTRUCTION ALERT - Howard Drive Shared Path project. Construction scheduled to commence July 12, 2021. Details and background provided

Here is a true “in the loop” update on the Howard Drive Shared Path project. Construction is scheduled to commence July 12, 2021. Details and background are supplied below.

Not much has been heard about the MEGA sidewalk since the fireworks erupted late in 2020. I have been provided a timeline from County sources that I am releasing here. CLICK HERE for background blog posts or review: September 29, 2020, Seeking updates on the SW 136th Street MEGA sidewalkproject. Is the grand Photo Op ceremony still on for Friday, October 2nd (SPOILER ALERT – it was cancelled and I am not in the loop as to whether it will ever take place). Also see 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.

July 12, 2021: Anticipate commencement of the shared use path. The initial work will start Howard Drive Elementary in order to minimize any disruptions of class schedules for the upcoming 2021-22 school year.

Both Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest were notified on March 4, 2021, by Miami-Dade County that the start date for construction of the shared used path was July 12, 2021. The County anticipates the project will last 300 days – with substantial completion in 240 days.

All this flows from various meetings, including those listed below:

A November 7, 2019 meeting was held where Mayors Corradino and Cunningham both met with representatives from the County to review the project.

There was an October 23, 2019, meeting where the Pinecrest Public Works Director met with County representatives to discuss the issue with tree removal along the Pinecrest side of the right of way. The result of this meeting was that the County agreed that the trees on the Pinecrest side of SW 136 Street will not be disturbed.

September 23 and 25, 2019: Pinecrest Public Works Director met with Miami-Dade County and Palmetto Bay to discuss plans for the shared-use bike lane on SW 136 Street. Discussed centered around a revised approach that would involve construction of a shared use path along the entire length of 136 Street on the south side (Palmetto Bay) and nothing on the Pinecrest side. 

Further updates will be provided when and if received.

Status please re: 82nd avenue bike lanes. Where is the village project timeline? The money is mentioned in the budget, but no mention of completion is what is at issue.

What a difference a change in administrations makes - in transparency, in responsiveness as well as in results. Has anyone noticed how projects and timelines are fluid, if provided at all?

I have been asking for updates as to the completion of the 82nd avenue bike lane project. See a PRIOR RELATED POST of November 21, 2018, Follow up – requesting status of the $1,000,000.00 TAP grant, will the new council follow through to maintain our priority for bicycle lanes, attempt to repurpose the money or reject this grant? for background.

2019 went by without a peep. No public discussion was held in 2020. Then, buried deep within the budget message (and, therefore, the adopted budget) is the following:

82nd Avenue Bicycle Lane: Florida Department of Transportation has awarded a grant of $1,000,000 to the Village for the construction of a bicycle lane on SW 82nd Avenue from SW 160th Street to SW 136th Street. Construction funding is allocated by the Transportation Planning Organization for FY 2024. The first phase of the project, which encompassed the portion from SW 168th Street to SW 160th Street, has been completed. The last phase would take the bike lane to SW 136th Street. The overall transportation revenue anticipated for FY 2020-21 is $1,463,700. However, $554,282 of said total represents personnel costs, leaving a balance of $909,418. Some of the items above are already accounted for in the operating budget, specifically items V and X. Total operating costs allocated for FY 2020-21 are $1,278,600. The revenue deficit needed to meet associated costs for the budget cycle is being funded from prior-year surpluses.

CLICK HERE and scroll to page 24.

So at least current village officials are now admitting that there is the $1 Million TAP Grant. Now, can we get a timeline for completion or rejection and return of the grant?

The first step in transparency was to ADMIT there is a viable $1 million TAP Grant for Bike Lanes. (Even if the admission was provided cryptically and buried deep within a really dry-read document.) A good next step would be to publicly provide information on the status and then the project timeline.

Where is this disclosure? This item is listed (on page 24) under a category listed as "Expense Allocation Highlights" which is defined as a category (category discussion begins on page 23) where the Village officials "... review the expense side of the equation and in consideration of potential issues and possible funding shortfalls, we provide this recap for your review:"

The following are listed as Expense Allocation Highlights:

Public Safety

Legal Services

General Fund Revenues

82nd Avenue Bicycle Lane - buried at the bottom of page 24, where few, if any, take notice.

The question I have been asking is for the timeline for this hard fought project or an admission that they are going to let this project go and return the $1,000,000.00 TAP Grant to an agency that will put these tax dollars to work.

How Many Cyclists Have to Die Before We Get Serious About Bike Lanes?

I originally started this post on June 29th and put it aside. Then I learned his name, Hector Echeverria, and realized that my family knew him and his family. He was my daughter's Algebra 2 teacher at Coral Reef High and subsequently taught at Palmetto High and MAST Academy. He lived two blocks away from us, and my other daughter knew his daughter at Coral Reef Elementary, Southwood Middle School, and Palmetto Senior. She also knew Hector. He was a caring, gentle, and certainly not careless man. At 57, he had just beaten pancreatic cancer.

This is the cyclist who was mowed down by a vehicle in what was supposed to be a 25 mph street on Key Biscayne this past weekend. A second cyclist was also struck and remains in the hospital. 

I mourn the loss of another cyclist - one who had a deep and personal connection to Palmetto Bay. I still do not know the identity of the other cyclist. But regardless, a pair of cyclists were struck by a single vehicle early Sunday morning on Key Biscayne. There appears to be no allegation that either cyclist was doing anything other than what thousands of others do riding that same route. Another life lost and more lives changed forever.

But hey, keep tell me how we don’t need bike lanes. We still know little about this accident. But killing a cyclist is barely even a traffic ticket in South Florida. And there are always those who will make the point that cyclists are a nuisance -- as if they deserve the death penalty for getting in your way.

There has been much discussion and planning for bike lanes in Palmetto Bay. But there seems to be a lack of political will to act beyond planning. Politicians, including our own Daniella Levine-Cava, hold meetings. There are longstanding strategic / master / local / community plans. Plans are not the problem. The problem is that the efforts end with a celebration of discussion. Then people go back thinking there will be action, implementation. But there is little to none. And then more are injured or worse, killed. And then we all wonder why.

Or maybe discussion ends because politicians are scared of a few neighbors who don't like cyclists -- even if those cyclists are kids trying to get to school.

Why do I post my opinions here? Because this latest killing occurred at a spot where many were pushing for meaningful changes to improve safety. It tears me up to think of what this family is going through. The route was one used primarily by bikes, basically like being in a park. A road where it occurred, I am told, had a posted speed limit (for any vehicle, any type) of 25 MPH. I am familiar with this area, having ridden this route often. It is filled with bicycles.

This situation has been festering for far too long. Cycling advocates, and anyone who believes that life has value, need to ask whether this latest killing should (not could, but should) have been prevented. 

When will discussion result in actual action? We have seen many, many, “initiatives” where people are called together to discuss the issues, weigh in and propose solutions.  I have participated in some of these:  See the Miami-Dade County "Dead Serious" discussions reported back in May of 2018 (CLICK HERE to review). What has changed? Everything appeared to have gone dark once the videos and photo ops were completed. "Mission accomplished" was declared seemingly without any new protections actually put in place. 

County Commissioner Cava promised to construct bicycle lanes on 136 Street from Old Cutler to US 1. (CLICK HERE to view the full text of her transportation plan promises made back in January 2018) # 11 of the projects listed for 2018 was “11) Construct bicycle lanes on 136 Street from Old Cutler to US 1.” Instead, years later, the project was swapped out for a 8-10 foot sidewalk placed in the right of way, south side (Palmetto Bay side) of SW 136 Street). See December 29, 2019, The SW 136th Street Plans are posted for your review. Currently your only source to view as Palmetto Bay officials continue to fail to post these documents Bait, meet switch.

The above is just a single example. But the bottom line is that, as long as pedestrians (and their dogs and children) are on the path, cyclists will continue to ride along on the roadway of SW 136th Street as they are legally entitled to; where they will not be placing pedestrians at risk of bikes or be at risk of being struck by vehicles turning on or off the roadway (a recent example was posted on June 24, 2020, Yet another car v bike conflict along the Old Cutler Trail – a multi-use path, not a dedicated bike lane.)

I have worked to implement actual solutions, including safe routes to school programs, bike lanes and cyclist and motorist safety education. Implementation, going beyond the planning.  Discussion, advocating, location (and, more importantly, securing) funding and then implemented.

But it is disingenuous and worse – actually dangerous – when plans are derailed and replaced with lesser alternatives, that are not really alternatives at all, but 'repurposing' serious transportation safety issues to recreational uses that continues to place cyclists at risk. Cyclists that are our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers - teachers.  

Look at the dates of the “Dead Serious” initiatives. Where is the follow up, the delivery, a completion of a project? What has been actually implemented as a result of the efforts? Photo ops or actual efforts to improve safety? How many more need to die?

Meanwhile - Palmetto Bay continues to sit on $1 million dollars, a grant which they received to during my administration. This is that was to be used to make bicycling safer and, what's more, to enable people to use public transportation and take a bicycle for the first and last mile of public transportation. It would also help students to bicycle to Southwood Middle School. Is Palmetto Bay going to use this grant? Or should it be returned so that it can be awarded to another local government that we can trust to keep promises made. 

Fair Question: WILL PALMETTO BAY SQUANDER A $1 MILLION GRANT RECEIVED FOR ROADS?

I am still waiting for a response to my prior post and request of November 21, 2018, Follow up – requesting status of the $1,000,000.00 TAP grant, will the new council follow through to maintain our priority for bicycle lanes, attempt to repurpose the money or reject this grant?

SUPPORT VERSUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. It is easy to wave a flag in support. The hard part is actually delivering solutions. I suggest that this current Palmetto Bay Village Council, Charter Officers and Staff take a look at policy set to date by prior administrations, specifically Resolution 2017-67,  (sponsored by then Mayor Eugene Flinn) wherein the Village Council unanimously adopted  Miami-Dade County’s “Complete Streets Guidelines” and directed that these guidelines should be incorporated into the planning, design, approval, and implementation processes for any construction, reconstruction, retrofit, maintenance, alteration, or repair of streets, bridges, or other portions of the transportation network, including pavement resurfacing, restriping, and signalization operations if the safety and convenience of all types of users (i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transit riders, including children, youth, families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities) can be improved within the scope of the work.

CONCLUDING STATEMENT:  I make no apologies for the passion and venting of frustration. People are dying - all types - parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, friends and neighbors. Yes, some are sportsters; but many of these victims were simply traveling on a short commute by bike to or from work, riding to school or a friends house, or otherwise simply on a leisurely ride, but all were in the very wrong place at a very wrong time.  So spare me the celebration of yet another public photo op forum. I am demanding implementation, that promises be kept.

Fact Checking: There never was any $7.5 million in County Transportation money available to the Village to use as it wanted, or to repurpose. There was a County proposal to 4 lane SW 87th Avenue beginning from 216th Street north into Palmetto Bay. I opposed that in 2003

Urban legends and myths. Some people love a good conspiracy. Here is the myth of the day:

I have a question...
Our Founding Mayor likes to brag about turning down 7.5 million dollars from the county.
Did he do that unilaterally or did the council vote on it.
He talks about 4 laning 87th but he never mentioned the 87th Avenue bridge.
Was what the money could be used for negotiable??
Asking for a lot of Friends.

My answer: No. A grant or appropriation from government requires significant work through applications. I know, under my administration, Palmetto Bay brought in tens of millions of dollars – from as small as a thousand or two for our police DARE programs to $3.2 million through the Florida Communities Trust (for Thalatta Estate) to a GOB appropriation of $7.5 million (Franjo Road). 

Here was my response. I’d love to see the alleged documents. 

Please have your friends provide me with the actual documents for this alleged grant. There was never any $7.5 million to use as the village likes. I post links to documents (when available, so please, have your sources show me theirs). I did OPPOSE the widening of 87th avenue as the County has never wanted to relieve congestion for our neighborhoods, only open up a flood gate of traffic. I take it that you want our 87th avenue to look and flow as 87th avenue from Kendall Drive north through Doral. That is where the County is going and that is a great example of your ‘complete grid’.  

SEE: Palmetto Bay Resolution 03-22 , March 3, 2003

A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF PALMETTO BAY, FLORIDA, OPPOSING THE WIDENING OF S.W. 87 AVENUE WITHIN VILLAGE LIMITS, AS PROPOSED UNDER THE PEOPLE’S TRANSPORTATION PLAN; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (Vote 5-0: Mayor Flinn: Yes; Vice Mayor Robinson: Yes; Councilmember Feller: Yes; Councilmember Neidhart: Yes; Councilmember Breder: Yes)

If this was a $7.5 million project, I guarantee you that they were not going to allow the Village to repurpose this money for a park or a butterfly garden.And yes, I unabashedly OPPOSE any widening of 87th Avenue.

And yes, at one time, Palmetto Bay was recognized as a partner with Miami-Dade County on projects (WHEREAS, the cities presently incorporated were made an essential partner with the County in the selection of projects and in working hand in hand with Miami-Dade County for approval of the Transportation Plan: ...")

I will wait for the production of some actual documents, not rumors, to review and respond.

A vision of a possible future - but it will take work. Metrorail coming from the south.

It occurred on my Wednesday, January 22, 2020, commute to court when I saw a vision.  Photographs were taken, after all, it didn't happen if it isn't posted on social media.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, but quickly realized that I am definitely seeing what I am seeing here, but not to the extent of what should be. Many others with me on the train platform wondered whether this was a mirage, an optical illusion, caused by the extremely cold morning (for south Florida).

A transit TEASE! I never thought I’d see the day - a train came from the south to pick up passengers at Dadeland South. Yes, this could be our future, it should be our present. Too bad this train is not actually coming from Florida City. But at least I could see a vision of a possible future. 

The difference is that I would have already been on a train coming from further south rather than waiting for it at Dadeland.

Waiting for more than "A" train, waiting for the day this will be a regular occurrence.

How did the Village fare at the Conflict Resolution/Mediation meeting held 12/12/19? I am providing photos of a 'Do Not Block" intersection.

I am still looking for/waiting on additional reports relating to the Conflict Resolution meeting held between Miami-Dade County and Palmetto Bay officials on Thursday, December 12, 2019. I am told the video will be interesting. This meeting was held at a time when impacted residents would need to take time off from work to attend. 

Reports to date indicate that there was no movement, only the county digging the government heals in deeper. It is either traffic circle or simply paint “do not block” in the intersection at this point. This does not bode well for the other areas that are waiting for implementation of their traffic modifications. 

So much for the art of negotiation. Is there no one on the Palmetto Bay team with any basic negotiation skills? Don’t host the match if you are not (or you are ill) prepared to play the game. I could offer the basic rules for negotiation, but I fear it would continue to be ignored. 

Alice N. Bravo, P.E., Director of the of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) led the team from Miami-Dade County. Obviously the Miami-Dade County team was well-prepared for this meeting. It showed. Point Miami-Dade County (possibly even 'checkmate').

Here is the short version, cutting to the chase as to what was offered at this meeting:

Miami-Dade County officials offered to do 1 of 2 things:

1.  Remove the stop signs and paint a "do not block" (the "box") at the intersection, (see posted pictures for an example) or 

2.  Miami-Dade County will fund and install a traffic circle at 174 and 87th Avenue. 

We all  are familiar with the Traffic Circles. But most are unfamiliar with what an intersection looks like with the "do not block" painted within it. I am posting photos that I took of such an intersection. 

FAIR QUESTION: How do our village officials feel their aggressive negotiation through threats and litigation is proceeding, is it effective so far?  Does Mayor Cunningham feel that this process will provide the results worth the probable negative impact on joint projects planned for other areas of Palmetto Bay?  Will we need to litigate all these projects?

The sample pictured are of an intersection along Red Road near the University of Miami in Coral Gables. 

I am told that the village rejected both items and indicated that it will move forward on their legal/administrative remedies. 

PRIOR RELATED POST: See December 10, 2019, Agenda for the Conflict Resolution/Mediation set for 2:00 PM, Thursday, 12/12/19. Agenda includes public comment. Should you/must you go to state your position. Fair questions in advance.

Additional updates will follow as information becomes available. Also see prior posts of:

October 25, 2019, Thoughts on the most recent litigation FILED by the village: Good faith or is this a less than good faith attempt to avoid a deal that the Mayor and Council had no authority to make?

October 17, 2018, Update on Palmetto Bay Traffic Projects - and further updates will be posted as available

December 6, 2019, Are we reaching the end game? What is the strategy and what is the long term goal of the current Mayor and Village Council Members? Fire by volley.