M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Members of the Town Council
From: Mayor Tim Meerbott
Date: May 15, 2019
Re: Urging Miami-Dade County Transportation and Public Works Department
to Expand the Village of Palmetto Bay’s Neighborhood Access Traffic
Study to Include Portions of SW 87 Avenue Located Within the Town.
REQUESTtitle
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, URGING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND THE VILLAGE OF PALMETTO BAY’S NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS TRAFFIC STUDY TO INCLUDE THE TOWN’S PORTION OF THE SW 87 AVENUE CORRIDOR; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On December 5, 2018, I released an Open Letter to the Residents of the Town of Cutler Bay (the “Town”) expressing the evolution of Miami-Dade County and one of the most pressing issues the Town faces: traffic.
In addition, the Town’s adopted 2014-19 Strategic Master Plan (via Resolution No. 14-71) Strategic Goal 6.2 states the following:
“Optimize the smooth flow of traffic through the Town by minimizing traffic congestion and maximizing the capacity of our local roadways.”
On April 23, 2019 the Village of Palmetto Bay (the “Village”) Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-66, endorsing no right-turn signs along the SW 87 Avenue Corridor between SW 168 Street and SW 184 Street. This Resolution recommends the re-installation of no right-turn signs between the hours of 6:30 AM - 9:00 AM Monday-Friday along the SW 87 Avenue Corridor. The Village commissioned a Neighborhood Access Traffic Study prepared by Marlin Engineering, Inc, which studied the Malbrook Neighborhood and recommended the re-installation of no right-turn signs northbound along SW 87 Avenue Corridor.
As you know, many Town residents utilize the SW 87 Avenue Corridor to travel northbound during the AM peak traffic hours and experienced severe traffic back-ups when the prior no right-turn signs were installed by the Village, which were subsequently removed by Miami-Dade County Transportation and Public Works Department (M-DCTPWD).
In order to avoid the traffic nightmares experienced by our residents during the initial installations of the no right-turn sign, it is my opinion that the M-DCTPWD should further expand the Village’s Neighborhood Access Traffic Study to include a comprehensive analysis on traffic impacts south of SW 184 Street with our Town’s municipal boundaries.
The proposed Resolution simply urges the M-DCTPWD, prior to approving the re-installation of the proposed no right-turn signs, that any proposed roadway improvements/ expansion of the SW 168 Street Corridor [stated as Alternative #3 within the Neighborhood Access Traffic Study dated April 2019 (Attachment “A”)] be completed before any no right-turn signs are installed along the SW 87 Avenue Corridor.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt the attached Resolution, urging the Miami-Dade County Transportation and Public Works Department to expand the Village of Palmetto Bay’s Neighborhood Access Traffic Study to include the Town’s portion of the SW 87 Avenue Corridor.
ATTACHEMNT
Ø Attachment “A” - Excerpt Village of Palmetto Bay’s Neighborhood Access Traffic
Study: Alternative 3 Proposed Conditions with Modified Traffic
(Dated April 2019)