Brickell Homeowners Association

Reprinted from BHA News Summer 2007

BHA Agenda Items for FDOT

These are the items BHA leaders have been pursuing with Florida Department of Transportation officials and will continue to advocate for on behalf of neighbors:

Resurfacing of Brickell, asphalt, not concrete
Crosswalk for Brickell at 25th Road, between bus stops.
Signage for four crosswalks south of 15th Road.
Traffic signal between bus stops at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1770 Brickell and UTD Towers at 1809 Brickell
Recognizing Brickell and Biscayne Blvd. as major urban thoroughfares rather than part of the US Highway system. (Combine US 1 with I-95 through the City.)
Traffic calming on Brickell Avenue/speeding problems
Intersection of Brickell and 26th Road, gridlock when events on Key Biscayne, need protected pedestrian crossing to access Alice Wainright Park from north side of intersection.
Intersection of Coral Way & 15th Road (now Broadway). FDOT December, 2002 Intersection Study recommended remedial action. Nothing done as of yet.

Reprinted from BHA News, Vol. XVI, No. 1 Spring 2006

Brickell Avenue FDOT Study - Part IV

As the calendar passed the one-year mark in February for the Florida Department of Transportation's comprehensive study of Brickell Avenue from 26th Road to the Brickell Bridge, residents and business leaders realized that a lot of the ideas that many were banking on for congestion relief were going by the wayside. FDOT seemed to have determined that the ideas are unworkable, or that they would not bring improvements to our "F" grade situation, or that enacting the solutions would not lie within the FDOT's purview.

Consequently, when FDOT announced its public meeting to reveal its recommendations in late March, BHA residents and business groups including Brickell Area Association and Downtown Development Authority appealed to city and county elected officials to try to intercede to be sure that all options were fully explored. Both County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez and City Commissioner Johnny Winton are involved in trying to encourage improved traffic management practices rather than simply adding concrete in place of trees and narrowing sidewalks. FDOT said it continues to solicit and listen to all input, and nothing is yet final.

First, the positive changes that FDOT is endorsing that have developed since we reported on the study in the previous BHA News:

Pedestrian Improvements
We last reported that no new pedestrian crosswalks or amenities to achieve the oft-talked about but elusive "pedestrian friendly" environment were recommended. Since that time, FDOT officials have said they decided that the area would benefit from pedestrian countdown signals like those used in major U.S. cities to help pedestrians cross at the intersections.

How the countdown signals work is simple: when the light changes indicating it's clear to walk, the digital display counts down how many seconds remain before the light changes to "don’t walk." Many residents are familiar with these systems as the technology has been adopted at busy intersections in many major cities, such as Washington, DC; San Francisco; San Jose; even Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The reports have been almost all positive where the countdown is tried. (Many residents say the traffic signals on Brickell change too fast for a normal walking person to make it across all the lanes of Brickell; the countdown display will show just how sprightly one must move.)

Another positive change that FDOT is moving forward is the addition of two traffic signals on Brickell Avenue, and pedestrian crosswalks, at SE 14th Street and SE 10th Street. There's been a lot of discussion about how difficult it is to find a spot to safely cross Brickell, leaving many pedestrians darting across the street at non-designated crossings. FDOT does not favor pedestrian crosswalks mid-block where there is no traffic signal for fear that drivers would not notice and/or obey the cross-hatchings and not yield to those in the crosswalk. Along with improving the pedestrian situation, the signals are expected to help slow down traffic. Installation is to occur prior to the pavement rehabilitation, which is two years away.

Traffic Flow Improvements
The Brickell Avenue and S.E. 8th Street intersection is an area of intense congestion. Converting the one-way portion of SE 8th Street between South Miami Avenue and Brickell so that vehicles entering the Brickell intersection westbound on SE 8th Street can travel west rather than just north or south, initiating a "don’t block the box" program, and adding signage to encourage usage of alternative routes such as South Miami Avenue instead of Brickell Avenue were all ideas residents were hoping to see adopted. City, county, and FDOT officials are still discussing all of these, as Commissioner Gimenez and Commissioner Winton won’t let the notions be so quickly discarded.

For the two-way conversion of SE 8th Street, there's now talk of switching one of the existing eastbound left turn lanes of SE 8th Street between Brickell Avenue and Miami Avenue to a west-bound lane. Commissioner Gimenez is urging FDOT to conduct a pilot test of it since the concept would not require major construction, taking of sidewalk space or trying to acquire land for more lanes. Business leaders and residents are behind this effort. FDOT officials have said that their models, however, do not show the change would bring significant improvement to traffic flow. The city is conducting cost estimates of the project for which they would be a partner. Residents would like to see this construction and that planned for Brickell Avenue to happen simultaneously.

Two changes in this area will help a little. The addition of a lane going north between SE 4th Street to the north side of the Brickell Bridge will provide one more artery out of the area. (See Brickell Bridge construction details left.)

The other change FDOT said they will make is extending the left turn lane storage space on SE 8th Street going to Brickell Avenue, which their models show will help alleviate back ups to the Brickell Key Bridge and on Brickell Bay Drive.

Of course the other area aspect that drivers encounter whenever they idle in traffic and have time to observe all around them (frequently) is that the signal timing could be improved to help traffic flow.

Traffic signalization for all of Miami-Dade is managed by the county. Everyone has been anxiously awaiting the new, state-of-the-art "intelligent" system promised with the passage of the People’s Transportation Plan. The new system is supposed to enable signal timing to be adjusted for time of day and traffic flow variations within the quarter-hour. Brickell Avenue is supposedly high on the list to be among the first areas in the county to get the new system in place. For safety, certain critical intersection signals are to have their own independent power sources so that during outages they will still be functioning.

Roadway Flooding
FDOT has been encouraged to figure out what’s causing flooding during heavy rains at certain spots along Brickell, particularly around 12th Street and 26th Road. Headway has been made in this area, at least at 26th Road, where a week of night-time work to repair the drainage pipe that was damaged by an underground conduit was promised by FDOT. Everyone seems to be in agreement that it wouldn’t make sense to do the pavement rehabilitation project on the Brickell roadway surface without resolving the drainage issues first.

Tunnel Talk Cheap; Reality Tough
Residents may have seen the Herald's recent report that a price tag has been at last affixed to the tunnel project which has been a big, exciting idea bounced about for several years. The tunnel would go under the Miami River linking cars to the north and south with no waiting for river traffic. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, the engineering firm charged with coming up with a plan and a price have put that amount somewhere just under a billion dollars due to right-of-way and construction costs. And, they concluded that it would have "minimal traffic benefits." Many affected residents do not accept these findings. Further study is indicated.

Resident's Request Rejected

Eastbound residents driving on 26th Road and turning north onto Brickell Avenue before the Ricken-backer Causeway have complained about frequent near-misses at that intersection due to cars in the two left lanes trying to make the turn.

The roadway configuration at this multi-lane intersection makes it seems like both lanes permit turns, however only the far left is indeed the turning lane. Confused drivers, however, frequently make the turn from the second left lane, cutting off the legitimate turners. An appeal to FDOT to reconfigure the area to restrict that second lane from making the turn was rejected, as indicated in the letter to the right.

BHA will work with Miami Police on enforcement, although experience, and the police themselves, will attest that enforcement brings about behavior change for only a short while.

Reprinted from BHA News, Vol. XV, No. 3 Fall 2005

FDOT BRICKELL AVENUE STUDY - PART III
TRAFFIC

"Traffic is now unbearable!! It takes me five times as long to leave the Brickell area to get to US 1 (south bound) than it did three years ago when I first moved here. There is a significant increase in traffic and people in this area, and the current traffic system is unable to handle it. There is a lack of street signs, traffic lights, and well-marked pedestrian crossings. If you are a pedestrian, you are likely to get hit by a car. If you are a driver in a car, you are likely to get in one, if not multiple, car accidents. The constant opening of the Brickell Bridge just makes matters worse! I used to love living in Brickell, but now, I dread leaving my building. It’s become an extremely stressful way of life."

The above message received by BHA from Pelin Munis, resident of The Mark, is typical of what many are expressing at FDOT forums, Police Town Hall meetings and at the annual Candidates Forum. This writer offered positive suggestions as well, all logical and not unlike what we’ve heard, and promoted, in the past. Better urban planning. When allowing high-rises to be built in the area, evaluate all aspects impacting traffic including valet ramps and garage entrances. Strategically placed traffic signs and lights. Marked pedestrian crosswalks. Monitor the construction for the pollution it’s creating and the construction sprawl that stymies traffic, even pedestrians. All logical. All matters that have been brought up to the proper officials and authorities in the past. All ideas that seem to be as stalled as rush-hour Brickell Avenue.

For this quarterly installment of BHA’s coverage of the increasingly dire traffic situation in the Brickell neighborhood, the highlights of the planning process since our last issue follow.

Oak Trees Spared

Conceding that removing the Live Oak trees in the financial district of Brickell Avenue to add another traffic lane would not significantly improve traffic flow, FDOT officials in late September seemed to back away from their report earlier this year supporting the decimation. Previously, FDOT specialists had said removal of the trees between SE 8th and 12th Streets to make a narrower median and add an additional lane was a sacrifice residents might want to make to improve their pace on Brickell Avenue. On the face of it, the idea seemed absurd: a community cuts down hearty, perfectly aligned, beautiful trees in its central corridor to replace them with concrete, while at the same time seeking ways to improve landscaping and add green space. (Reader feedback told us most couldn’t believe it when they read our report in the Summer issue.)

Miami Historian Arva Moore Parks told us "the medians in Brickell Avenue were put in by Mary Brickell in 1911! They are definitely historic...if this can help you keep them from removing them.... It would be an outrage."

The idea fell decidedly out of favor when members of the citizens and business advisory groups realized the road would still narrow to one less lane on both ends of this small stretch, making the promise of improved flow seriously suspect. Further, FDOT's earlier allusions to adding landscaping on the roadway sides proved unrealistic given there are buildings, sidewalks, and other structures already tightly lining both sides of the road.

So, the Live Oak trees survive, rightfully so, since the entire four-block length of them were perfectly in tact after Hurricane Katrina, unlike other species that were uprooted and left lopsided and precarious with major broken branches.

"No Way" to Two-Way Eighth Street

What seemed like such a logical, good idea a few years ago, and what many thought was a plan that the proper authorities were working on, seems to be more remote of a possibility than ever. FDOT reported at its September public meeting that although the City of Miami might have recommended converting Eighth and Seventh Streets to two-way, or reversing their current directions, FDOT models show that any change one might suggest for those two critical east-west arteries won’t improve the flow in the Brickell area.

"We determined the previous recommendation was not feasible the way they recommended. We advised the City of Miami of this in July," FDOT’s project director for the PD&E Study, Andre Goins, said. "We have some information that can be useful for them, which we’ve given. It’s up to them to determine what to do."

Apparently the City would have "to make additional expenditures" for some property needed along Eighth Street. While Millennium Partners donated land along the north side of Eighth Street for the conversion, now, according to FDOT more property is needed to further widen the road.

It's disappointing news to many businesses in the area which were under the impression that the City's Transportation Department was also pushing that initiative forward. Brickell Area Association President Willy Gort, representing the business interests in the neighborhood, pleaded with FDOT in correspondence in early summer to "please recognize that BAA wishes to emphasize two-way conversions to facilitate east-west traffic flows, perhaps as a higher priority than even along Brickell Avenue."

The Box is Still Blocked

City of Miami Police, now as frustrated as residents about the seemingly lack of real progress in improving traffic in the Brickell area, held their own Town Meeting, with FDOT as the star invited guest, to try to figure out why none of the suggestions that were favored three or four years ago have not moved forward, and what could be done to bring about traffic relief Three years ago the police were ready, and BHA reported it was happening, to implement the "don’t block the box" program at the Brickell Avenue/Eighth Street intersection. Modeled after programs in place in other major metropolitan areas, many thought this public awareness approach, combined with enforcement, would prevent the gridlock that often occurs as vehicles find themselves stuck in intersections as lights change and cars are backed up with no way out, so no one moves. FDOT nixed the idea for Brickell Avenue....saying it couldn’t be allowed on U.S. Highway 1.

Getting Signals Straight

Turns out improvements to traffic signals, synchronized to meet the real needs of Brickell with its large volume of traffic, bridge openings and limited east-west alternatives, isn’t really part of the PD&E Study, Mr. Goins said in September. That’s up to the County, and not being coordinated as part of this effort. Apparently the extent of the FDOT’s signalization improvements is the addition of one new traffic signal at 14th Street and Brickell Avenue. It will be put in beginning in March and is expected to be “under construction” through July.

Miami-Dade County reports that People’s Transportation Plan tax revenues are indeed paying for an upgraded traffic signal system county-wide. The upgrade is happening over the next two or three years with completion not anticipated until sometime in 2008.

Improvements for Pedestrians and Cyclists

Nothing has been developed (or even considered) in this non-vehicular area of the PD&E Study. No additional signals to facilitate a pedestrian-friendly area. (The request for one at Brickell in the 1800-block in front of UTD Towers was denied.) No new crosswalks. No new pedestrian walkways, structures or coverage for those awaiting public transportation. Nothing to accommodate cyclists and enhance everyone’s safety. It doesn’t appear that these aspects were ever really part of the study as no alternatives for a safer pedestrian experience were forthcoming. Mr. Goins admitted that when on foot he too crosses in between intersections as its safer and more convenient that at fierce Miami intersections. (One might argue that jaywalking, cutting through median plantings and darting in between flowing traffic hardly seems like a plan.)

Repaving Brickell Options

An FDOT pavement consultant, Brian Wilson, did offer some new solutions to a subject of continued interest and debate on asphalt or concrete for Brickell Avenue’s upcoming resurfacing. Asphalt has been the surface of choice for residents and neighbors who don’t like the noisy ride and patchwork appearance of the current roadway. Caused by years of heavy use since its construction in 1933, the roadway has large cracks, separated joints and unevenness throughout that make it time for a change.

Turns out according to Mr. Wilson’s comprehensive information there are actually choices within the two types of surface materials. A method called “Crack and Reseat” looking particularly promising. This method would pulverize the current concrete surface, add a rubber membrane and top it off with a 2-inch asphalt layer. This method has a lower initial cost than full concrete replacement, is structurally stronger than full depth asphalt design and would provide continuity in the surface up to the Brickell Bridge. The downside is a shorter service life with reflective cracking appearing in as little as five years. The final decision is yet to come, but FDOT officials seem intent on being sure that all options are presented and that neighbors’ input is gathered.

Reprinted from BHA News, Vol. XV, No. 2 Summer 2005
Traffic Calming Sought by Brickell Neighbor

If you drive in the area to the southwest of the Brickell corridor in the Miami-Roads neighborhood you’ve probably noticed new traffic circles constructed and landscaped in a few different intersections. These “traffic calming” devices were put in place as a way to discourage speeding motorists from cutting through the residential streets and endangering pedestrians and other motorists, as the article by Joe Wilkins explains.

Motorists coming over Brickell Key bridge are often driving fast, putting pedestrians and other motorists at risk, Brickell Key residents fear.

In the northeast area of the Brickell corridor, a number of residents of Brickell Key have also been working on implementing traffic calming on the Brickell Key bridge. The bridge pavement is marked with “30 mph” which may or may not be seen or heeded. Signs cautioning drivers to watch for pedestrians can be found at both ends. But the bridge presents a generous expanse of road (especially when coming out of congested Brickell Avenue traffic), and drivers often speed up. Motorists who pick up speed on the bridge have very little distance to slow down after they come over it and enter the island. Pedestrians are often nearby – in fact there’s a pedestrian crosswalk right at the end of the bridge – who many feel are at risk of being hit. Speed bumps have been suggested by some residents as a way to improve the safety situation.

Brickell Homeowners Association supports Brickell Key residents’ efforts to improve the safety of their neighborhood streets, and passed a resolution to that effect at its May board of directors meeting. Brickell Key reps are working with the various entities with jurisdiction over the bridge in an effort to come up with a solution.

traffic calming resolution

back to top

Reprinted from BHA News, Vol. XV, No. 2 Summer 2005
FDOT BRICKELL AVENUE STUDY - PART II
Limitations Coming Into Focus

While neighbors in every direction are adding landscaped medians, circles and curbing to their streets to slow cars down, Florida Department of Transportation officials are close to recommending that the landscaped medians and trees be removed from the center of Brickell Avenue in the financial district to enable cars to move faster.

FDOT said their preliminary simulations show that removing the medians in this portion of Brickell Avenue southward from Southeast Eight Street to 12th Street and replacing with another northbound traffic lane would improve flow.

While there are variations in all the possible changes being explored, several options show the Brickell median taken away completely or in portions north of SE 12th Street, leaving only a four-foot wide concrete divider.

On June 15th, FDOT officials called together the volunteer Citizens Advisory and Business Advisory Committees for a joint meeting after heralding in February the beginning of a comprehensive traffic study for Brickell Avenue. The Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study is looking at ways to improve Brickell Avenue, for 1.7 miles, from SE 25th Road to SE 4th Street (Brickell Bridge).

FDOT officials had created traffic simulations to present, which demonstrated the all-too-familiar “failures” in the “F” rated level of service in the financial district portion of Brickell Avenue. They weren’t ready with recommendations at the early June public meeting, but presented some preliminary information.

So far in their studies officials found that changing the lane “geometry” would not improve flow on Brickell Avenue. But adding a lane would, and the wide median from 12th Street to 8th Street seemed ripe for the paving. A necessary “sacrifice” if folks want to ease the congestion and move cars faster, they said, with which some attendees agreed.

FDOT officials said that converting the median to a lane wasn’t a final decision, but wanted to verify that people would be okay with the solution. At one point they asked for a show of hands for all those okay with sacrificing the oak trees and medians in that four-block stretch, but there were too many unanswered questions for the meeting participants to decide that question.

Bridge Delay Factor
A major factor contributing to Brickell Avenue congestion especially during the work week hours is the opening of Brickell Bridge for ships entering and leaving the Miami River port. FDOT officials said they weren’t confident in the time estimate supplied by the Coast Guard for delays caused by the opening of Brickell Bridge. They were told it averages four minutes.

“It may be only four minutes that the bridge is actually up, but the delay is exponential,” Andres Goins, project director, said. He said that they are seeking to independently verify the time it takes for traffic to resume.

Eighth Street Solution
They were not optimistic about the two-way conversion of 8th Street, much to the dismay of several attendees. Their early simulations didn’t show that solution as providing much relief they said, so far, and acquiring the additional land needed on either side would make it a lengthy, difficult process, not to mention expensive. They are conducting a cost-benefit analysis on the two-way conversion question.

Many have hoped that a two-way Eighth Street west of Brickell Avenue would supply another artery to move cars out of the area and give drivers an alternative route north, via Miami Avenue. Miami Avenue’s bridge over the Miami River is much higher than the Brickell Bridge and has considerably fewer vehicles using it on a daily basis.

Improving arterial roads is not the goal of this study, attendees were reminded. As FDOT officials said in February, the study is seeking ways to improve the flow on Brickell Avenue, U.S. Highway 1.

Business leaders and neighbors at the meeting, however, said that improving east-west flow, which is the direction most of development is pushing, would make things better for Brickell by giving drivers alternative routes out of the area.

Others expressed concern that pedestrians interests were not being addressed. There was no discussion of improvements that could make the area “pedestrian friendly,” an important part of the urban mix. Removing the median would make it virtually impossible to get all the way across Brickell in the short time provided by the crosswalk signals.

It’s still early in the study process, however, and most remain optimistic that pedestrian improvements will be forthcoming as promised originally in February.

Steve Greenberg, an area resident and participant on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, summed up the reality of the situation: “FDOT wants to move vehicular traffic through faster. Those of us who live here want to slow it down. We’re at odds.”

The next Citizens and Business Advisory Committee meetings will be in August. Anyone interested in finding out more about the committees or wishing to receive notice of the meetings should contact Project Director Andre Goins at telephone (305) 470-5208 or andre.goins@dot.state.fl.us

back to top

Reprinted from BHA News, Vol. XV, No. 2 Summer 2005
FDOT Completes Rehab Project at Rickenbacker-Brickell-US 1 Interchange

FDOT supplied BHA with an impressive report of its improvement work around Rickenbacker Causeway, Brickell Avenue and U.S. 1. The goals of the improvements were “to extend the life of the roadway and the bridges, as well as improve ridability and safety through this busy area.” Feedback from neighbors indicates that all did go smoothly and ahead of schedule, as the FDOT states, and with relatively little disruption.

The following was published in the report of FDOT’s District Six Construction Office in June 2005:

Rickenbacker Causeway Bridges
On January 19th, workers began rehabilitating two bridges along exit ramps connecting the westbound Rickenbacker Causeway to I-95 North and US 1 South. Work was performed on the roadway surfaces as well as the support structures of these bridges over SE 26th Road, South Miami Avenue, SE 25th Road and US 1. The work was scheduled to last 280 days but was completed in just 133 days. The cost of this project was approximately $632,000.

Work on bridge decks (roadway surfaces) included cleaning and placing a protective coating on the decks and handrails. Work on the support structures included pressure cleaning and painting all structural steel. There were day and nighttime lane closures and detours associated with this project, however, these were scheduled to minimize impacts to the motorists as well as area residents.

South Dixie Highway/Brickell Avenue
On January 10th, workers began roadway and safety improvements along South Dixie Highway/Brickell Avenue from just south of I-95 to SE 25th Road, and along SW/SE 26th Road from SW 1st Avenue to the Rickenbacker Causeway Toll Plaza.

This work lasted 120 days with completion in May, 2005. The cost for this work was approximately $1.47 million. This project also required lane closures to facilitate work. These were scheduled to minimize impacts to motorists and residents. Improvements for these areas included:
• Resurfacing & re-striping the roadway
• Rehabilitating asphalt pavement
• Upgrading traffic signals & signs
• Reconstructing various sidewalks & driveways
• Upgrading handicapped ramps at intersections to comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

back to top

We all recognize that there are traffic problems up and down the Brickell artery. We also recognize that there is not room for more streets, that there will be more cars and so we must find ways to better use the available avenues.

To solve problems, it is necessary to define them and to have the data to back them up.

Brickell traffic problems are exacerbated by the dichotomy created between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) mandate by the Federal Highway Commission to operate Brickell (US 1) as part of the Nation’s highway system which is, per force, in conflict with Brickell’s service to its high density, high-rise office and residential neighborhood.

When it comes to the use of Brickell Avenue, let us agree that we would like to give priority to those who live, work, dine and, in time, shop in the neighborhood over those just passing through.

Let us define the geographic area of major interest as Brickell Avenue from the Rickenbacker Causeway to the Miami River along Brickell, Brickell Bay Drive and the side streets that lie between and the major intersections to the west, upto I-95 including15th Road and South Miami Avenue and 15th Road and Coral Way. This should include critical points of access to I-95 as well as access to Brickell Key.

We should recognize that improvement to Brickell’s traffic woes is complicated by the involvement of three different political entities, the City, FDOT and the County which controls signage and signalization. The amelioration of Brickell’s traffic flow will depend on political support. To gain this support, we need information that can be obtained only from a study designed from the Brickell Community's perspective.

Why is this something those who live or work in the Brickell Neighborhood should undertake? While developers conduct studies on the traffic impact of their proposed projects, these studies are based on historical data combined with formula projections and fail to take into account other concurrent developments in the area. And, although both the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County have transportation task forces and planning bodies, no entity is undertaking a comprehensive traffic study that considers the specific needs of Brickell.

Please review the Miles Moss and Associates, Inc., Consulting Engineers Revised Proposal for performing a Brickell area traffic study by clicking here for pdf download. Please consider whether it addresses the traffic issues that concern you and your constituency. Your comments and critiques will be helpful in finalizing the study. (Email to Tory.) It is contemplated that the research results will enable the necessary political solutions.

BHA member condominium boards are requested to consider all aspects of this study. The Brickell Area Association Board has been invited to participate. The Downtown Development Authority, as well as the City of Miami are potential partners

Robert Wyman, the Project Engineer for Miles Moss and Associates, will be attending the September BHA Board of Directors Meeting to discuss this proposal and its implementation. The meeting will be open to representatives of our sister organizations in the Brickell community. Our goal is a united effort to permit Brickell Avenue to best serve the Brickell Neighborhood.

Reprinted from BHA News, Fall 2002
Mayor Penelas Presents People's Transportation Plan to BHA
On November 5, Miami-Dade County voters will be asked to vote on a measure to provide a dedicated source of revenue for major mass transportation improvements countywide through a half-penny sales tax.

Mayor Alex Penelas attended the Brickell Homeowners Association's October Board of Directors meeting to explain the plan, answer questions and advocate for voter support. The Mayor stressed the critical, urgent need for the half-penny, which is projected to generate $140 to $150 million annually, plus potentially the same amount matched by the federal government:

"We're one of the few areas in the United States that doesn't have a dedicated local funding source, needed to get the federal match," the Mayor pointed out. It will take this huge amount of funding over many years to begin to address the needs of the rapidly growing, expansive county. Beyond the mere inconvenience of traffic delays, the transportation outlook in Miami-Dade is pivotal to our future, Mayor Penelas said:

"We all know that transportation is a serious issue, a quality of life issue, a business viability issue. Our ability to compete as the Gateway of the Americas is dependent on transportation. When global companies sit down to look at where to locate and see that it takes one-and-a-half hours to go from the seaport to the airport -- which is not all that uncommon -- it's a problem," the Mayor said.

Mayor Penelas acknowledged the County's last attempt to implement a transit tax plan in 1999 for a full penny failed due to mistakes made in the communication of the plan to voters, and because of the strong mistrust of government that permeated the landscape then, and continues today.

"The #1 issue that emerged: "We don't trust you; we don't want to give you any more of our money," the Mayor said they learned when talking to people about introducing the concept this time around. "That was the overriding theme and concern that we heard over and over again."

Oversight Board is Key
"What anchors the People's Transportation Plan is the Citizens Independent Transit Trust," Mayor Penelas said. This oversight committee of 15 will be slated by an independent nominating committee, which will present each Miami-Dade Commissioner with four choices for their district's representation. Each Commissioner can ask for only one additional slate of four candidates. In addition to the 13 County Commission district positions, one appointment will come from the County Mayor and one from the Miami-Dade League of Cities.

"It's never simple for an elected official to look you in the eye and say we need more of your money to solve problems," the Mayor told BHA representatives. "You elected me to be the macro visionary for the Miami-Dade region. I'm telling you this is the most serious problem we face."

The plan lays out a timetable for 89 miles of Metrorail expansion starting first with an east-west extension connecting the seaport to the airport and west to the Florida Turnpike. A Baylink Corridor would connect Downtown Miami to Miami Beach and the Northeast Corridor would connect Downtown Miami to Northeast Miami-Dade.

A 47 percent increase in bus routes with more frequent service, a free Metromover for all and free mass transit for all people 65 years of age and older regardless of income are also part of the plan. The plan will also provide some level of funding for examining the feasibility of a tunnel under the Miami River, although how much would be allocated wasn't clear.

Additional, Not Replacement Funds
Of the projected $140-150 million expected to be raised locally, 40 percent will be paid by tourists, including those 80,000 Broward County residents who work in Miami-Dade.A "maintenance of effort" component of the plan ensures that the tax will supply additional revenues for transit improvements, the Mayor emphasized. This means that municipal and county funds currently in place for transit will remain in the budget and not be replaced by the new revenue.

Another key element of the plan would allocate about 20 percent of the total annual revenue to be divided among each municipality in the Miami-Dade on a pro rata basis for transit-related and transportation improvements in their cities.

More information is provided on the People's Transportation Plan at www.trafficrelief.com, available in three languages.

PAC Gives Nod to Transit Surtax
The Brickell Neighborhood PAC took a stand in favor of the Miami-Dade County ordinance calling for a half-penny sales surtax for transit system capital improvements. Recommending a "yes" vote to Brickell neighborhood voters, PAC steering committee members viewed the proposed East-West corridor linkage, bus service expansion and Metrorail expansions as critical to improved quality of life throughout the County and essential to Miami's position as a vital, healthy metropolis and world-class city. If passed, the surtax would provide a funding mechanism to extend the Brickell Shuttle service, which doesn't have a dedicated source of operational funding after mid-2003, according to Mayor Penelas.

We checked in with Commander Frank Fernandez of the Miami Police Department for an update on the traffic improvement efforts in the Brickell area discussed in the last issue of BHA News.

Several of the initiatives to alleviate the congestion and construction-related tie-ups have been successfully implemented, Commander Fernandez reported. On the positive side, the needed "internal mechanisms" within the City have been put in place, he said.

There is now active coordination of construction work and street blockages among the various City of Miami Departments involved in planning and permitting for those developments. Public Works and other departments regularly communicate with Commander Fernandez so that the police can be ready to respond to construction activities that impact traffic by helping direct traffic and keep disruption minimized whenever possible.

The message about alternate routes has gotten out through flyers and publications, he said, so that people are aware and advised of ways to avoid tie-ups.

A variable message sign has been installed on Southwest Eighth Street before Miami Avenue to encourage eastbound drivers to use Miami Avenue instead of Brickell Avenue to go north into Downtown and points beyond.

The Commander reports that more drivers are heeding the sign and taking the less-traveled Miami Avenue route. The Miami Police Department is included in the sign's five-screen series of the message. Most likely, this is because the City of Miami is footing the bill for the sign, about $3,000 for a month and a half of use, even though typically this would come under the County's jurisdiction.

Commander Fernandez says solutions were needed and County officials were just moving too slowly.

The long back ups and delays on Southeast Eighth Street coming off of Brickell Key have been greatly alleviated with the traffic signal timing adjustments, one of the first changes implemented, the Commander said.

"Block the Box" Blocked
It looks as though it's time to abandon one of the strategies that seemed to hold great promise, the "don't block the box" plan. Modeled after the concept in New York City, this program proposed for the Brickell Avenue and Southeast Eighth Street and Seventh Street intersections would levy heavy fines against drivers who block the intersection while stalled in traffic. A box would be painted around the intersection clearly delineating its boundaries.

The problem is the Florida Department of Transportation doesn't like the concept. The sign itself isn't an official sign in the agency's inventory, and because Brickell Avenue is part of U.S.1, FDOT says that a federal permit would be needed, which takes a minimum of a year.

At this point Commander Fernandez said that one has to ask, "Is it worth it and will we get the results we're looking for?"

FDOT did install new, official signs reminding drivers not to block the intersection. Not nearly as catchy as the alliterative "don't block the box" slogan, the "do not block the intersection signs" have nonetheless been effective, according to the Commander, with the problem in this area decreasing significantly. The Miami Police are now giving tickets for blockers, however, as it is a traffic violation even without the campaign.

A Smarter Way
The Commander is undaunted by FDOT's rebuff, and instead is advocating for a "smart sign," like the one on U.S.1 heading north at 17th Street. It proved itself quite useful by advising drivers of the closed MacArthur Causeway during the Bad Boys movie shoot that had Miami Beach commuters in an uproar in early August.

Better than a painted box, the smart signs present "endless things we can do," Commander Fernandez said. The smart sign message can be changed quickly to reflect whatever's happening up ahead.

The Commander will be presenting this idea for considerationat the next Traffic Coordination Committee meeting and recommending its location be the Southeast Eighth and Brickell Avenue intersection.

Reprinted from BHA News, Spring 2002
Galvanizing Gridlock: Residents Unite to Take Back the Streets

While traffic has long been a major issue for BHA, in the past several months traffic trauma has taken on a new dimension. The most frequent complaint used to be speeding vehicles on residential Brickell Avenue.

Now the boom in development in the Brickell corridor and surrounding areas has given birth to a new source of angst: extensive tie-ups caused by construction activity. At the same time, the growth has fostered an undercurrent of worry about what all the new development - and the people that will make use of the new properties - means for the future of the neighborhood and surrounding business district.

Trucks and related vehicles of mass construction added to poorly timed traffic signals, a too-low Brickell Bridge that must be frequently raised to accommodate vessels on the Miami River, and a huge volume of incoming Downtown workers concentrated in the Monday-Friday work week hours - have led to outcry from Brickell's residential and business communities.

The first part of the problem is short-term: how do those currently in the area work, live and otherwise coexist with construction activity while the new projects are being built? And the second part begs an important question about what's to come: how will we support all these new buildings and people living and working in the area?

"Adequate roads, sewers, water, schools...we don't have thes," Bristol Tower resident Melvin Frankel said. "Where are people going to move? We have to speak up and take action."

BHA Spearheads Action
BHA directors were in unanimous agreement last November that something had to be done. They began by passing a resolution to present to the City of Miami Commission and appointing Judge John Gale, BHA director representing Villa Regina, to head the BHA Traffic Committee.

In trying to unravel the complaints surrounding the new construction activity, it became apparent that many problems emanated from the lack of coordinated responsibility, authority and enforcement when it comes to new development. By County charter, all transportation issues are managed by Miami-Dade everything from controlling the traffic lights to master planning for the future. Yet the permits for construction are granted by the municipalities (in our case City of Miami) where the new development will occur. And then when developers' construction crews tie up and block streets, we look to our police force to come on the scene and make them behave.

Clearly, a holistic approach was needed, especially since some 20 new development projects have been reported in process, each permitted in its own right and on independent timetables, without a look at the big picture of all projects scrambling to get built and without addressing the infrastructure needs they create.

City Agrees, Builds Community Coalition
Commissioner Johnny Winton sponsored the presentation of BHA's resolution (see opposite page) to City of Miami Commissioners at their January meeting. By the time of this meeting, BHA had circulated its proposed resolution to other community groups and citizens who were feeling the same frustrations and wanting corrective action. Several businesses, associations and homeowner groups joined forces with BHA in asking that the City take the lead in resolving the daily hassles and address what would be done to accommodate the continuing growth in the area. Commissioners took the resolution very seriously, passed it unanimously, and instructed City staffers to make recommendations on how to address both the short- and long-term problems.

At the same time Swire Properties, developer for much of Brickell Key and a strong participant in the community, initiated an innovative way to convey to Miami-Dade County traffic controllers just how bad the situation was getting, especially for drivers leaving Brickell Key when the Brickell Bridge was up.

Stories of drivers waiting 30 minutes to get off the island were becoming everyday tales of woe, and Swire executives could look out of their Brickell Key office windows and see traffic backed up and at a standstill throughout the day. So, at the company's own expense, Swire set up a camera to take photos whenever the roadway is in gridlock, then automatically transmit the pictures to Miami-Dade Traffic Control.

"When it's tied up, it takes a shot," Daniel Ponce of the Brickell Key Master Association explained. "Then Robert Williams at Miami-Dade Traffic Control researches what caused the tie up and reports back."

Swire's creative approach and other community-generated suggestions have lead to solutions for some relief. Concerned parties have come together in a series of town hall-styled meetings focusing exclusively on traffic concerns in the Brickell business and residential districts. At the second meeting in late February, 95 people were in attendance to hear from Commissioner Johnny Winton, City of Miami Police, traffic specialists from both the City and County and others about what steps are being taken to coordinate construction crews and resolve longer term traffic issues.

A great deal of the improvements made in the past several weeks have been spearheaded by NET Commander Frank Fernandez who has taken on the congestion challenge and has worked doggedly to coordinate with all the involved entities. Officers actively directing traffic and controlling construction obstructions, ticketing delivery vehicles and others illegally parked, and circulating flyers with alternative routes for motorists are among the tactics put in place.

"Our solutions aren't for five or 10 years; they're for now," Commander Fernandez said.

The Crux of the Congestion
Much attention has revolved around the Southeast Eighth Street and Brickell Avenue intersection, the launch location of "a multiphase improvement plan," as described by the City's traffic expert, Clark Turner. The traffic signal timing at that intersection was changed from a brief nine seconds to 36 seconds for westbound Eighth Street drivers, which many residents applauded as a huge improvement. And when the improved timing isn't keeping cars moving, Commander Fernandez's police officers can often be found directing traffic at the intersection, overriding the lights to keep traffic flowing.

Another logical improvement was made working with County traffic controllers on signal synchronization with the Brickell Bridge. Now when the bridge is up, the traffic lights on Brickell Avenue remain red rather than changing back and forth to green in their usual cycle. The green lights encouraged drivers to try to go when they couldn't, and instead cars ended up blocking the intersections making it impossible for anyone to move, even those not attempting to cross the raised bridge.

A plan is in the works to establish a "don't block the box" campaign to enforce what seems to be a forgotten traffic rule of drivers not blocking intersections when waiting to get through. It will be launched in the coming few weeks at the Brickell Avenue and Eighth and Seventh Street intersections.

Variable message signs in the area will advise drivers of the rule, lines will be painted in the intersection representing "the box," and violators will receive a moving violation and $87 fine for the first offense, Commander Fernandez said. The program is modeled after New York City's, which has been effective in keeping intersections clear with a $250 fine for Big Apple blockers. Taxicab drivers even observe the rule.

Why One Way?
It appears that an idea that has been kicked around for while will come to fruition as another component in the solution mix for the congestion. Traffic planners, and even the casual observer, can't help but imagine that it would be better if Eighth Street was two way, at least from Brickell to Miami Avenue, to provide drivers with northerly alternatives to the Brickell Bridge.

Plans are in the works to acquire the dedication of property on Eighth Street for those two blocks so that a westbound lane can be added to the three one-way eastbound lanes already there. When that happens, which Mr. Turner anticipates within the coming 12 months, drivers coming from Brickell Key, Brickell Bay Drive or Brickell Avenue can head west and use the much higher Miami Avenue Bridge to drive north instead of the Brickell Bridge, which currently gets more than four times the amount of vehicles crossing it daily as compared to the Miami Avenue Bridge. With the change to a two-way Eighth Street, drivers will no longer have to make the additional jog to Seventh Street to go west.

Tunnel Vision Keeps Surfacing
Of course, if the Brickell Bridge never had to be raised for vessels on the water, or if it had been constructed higher when it was renovated and reopened in December 1995, or if it had been converted to a tunnel, most of the traffic tie-ups in the Brickell area would be eliminated. Traffic specialists are working with the Coast Guard to try to reduce the number of bridge openings, especially for pleasure craft. The Coast Guard has had an ongoing effort to educate and remind recreational boaters that all antennas, Bimini tops and outriggers that can be lowered should be to permit passage under bridges.

Curfews on bridge openings during the morning and afternoon rush hours are already in place and some residents have suggested adding a lunch hour curfew as well. Most don't realize however, that the Miami River is the state's fourth largest port, so further restrictions on the already challenging waterway would have severe economic consequences for the cargo industry on the working Miami River.

So, the notion of a tunnel under the bridge seems logical, albeit costly. Slated but unfunded in the County's 20-year master plan, the tunnel would be located on the west side of the Metrorail line that goes over the river. The tunnel entrance on the north side would be just south of First Street and it would come out around Seventh or Eighth Street.

Other longer-term changes under consideration include making Eighth Street two way all the way to 27th Avenue. The stretch from 27th Avenue to Biscayne Bay is the only part of the Tamiami Trail all the way to Naples that isn't two way, Mr. Turner said.

Traffic specialists are also examining the Dupont Plaza area at the Second Avenue and Second Street intersection where all must pass through, creating a bottleneck with no alternatives. Plans are underway to make the stretch of Miami Avenue just north of the River two-way so that drivers don't have to circle around several blocks of Downtown to continue their northern routes.

A Change in Thinking
All the transportation issues can be solved, Mr. Turner believes, if the collective "we" of Miami-Dade change our thinking from "small town to big city." Plus, the solutions and technology exist in other parts of the country and world, so it isn't a matter of having to invent anything new, just copy effective models already in place in other cities, he said.
"You aren't a big city until you start thinking like a big city," Mr. Turner said. Examples of small town thinking?

"The private automobile is the only means of transportation for any trip, no matter how small. Public transportation doesn't exist," he said.
"Walking is for tree huggers and fitness freaks; public transit is for poor people, the elderly and other losers" and "pedestrians compete for street space so they should quit walking and get into cars," Mr. Turner offered in his tongue-in-cheek, self-described "sermon."

Big city thinking, on the other hand, includes different concepts: "Automobiles live in garages and come out on weekends; walking, buses, trains and taxicabs are the normal and desirable ways to get around; and traffic congestion is a way of life, but who cares except the obstinate people who insist on using cars," Mr. Turner said.

Big cities, of course, have been good at providing a variety of transportation options for a long time, having the advantage of being developed during the transportation boom. Sunbelt cities like ours never had mass transit like northeastern big cities; we grew up during the automobile boom.

"Miami has to stop thinking small town and act as if we are big. We have to take a serious look at the real, hidden public subsidy of the automobile when looking at the costs of mass transit and we can't let elected officials get away with continuing to think small town," Mr. Turner said.