BHA Community Meeting with Commissioner Higgins, Russell and Commander Ellington
On February 4th the Brickell Homeowners Community Meeting highlighted numerous plans as well as provided a forum to share concerns.
Commissioner Eileen Higgins, the newly appointed Chair of the Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee (TMPC) began the presentations discussing prioritizing the safety of pedestrians and cyclists as well as getting vehicles to be able to move along. The densely populated Brickell Streets will be prioritized in a new $200 million dollar project to upgrade traffic signals to “smart signals” which are able to make real time adjustments. The project to upgrade all traffic signals is anticipated to take up to 4 years for completion.
Other plans to address pedestrian and cyclist safety include a “scramble crosswalk” at 8th St and Brickell Ave. A new Metromover station has been proposed that will connect directly to Miami Beach. Commissioner Higgins also discussed the impact that public opinion has made to address the pollution in Biscayne Bay as evidenced by the City of Miami passing a fertilizer ordinance.
Picking up on improving safety on our sidewalks and streets, Commissioner Ken Russell discussed scooter rentals still being prohibited. Before operation by the various scooter companies resumes, strict criteria for use are being established and will include:
No more than 4 scooters of any one company can be left on a full linear block.
A new identification system is required for all riders to confirm that they are 18 or older. The ID system will be verified by a 3rd party company and spot check the user identity every 10 rides. -Scooters will be required to display a 2 inch high serial number to facilitate anyone being able to get a photo when reporting underage users. There is a $250 fine for violations.
Scooters will be set to automatically adhere to 10mph speed limits in designated residential areas. They will also be programmed to stop working at start time of a curfew.
Widening sidewalks and a new bike lane infrastructure are under consideration in an effort to decrease scooters riding on the sidewalk.
The Miami Parking Authority is in charge of scooters. They will pick up any scooter left where it shouldn’t be and charge the scooter company $25 per scooter. Residents are encouraged to report scooters left in the wrong places. Incentive systems are being evaluated to encourage scooters are stored in designated corrals.
Commissioner Russell also discussed getting BHA member input on the replacement of decorative crosswalks that have deteriorated throughout Brickell and recommendations for new patterns and colors. Regarding issues that arise and communicating any concerns to the city, Commissioner Russell invited all to copy his office in emails to ensure his team is in the loop to assist (krussell@miamigov.com).
Brickell/Roads Commander Fabria Ellington, also presented a police update and stated that crime in the Brickell area is currently down by 12.5%. Emphasizing the need to report patterns of concerns (for example, typical days and times the issue is observed), Commander Ellington encouraged all to call the non emergency number for reporting. The non emergency police number is 305/579-6111.
The meeting ended with BHA updates such as:
The NET office has added the Brickell Avenue Median to their weekly cleaning schedule. The NET Office has also added a new Director, Kinchens VonCarol.
The Downtown DDA has expanded their Ambassador program to Brickell and has hired 4 new Ambassadors
The BHA is collaborating with the YWCA to bring organized sports to our community’s children
Lastly, Masi Faroqui, Manager of Community Outreach at Friends of The Underline, announced plans for the opening of the park and trail within the next few months. To stay up to date, check out their latest news at www.theunderline.org.