HomeMy Public PortalAboutLTC 218-2015 Bal Harbour Village Pedestrian Crosswalk Pilot ProgramBAL HARBOUR
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OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER LETTER TO COUNCIL
NO. 218-2015
To: Mayor Martin Packer and Members of the Village Council
From: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager u
Date: December 11, 2015
Subject: Bal Harbour Village Pedestrian Crosswalk Pilot Project
The purpose of this Letter to Council (LTC) is to inform you that a pilot project for in -
pavement crosswalk markers is in place on Bal Bay Drive. The crosswalks at 961h Street
and Bal Bay Drive, as well as the crosswalk from the Village Parking Lot to Village Hall have
both been outfitted with flashing LED lights to alert drivers to the presence of a pedestrian
crossing or preparing to cross the street.
This pilot project was established in response to resident concerns about pedestrian safety,
which were voiced at various Council Meetings. After significant research about pedestrian
safety options implemented nationwide, in -pavement LED crosswalk markers are the latest
technology in place in cities, such as Seattle, WA; Sunnyvale, CA; San Jose, CA and
Jacksonville, FL.
Village staff contacted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to ascertain if this
type of installation would be approved for Collins Avenue. FDOT provided the approved
vendor for in -pavement crosswalk markers, which are still in the experimental phase in
South Florida. There are a number of pilot installations across South Florida, including at
the Miami International Airport. FDOT indicated that they would be amenable to approving
the installation of a pilot project on Collins Avenue.
Staff reached out to the approved FDOT vendor, Lux Solar Inc., who has installed traffic
calming and safety measure in a number of South Florida Communities. The list of current
state and municipal clients includes:
• FDOT District 1 (Bartow)
• FDOT District 2 (Jacksonville)
• FDOT District 3 (Tallahassee)
• FDOT District 4 (Fort Lauderdale)
• FDOT District 6 (Miami)
• City of Boca Raton
• Village of Palmetto Bay
• Village of Pinecrest
• Broward County
• Town of Miami Lakes
• Miami Expressway Authorities (MDX)
• City of St. Petersburg
• City of Miami
Chief Overton and Lux Solar conducted a walk-through of the Village, and identified
potential locations for future installations, based on resident feedback and public safety
need.
In order to assess the effectiveness of these types of installations within the Village, the
determination was made to pursue a pilot project on Bal Bay Drive, which has two distinct,
high volume crosswalks.
On December 9, 2015, Lux Solar Inc. installed amber colored in- in -pavement crosswalk
markers on Bal Bay Drive, in order to solicit resident feedback, as well as assess their
effectiveness from a public safety perspective.
The Bal Harbour Police Department will be reaching out to interested residents to solicit
feedback on these installations. In addition, we will be sending out a Bal Harbour Alert
asking residents to provide their feedback on this pilot project.
I hope that each of you have the opportunity to inspect the project, and provide your
feedback as well.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact me.
MNO/DM