M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, Town Manager
Date: September 27, 2017
Re: Adoption of the Town of Cutler Bay Complete Streets Master Plan
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING AND IMPLEMENTING A COMPLETE STREETS MASTER PLAN; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) (formerly the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)) annually awards grants to encourage Miami-Dade County municipalities to perform relevant transportation planning studies for community-based and cost-effective improvements. During the 2016 Municipal Grant Program, the Town staff submitted a grant proposal for the development of the Cutler Bay Complete Streets Corridor Analysis. On June 9, 2016, the Town received notification that the Complete Streets Corridor Analysis project was selected for a grant in the amount of $50,000 with a $20,000 match from the Town.
The Corradino Group, Inc. successfully completed the Town’s 2010 and 2014 Transportation Master Plan, as authorized via Town Resolution 08-34 and 13-46 respectively. The Corradino Group, Inc. was selected to prepare the “Cutler Bay Complete Streets Corridor Analysis”, via Town Resolution 16-39 on July 20, 2016 as their selection would provide continuity and the Town would benefit from their existing understanding and development of the Transportation Master Plan.
The Town proposes to adopt the Cutler Bay Complete Streets Master Plan that includes conceptual recommendations for each of the main corridors that connect critical origins and destinations, providing improved mobility through the community and the South Dade region. The ultimate goal of the Complete Streets Master Plan is to develop a plan of action to incorporate complete street best practices on SW 97 Avenue, Franjo Road, Gulfstream Road, Marlin Road, and SW 87 Avenue, similar to the improvements made to Old Cutler Road and Caribbean Boulevard. Adoption of the Complete Streets Master Plan is aligned with the Town’s Strategic Plan Goal 9.1: Objective 1 “The Town will continue to enhance roadways and pedestrian facilities”. One of the identified milestones for this objective calls for the “Town’s Public Works Department to continue coordinating this activity [corridor improvements] with Miami-Dade County Public Works Department and Metropolitan Planning Organization through the use of grants” (pg. 37).
The Complete Streets Master Plan planning process included working with residents, staff, elected officials and local agencies to develop consensus on a vision to guide transportation projects and policy. The Complete Streets Master Plan strives to incorporate both residents and business community concerns reported, as it relates to growing transportation needs. In the process, existing conditions were documented by the collection of new traffic data. The Complete Streets Master Plan has resulted in recommendation(s) for the aforementioned corridors.
The following tasks were completed as a result of the Cutler Bay Complete Streets Master Plan:
Ø Task 1: Background Information/Existing Conditions
Ø Task 2: Public Involvement Meetings
Ø Task 3: Conceptual Design
Ø Task 4: Recommendations
There is an art and science to Transportation Planning. To gain consensus and implement projects, the community must agree to and want what is being planned. The Complete Streets Master Plan placed great effort into both the art (finding out what is wanted) and the science (finding out what is needed). What is wanted stems from a significant engagement of the public (residents and business community) to build consensus. This is done the old fashioned way-by earning it. The Town focused on Public Involvement throughout this project by hosting several meetings in order to gain a better understanding of the community’s needs and wants.
Multiple efforts were undertaken to engage the public, explain the project’s scope of services, existing conditions, data collection, and system utilization, in order to determine the desires of the public and keep the project moving forward. Community organizations were met with in small groups and public meetings were provided to gain consensus for the study’s results and recommendations.
The purpose of the public involvement task was to discuss and receive public input on key local planning issues related to the Complete Streets Master Plan. The process began with coordination in a meeting with the project management team, after which a series of Public Involvement Meetings were held.
Public Involvement Meetings:
Multiple Public Involvement Meetings were held to engage residents between October 2016 and March 2017. Additionally, all the Public Involvement Meetings were open to the Public.
Public outreach efforts for these meetings included meeting time and place postings on/in:
• The Town’s Website.
• The Town Hall’s Bulletin Board.
• Public notice in the Community Newspaper on December 12, 2016.
• Email notification to persons who have opted into the Town’s email list.
• Two (2) large Electronic Message Boards strategically placed throughout the Town, announcing Public Meetings.
During these meetings, information was presented on background findings and analyses to date, with a discussion and solicitation of feedback from the public on areas of concern for further investigation as well as potential projects for implementation. Meetings with people in small groups were also undertaken. An initial Kick-Off Public Involvement Meeting was conducted on October 25, 2016 to collect critical components in evaluating the Town’s Main corridors. Meetings held with specific groups included the Concerned Citizens of Cutler Bay, the Cutler Bay Business Association, and Tri-City municipalities.
The following dates, summarizes the Town’s Public Involvement efforts that, was comprised of a series of open forum style meetings with both the business community and residents:
Date Meeting/Location
October 25, 2016 Kick-Off Public Involvement Meeting
Town Hall
February 7, 2017 Public Involvement Meeting Concerned Citizens of Cutler Bay
Cornerstone United Methodist Church
March 2, 2017 Tri-City Meeting
Town Hall
March 9, 2017 Cutler Bay Business Association
East Ridge Retirement Village
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Mayor and Town Council adopt the attached Resolution adopting the Complete Streets Master Plan.