10/22/2012

Flamingo to WAvNA: Flamingo's own, Ben Batchelder Presents Pedestrian-friendly Initiative to West Avenue Neighborhood Association

South Beach is already Florida’s most pedestrian-intensive neighborhood, now it just needs to become its most pedestrian-friendly one!

 
Several years ago, I volunteered to lead the FPNA through a brainstorming process that resulted in our Pedestrian Safety Initiative. In it, we describe the many shortcomings of a traffic system, laid down by county Public Works decades ago, that continues to favor autos over pedestrians. Literally. One of our most disturbing findings, with the help of the supportive MB Police Dept., is that auto-on-pedestrian accidents are up a whopping 80% in South Beach over the last six years, with almost all the growth in our residential neighborhoods.
 
The goals of our initiative are to bring public attention to this situation, to engage concerned residents, and to sensitize public officials, both City and County, to the importance of protecting pedestrians.
 
This is where neighborhood associations such as WAvNA come in. The more neighborhoods which formally adopt this initiative, the more likely that public officials will respond. So I heartily recommended that WAvNA do so.
 
What can you do on an individual level? Get involved!
 
  1. On a basic level, when you view aggressive driving (including cars which don’t stop for people in crosswalks) call the non-emergency # 305-673-7901 (24/7) and report it. Even if you don’t get the plate #, car color, make, and state, plus, say, number of occupants can do the trick. Just last weekend, Capt. Causey emphasized their eagerness to stop aggressive drivers. He also reminded that east/west/south/north travel direction is critical after citing the intersection.
  2. When you notice the (often) deplorable condition of crosswalks, or dangers caused by speeding cars and/or inadequate signage, report it at the city’s Ask it, Report it page http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/residentsportal/csc.aspx Years ago I complained that among the scores of options there is no Pedestrian or Crosswalk category to ease reporting, to no avail. The closest thing I can find is the Traffic Hazard tab, which captures the outdated attitude perfectly: pedestrians are hazards to traffic.
  3. Attend some of the many public meetings which impact on the issue and let your views be known to elected and unelected public officials. FDOT will revamp Alton Road shortly. In my opinion, their preliminary proposal earlier in the year was more anti-pedestrian than the actual deplorable conditions. Public meetings were held earlier this year on a Bike Masterplan. (Watch out! Insisting on a designated bike lane often locks in current unsafe pedestrian conditions. In my opinion, a tree corridor along a narrower auto travel lane signed for joint bike & auto use (a ‘sharrow’) is not only the safest bike solution, but allows for wider, safer, and more shaded pedestrian sidewalks.) The Neighborhoods Committee, whose staff rejected our Initiative, may be addressing the issue in the coming months.
Several years of advocacy has brought some limited success. The Police Dept. has reacted favorably, by providing critical data and with the recent acquisition of 40 stand-alone Crosswalk warning signs, which are helping to educate aggressive drivers (many from the Wild West that is Miami). Also, persistent pressure from Denis Russ and Tammy Tibbles (who also spearheads our initiative and has followed-up frequently with public officials) has resulted in the County finally initiating Traffic Studies and agreeing to install All-way stop signs at nearly a dozen of our neighborhood’s most dangerous intersections.
 
So patience and persistence can bring results. The more help from concerned citizens, the better.
 
Ben Batchelder -- www.benbatchelder.com

10/20/2012

CMB Police Dept Special Incident Notice

Information provided by Aaron Sugarman and Commissioner Ed Tobin

INCIDENT: Armed Robbery Firearm / Shot Fired Area 1 Sector 2


DATE: October 13th, 2012, TIME: 02:39

CASE NUMBER: 2012-107470
LOCATION: Flamingo Park near 11th Street & Jefferson Avenue

COMMANDER: Lieutenant P. Acosta
SUPERVISOR: Sergeant D. Dozier
LEAD OFFICER: Officer A. Rodriguez
LEAD DETECTIVE: Sergeant S. Feldman

WHO WAS NOTIFIED: The Police Command Staff and PIO were notified via this document. Sergeant S. Feldman of the Robbery Squad. Lieutenant Charles London notified. SDO Captain D. De la Espriella and Captain M. Causey.

DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT:

Sergeant T. Payne was flagged down at the intersection of 11th Street and Jefferson Avenue by the victim. The victim reported that he was sitting at a bench just inside Flamingo Park along the pedestrian walkway; waiting for his father to pick him up by car. He heard two males approach from behind, hit him in the back of his left ear with a cold hard object and told him to lie on the ground. The victim states he was hit again on the forehead noticing that the object was a firearm. The two subjects stole his wallet and cell phone. The subjects told him to remain on the ground and not move. As the subjects fled in an unknown direction, the victim states he heard (1) gunshot. The victim was injured only from being struck with the firearm behind the left ear. BOLO issued. Officers canvassed the area; negative results. Lieutenant Acosta spoke with a Security Alliance Officer who reported that he did hear (1) gunshot while he was near the middle of the park on patrol. Crime scene responded. Sergeant S. Feldman responded to the scene and interviewed the victim who cannot ID. The investigation is on-going.

SUBJECT(S): 2 B/M’s; one LSW a grey hooded sweatshirt
CHARGE(S): N/A
MEDIA INQUIRIES: None

10/16/2012

Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association, Meeting Schedule

Be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 6th !!


Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association
Meeting Schedule

FPNA will not meet on Mon, Nov 5th, and will instead meet as follows:

Mon, October 29th, 5:30 pm, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Ave.
for the primary purpose of reviewing the status of the Alton Road Zoning and Parking Ordinances.
The City Commission Land Use and Development Committee is scheduled to hear these items at their meeting on Monday, November 5th, 4:00 pm, in the City Manager’s Large Conference Room.

Mon, November 12th, 5:30pm, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Ave.
for the primary purpose of further considering action in response to lack of enforcement of the City’s prohibition on Short Term Rentals.

Please Note: Other Matters may be on the Agenda for these meetings as well, including update report on Sixteenth Street Community Design Workshop, request for short presentation by Flamingo N’hood CERT Team, etc., etc., etc.

10/01/2012

Flamingo Association invites participation in 16th Street Community Design Workshop

Sixteenth Street Community Design Workshop
Saturday, October 13, 2012, 1:00 pm
Hice Hall, Miami Beach Community Church,
1620 Drexel Avenue, just south of Lincoln Road


Residents of 16th Street, the surrounding neighborhood, and the entire City as well as all other stakeholders are invited to attend and participate.

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association will host a Community Design Workshop to focus on city plans for infrastructure and streetscape improvements for Sixteenth Street, on Saturday, October 13, 2012, 1;00 to 4:00 pm, at Hice Hall, Miami Beach Community Church, 1620 Drexel Avenue, just south of Lincoln Road. All members of the community – from the street, neighborhood, and city and other community stakeholders – are invited to attend and participate.

The City of Miami Beach Public Works and Capital Improvement Projects Departments are undertaking a major upgrade of the streetscape, storm water system, and related projects. The FPNA in partnership with these Departments and the Miami Beach CDC are reaching out for input on a broad range of issues – width of the auto travel lanes, parking lanes, green space and sidewalks, pedestrian amenities and bicycle access, and the impact upon adjacent properties and overall contribution of the initiative to the attractiveness of the street, neighborhood and City. 

In announcing the Community Design Workshop, Flamingo spokesman Denis Russ said, "This is a multi-million dollar investment in our neighborhood.  Everyone wants it to yield maximum benefit and value."

All residents of Sixteenth Street, the surrounding neighborhood, and the city are invited to attend and participate in the exercises and discussions that will lead to an upgraded streetscape.

A preview of relevant Workshop materials may be accessed at the following links:

Basis of Design Report, Sep 2007 
Currenth Survey Information 
Project Preliminary Plans at 30%
Preliminary Typical Sections