Dead Serious: Miami-Dade District 8 Bicycle Safety Meeting | BikeSafe

I am committed to working within our communities to improve safety for every user. 

Bike lanes are just one example.  Bike lanes provide additional space for cars to maneuver safely and not get caught behind bikes.  Bicycles are less exposed to distracted drivers.

The law is clear: With the exception of a few types of high-speed, limited-access roadways (for example an Interstate Highway or the Turnpike), every FDOT travel lane is also a bikeway - no special signs or markings needed. In the state of Florida, the bicycle is considered a legal vehicle and may be operated on the street, unless there is some guidance otherwise, such as marked bicycle lane. The exception is the Mandatory Bike Lane Law: Since 2010, Florida law specifies that if there is a lane marked for bicycle use, then cyclists must ride in that lane except for defined exceptions. 

Bike lanes are therefore win/win. Safer place to ride, and re-opens the road to motorists.

Please see coverage in the Miami Herald: Her husband was hit by a car. Now she's pushing to make streets safer for bicyclists, by Linda Robertson

CLICK HERE to review the Village of Palmetto Bay Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan.

Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety. Participating in the "Dead Serious" campaign.

On Friday, May 18, it was my privilege to represent Palmetto Bay in the first meeting of County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava's "Dead Serious" campaign.

Pinecrest, Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay were present through elected officials and concerned residents who participated with Miami-Dade County, district 8. Miami-Dade County Parks, TPO, Bike 305, Everglades Bike Club, FDOT, Police and UM. Everyone working together.

Great collaboration & commitment to pedestrian and cycling safety. We’re creating an action plan for more education, infrastructure, enforcement and uniformity. #DeadSerious #VisionZero #completestreets #community

Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization
Miami-Dade Parks Miami-Dade County Government Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works Miami-Dade Police Department FDOT South - Miami Area Bike305 University of Miami Cutler Bay, Florida Palmetto Bay, Florida Village of Pinecrest Peggy Bell Eugene Flinn WIOD Miami's Community Newspapers

Solar United Neighbors - time remains to join and save - deadline to join the CO Op is April 27, 2018.

I am working hard to bring Solar to Palmetto Bay.  Wednesday evening was another step forward as the Palmetto Bay Municipal Center was filled with area residents interested in going solar. It was my pleasure to host this meeting and bring Solar United Neighbors to Palmetto Bay for the Miami-Dade Solar Co-op Info Session. This meeting was co-hosted by Daniella Levine Cava, Commissioner, Dist.8; Susan Windmiller, The League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County; as well as Mayors Peggy Bell of the Town of Cutler Bay and Mayor Joe Corradino of the Village of Pinecrest. We value our partners, both governmental as well as our ongoing collaboration with the League of Women Voters. 

More information can be found about Solar United Neighbors on their official web site: https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/

Palmetto Bay is currently one of ten (10) Miami-Dade County municipalities that have waived all or at least 75% of permitting fees for solar panels: Town of Cutler Bay, Coral Gables, Surfside, Miami Beach, City of Miami, Miami Shores, Miami Springs, Doral, Palmetto Bay and South Miami.

Waiving these fees can save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their installation.

Palmetto Bay has eliminated building permit fees for installation of Solar panels for a one year period. Learn how you can save money through participating in a Solar Co-Op.  

It was my pleasure to see so many fellow Palmetto Bay residents at this Town Hall event. I remain available to answer any questions relating to Palmetto Bay - I can be reached at eflinn@palmettobay-fl.gov or by calling village hall - (305) 259-1234.  My cell is (305) 302-3713.  

LWV Pres. Susan Windmiller, Mayors Peggy Cindy Lerner, Eugene Flinn,
SUN's Jody Finver & Mayor Corradino

 

 

I could not be more proud how our hard work paid off - Palmetto Bay's Municipal Center is certified LEED Platinum in recognition of its energy efficiency (and money saving) features.   

Please review the October 9, 2012, article in the Miami's Community Newspapers: "Great news. It is official. Palmetto Bay’s Village Hall receives Platinum LEED certification." I am posting photos below of just a few of our solar panels located through the roof of the municipal center.

Please also read up about Palmetto Bay's sustainability initiatives that I have championed.  This information is located on the Palmetto Bay "Green Pages" - specifically (and CLICK HERE): Have You Heard?  Green is the New Black!

 

 

Palmetto Bay is actively working to enhance school/community safety, update by: Eugene Flinn - Mayor of Palmetto Bay |February 27, 2018

Community / school safety will take all the jurisdictions working together.  I am working in collaboration with our State, County, School Board and Local leaders.

Our children’s safety is too important. Since the devastating shooting in Parkland, I have been working with fellow mayors and our County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava to do our local/municipal part in making schools safer.

I have personally met with many of our State leaders and our School Board Leaders, including Current Chair, Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, District 4 and Ms. Susie V. Castillo, District 5. I also held a telephone conference with our own School Board Representative, Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman, District 9. Based upon their feedback, I was able to prepare a memorandum and School Safety Legislative Plan Resolution to be presented to our council. ...

Click the link to the article to read the full comprehensive update:

(CLICK HERE) Palmetto Bay is actively working to enhance school/community safety, update by: Eugene Flinn - Mayor of Palmetto Bay |February 27, 2018

South Miami-Dade County Municipal / County leaders - united to make our community safer

I am proud to participate with this group of local leaders who are dedicated to working for resolution of this issue - safety in our schools and community is of upmost importance. It does take a Village; as well as a County, a State and a Nation! 

Everybody wants to keep our children safe. Together we can, and we must, do better.

As a nation, we are facing the reality that no place is sacred or free from violence; not schools or churches, movie theaters, dance clubs or concerts.

It is our job as local leaders to protect residents, and especially our children. Our hands are tied in some critical areas by state laws that prevent us from even having an honest conversation on the subject of gun violence. That doesn’t mean that we’re helpless.

But even if the state continues to block our calls for greater gun safety, there are a few things we can do in our local community by focusing on school security and community caring.

We continue to work together for our community.  Please review the complete joint statement issued by our County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, Mayors Peggy Bell of Cutler Bay, Joe Corradino of Pinecrest, Philip Stoddard of South Miami, and Otis Wallace of Florida City. 

See (CLICK ON HEADLINE): We must do better to keep children safe, joint statement, Miami Herald Letters to the Editor, February 21, 2018

Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay remain committed to the most effective transit solutions. Participating in a panel before the South Dade Chamber of Commerce

The fight for rail continues. Cutler Bay. I took part in a panel today in Homestead before the South Dade Chamber of Commerce, General Membership Luncheon.

The main guest speaker was Alice Bravo, Director of DTPW.  All the South Dade municipalities were represented - Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Homestead and Florida City.

This was my turn to address Homestead/Florida Cities - areas undergoing growth and suffering severe traffic woes to get north.  ​There have been several recent Transportation Summits at the municipal and county levels. Director Bravo provided her update regarding the pending environmental studies by our County', as well as the different timelines of anticipated future actions.

We need rail, not a band aid. The ridership is there to serve rail.  The issues are first/last mile, parking and the fact that there is a shortage of buses to transport both those whoare riding as well as those who would ride if the County would deliver on the promises of the half cent penny transportation sales tax.  We have buses that qualify fully as "BRT" based upon what we observed in Los Angeles - known as the "Gold Standard" and aptly names their "Gold Line."  Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay remain concerned that there will be insufficient investment in transit - planning for 30-40 years out, not merely to cover the current County created transportation crisis.

 

Traffic solutions. Continuing the collaboration and implementation. South Dade at work on traffic

Thank you Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and fellow South Miami Dade Mayors - Joe Corradino, Peggy Bell and Jeff Porter, as we work with consultants, and our County  / municipal partners on updates, timelines on implementation strategies for many of the items vetted at the South Dade Traffic Summit.

County and municipal administrators / staff were preset including the TPO Exec Director, and Miami-Dade County Government DTPW reps.

The South Florida Commuter Service briefed us on van pools that service major businesses, ride share apps, and programs for carpooling to schools.  

We are working to get our schools engaged in this traffic effort.

#SouthDade #TrafficSolutions

Groundbreaking held Monday, 2/5/2018 for Station 62 - 400 days projected to completion.

Congrats and thank you to Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue - the groundbreaking was held Monday, February 5, 2018 for the construction of the permanent Station 62 located off Old Cutler Road and 142nd Street.  It was my honor to join Miami-Dade Fire Chief Dave Downey, his senior staff, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine-Cava, Pinecrest Mayor Joe Corradino, and many members of our local Village Councils.  We participated with Local 1403 President Omar Blanco and Station 62's crew. Engine 62 currently operates out of temporary quarters next door to the new site.

 

Good deeds, good things are going on all around us.  Thank you to those who are working hard to bring forward good deeds/good results. It is estimated that construction will take 400 days to completion.  The site does not look like much right now. The value to the life-safety of this area will be immeasurable.  The Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest Communities look forward to enhanced life-safety service in the area.  Your life, or the life of a friend or loved one, might just be saved by service brought closer by this new station.

For Palmetto Bay, this got started under my first term.  The Council worked at establishing levels of service, both municipal and enhancing County – and we worded with County Fire and Government leadership at that time.  We got our residents involved and appointed a Public Safety committee back on November 25, 2002, one of our first resolutions – 02-19. I’d like to thank those members who joined in our vision for a safer Palmetto Bay area.

The locations shifted – delaying this project. We worked with the Feds to put a fire station on the USDA land, federal land, but that would take an act of congress – but we nearly did – twice – it passed the house of Representatives – Sept. 2009 E-Currents : Diaz-Balart Passes Legislation to Provide Land for Fire Station

The U.S. House of Representatives had passed a bill sponsored by Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) that authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to sell two acres located on the east side of SW 67th Ave. between SW 136 St. and SW 144 St., to Miami-Dade County for the purpose of building a fire station. The entire original village council had been to Washington several times.  I want to thank our original sponsor Illeana Ros Lehtinen.  Special thanks to Palmetto Bay Building Official Edward Silva and Olga Cadaval, Assistant to the Manager, the original village council.

That Was then, but the location failed between 2010 and 2013.  New realities set in.  We thank those who focused upon life safety.

A divided former council approved the site plan for this location on a 3-2 vote back in October 2014.  I want to thank Vice Mayor DuBois and council members Fiore and Schaffer for their support of enhanced life safety for this area.

Station 62 - at least the temporary station - become operation as of "1900" on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.  This temporary station is located adjacent to the permanent home off 142 / Old Cutler Road.  I am pleased to have stopped by to witness this local Palmetto Bay history - a project that commenced back with our original village council and members of our Public Safety Committee as one of Palmetto Bay's original priorities.  

Again - Thank you Miami-Dade County, MDFR, Mayor Carlos Gimenez and our commissioner Daniella Levine Cava. 

Communities coming together. County, Tri City Traffic Solutions Summit, held Saturday, February 3

Thank you Commissioner Levine Cava for hosting the County, Tri City Traffic Solutions Summit, on Saturday, February 3. This event brought together 4 Commissioners: Chair Esteban Bovo, Bruno Barreiro, Xavier Suarez, and Daniella Levine Cava, State Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez and State Representative Kionne McGhee - to name a few.  I joined with Mayor Peggy Bell of Cutler Bay and Mayor Joe Corradino of Pinecrest to co-host on behalf of the Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Pinecrest communities - along with surrounding residents to help determine the best solutions to traffic congestion in the Pinecrest through Palmetto Bay, and Cutler Bay to Palm Glades (248th Street) Transportation Corridor. The participants came up with long term and short term solutions which will be published in a report.

Suggested solutions include:
* Build a connected pedestrian and (protected) bike network
* Evolve neighborhoods to be more mixed use
* Adopt the walk/bike 1 mile challenge
* Build bridges to transit way
* Strengthen bike/walk/transit advocacy
* Encourage more biking/walking/transit/car sharing to school
* Have flex time at work/work from home
* Use transit more often
* Build at-grade Metrorail south
* Use Municipal circulators/bikes/Uber/Lyft as first/last mile to transit
* Develop apps that reward carpool, transit, rideshare, etc

Participants heard from traffic experts, examined transportation improvement plans that are underway - including multiple Palmetto Bay Pilot Programs as well as having the opportunity to offer input on future plans.

The goal is to produce a realistic action plan to reduce traffic and hold each other accountable for real results. This is another step in the process. (CLICK HERE) to view some of the Palmetto Bay municipal traffic calming studies/master plans and materials.

The presentation by Victor Dover of Dover, Kohl & Associates included the two .pdf slides posted below showing, in large part, while single cars are the issue

Slide 7 (Above) - There’s a basic geometry problem to depending on cars for everything. They take too much space. In the picture on the left, you can see how much space it takes for a busload of

40 or 60 to occupy a bus or trolley. In the center picture, you can see how much space it
takes for the same number of us on bikes; slightly more. In the photo at right, you see what
happens when each person has a car. There will never be enough room.

Looking at slide 8 (above) - Here’s another way to visualize the same thing: 400 cars, versus 400 bus passengers, versus 400 people on a train.

I wholeheartedly agree with Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava about this event: "Community at its best: gathering to create #TrafficSolutions in #SouthDade "