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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1998 Centerpiece For Traffic Calming.tifOBM June 9, 1998 C. Samuel Kissinger Village Manager Village of Key Biscayne 85 West McIntyre Street Key Biscayne, Florida 33149 Re: Centerpiece for Traffic Calming Circles. Dear Sam, As the completion of the traffic calming devices on Harbor Drive draws nearer the following are my thoughts on our options for landscaping. The decision should be made as soon as possible to avoid a long period of time between completion of the redesign and installation of the aesthetic improvements. As you know the landscaping components (which act to reduce the drivers apparent sight distance and therefore cause a reduction in speeds) are essential elements of the traffic calming devices. I am not happy with the scale or the quality of the Alexander palms installed on West Mashta Drive, and I feel that repeating the same landscape will be even less desirable on the much wider right-of-way on Harbor Drive. For this reason, I recommend re -consideration of our original recommendation of the "Zahedi Date Palms". I am attaching the original recommendation and cost information. The Harbor Mashta Circle is currently completed and will shortly be open to full traffic. The scale and location of this Circle requires a unique treatment as it's focal point. The initial design presented to Council, as part of the Traffic Calming Master Plan, contained a sculpture fountain as its centerpiece. Another option is a large flowering specimen tree, such as a Royal Ponciana that will compliment the existing improvements. We will present concepts and cost for each option so that Council may discuss. Sincerely, OBM Miami, Inc. Lit Raul A. Lastra Principal C. Samuel Idissmger, Village Manager RAL/nmp Approved: OBM Miami Inc. Architecture Resort Design & Development Town Planning Interior Design 2600 Douglas Road Suite 510 Coral Gables Florida 33134 T 305 445 7811 F 305 445 0997 W www.obmt com E obm@accesspro.net Antigua Bermuda Brussels Cayman Islands London St Kitts Tortola Turks & Caicos TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE July 1998 OBM TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WEST HEATHER DRIVE AND WEST WOOD DRIVE Introduction • Many motorist, neighborhood residents as well as "cut through traffic", drive too fast on local streets. The majority of speeding is done by normally responsible drives who find themselves "invited" to speed by the street's design features. These features include excessively wide pavement, long straight sections of road and absence of vegetation. In addition to vehicular safety issues, speeding vehicles are a hazard to all other forms of travel and degrade the quality of the street for all other users. Speeding vehicles imparts a feeling that the street is devoted to moving traffic and that things are "not right" in the neighborhood. • Excessive speeds are a threat to neighborhood security, causing residents to retreat into their homes and abandoning the street. Where speeding vehicles are present, parents become fearful of any use of the street by their children. Reducing traffic speeds through traffic calming is a powerful way for residents to reclaim the streets for their own needs. • Wide expanses of pavement devoted solely to vehicular traffic degrade the appearance of the community. Traffic calming measures attack this problem directly, and create aesthetically pleasing focal points for the community. • As the major east -west connection through the interior residential section of the Village, West Heather Drive and West Wood Drive are primary consideration for the extension to the existing sidewalk program. The importance of these streets as pedestrian linkages will be increased by the continued improvements to our public parks and the addition of the two beach access promenades on East Heather Drive and East Enid Drive. • The location of traffic calming devices on West Heather Drive and West Wood Drive will calm the remaining major east -west connections. In addition, the location of these devices, and the location of the already constructed devices on West Mashta Drive, Fernwood Road and the devices currently being installed on Harbor Drive, will also result in traffic calming for the major north —south connections. The implementation of these devices will augment and finalize phase one of the Traffic Calming Master Plan. TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WEST HEATHER DRIVE AND WEST WOOD DRIVE Traffic Calming on West Wood Drive • Traffic Circles: - Curtiswood Drive - WoodCrest Road • Median Divider: - Between Warren Lane and Hampton Lane TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WEST HEATHER DRIVE AND WEST WOOD DRIVE Traffic Calming on West Heather Drive • Traffic Circles: - Hampton Lane - WoodCrest Road • Elevated "T" Intersection: - Heather Lane • Median Divider: - Between Warren Lane and Allendale Road MATC1 LINE OVERVIEW OF WEST HEATHER DRIVE OBM MIAMI In TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WEST HEATHER DRIVE AND WEST WOOD DRIVE Traffic Circles/ Roundabouts work by: • Deflecting the path of motorists, resulting in an increased level of attention to driving and a corresponding reduction in speed. • Reducing the apparent sight distance along the road, thus further contributing to reduction in speed. • Serving as effective traffic control devices for these streets that are most important for internal access. • Introducing textured pavement on the approach to each traffic calming device will "advertise" their presence to the vehicle drive. • Providing major areas for plantings, within and around the circles, thus further contributing to the reduction in apparent sight distance and therefore a reduction in speed. RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC CIRCLE WEST HEATHER DRIVE * HEATHER LANE OHM MIAMI Inc. TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WEST HEATHER DRIVE AND WEST WOOD DRIVE Elevated "T" Intersections work by: • Introducing textured pavement on the approach to each traffic calming device to "advertise" their presence to the vehicle driver. • Reducing vehicle speeds by causing a slight change in profile of the street, a different pavement texture and a differing appearance. • Serving as an important pedestrian crossing point for sidewalk access. • Reducing the turning radius from 40' to 15', thus eliminating high speed turns. ELEVATED T INTERSECTION @ WEST 11 EATh ER DRIVE * HEATHER LANE OBM OBM MIAMI Inc. TRAFFIC CALMING AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WEST HEATHER DRIVE AND WEST WOOD DRIVE Median Dividers/ Splitter Islands work by: • Reducing the apparent sight distance, causing vehicle speeds to decrease. • Reducing the street's width, either real or perceived. • Introducing curvature into the vehicle path, which causes motorists to drive with more care and more slowly. • Altering the pavement texture and elevation, alerting the driver to their presence. MEDIAN DIVERTER @ WEST HEATHER DRIVE OBM 08M MIAMI Inc.