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Res No 047-14-14141RESOLUTION NO. 47-14-14141 A Resolution recognizing the desire of the residents of the City of South Miami for greater emphasis on residential neighborhood traffic enforcement in the context of community policing. WHEREAS, the City Commission has placed an emphasis on creating a safe, walkable community; and WHEREAS, City Manager Steven Alexander and his Police Chief Rene Landa have made a commitment to community policing; and WHEREAS, the most common complaint of South Miami residents to elected officials has long been, and continues to be, speeding traffic in residential neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, most residential streets already have speed limits posted at 25 mph; and WHEREAS, residents continue to call for stepped up enforcement of existing residential speed limits and other traffic regulations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, THAT: Section 1. The City Commission hereby recognizes that safety issues relating to residential traffic are a citizen priority for enhanced attention by the South Miami Police Department. Section 2. The Commission supports the City Administration and its Police Dep·artment in enacting policies and procedures as necessary to improve compliance with speed limits and other traffic regulations throughout the City of South Miami. Section 3. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution. Section 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED this18thday of_M--'...a_r_c_h ___ , 2014. APPROVED: Res. No. 47-14-14141 Page 2 of 12 COMMISSION VOTE: Mayor Stoddard: Vice Mayor Harris: Commissioner Edmond: Commissioner Liebman: Commissioner Welsh: 5-0 Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Below is a sample of the many letters received from city residents requesting enhanced speed enforcement in residential neighborhoods. Some sections of longer letters have been omitted for brevity and emphasis [bold] has been added. * * * Dear Mayor Stoddard: Thank you for your comments and efforts to slow the traffic down on 59th Avenue. I have tried to do that for many years without success. Weekends seem to be the worst, and sometimes late at night. I know that enforcement at those times would be very difficult. What is the status of the legality of radar and camera speeding and other infraction tickets? I am thinking of mobile equipment. I know we do not want to spend thousands on lawyer's fees trying to defend a technology that has legal issues, but it would be both a deterrent and source of revenue that could be used throughout the city. Think of the effect of signs on roads entering South Miami warning of the use of this equipment. People would slow down and obey the traffic laws, or if not South Miami would have a new revenue stream. Again, thank you very much for your personal attention to the speed issue on 59 th Avenue. Best regards, Christian D. Keedy, 7931 SW 59th Ave., South Miami, FL 33143-5513 Dear Superintendent Barkett: Regarding the speeding on SW 58 Avenue from SW 80th Street to SW 84th Street. I am in receipt of correspondence from Lee Swerdlin. There are signs that do not allow right turns off of 80th in the morning but people speed all day long. If you have been here since the 80's you know that 84th Street was a freeway in the morning for parents dropping off their kids at the local private schools. But speeding is a problem all the time. I would love to have some police presence there, as well as for the lunch trucks that block the streets at lunchtime. I have called police because they are a hazard ... not to mention the irritating mariachi horns. But those roach coaches move fast! I must say that I have lived here for 25 years and that we are fortunate to have some amazing public servants on all levels ... police, public works, garbage ... they are all good people. I am very grateful to live in this city. Regards, Beth Wheeling 8275 SW 58 Ave Miami, FL 33143 Page 4 of 12 Hello Mr. Stoddard, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you to restate the need for Manor Ln to be closed or at least for some speed reduction initiative to be taken as soon as possible. Sadly, our street is becoming increasingly dangerous because of the excessive amount of cars that disregard the signs to avoid this residential route during the week, most of which exceed the speed limit. In addition to that, we are witnessing an increasing amount of reckless drivers that choose our street as a racing ground during the night. Most recently, what appeared to be a drunk driver ran over my car (normally parked in my driveway) and also hit a car parked on Mr. Layne's front yard (totaled). Had we been about to leave our house at that moment, we would be speaking of a tragedy. I have been discussing the matter with my new neighbor from 7530 (Mr. Fernando, forgot the last name) and he agrees that something should be done immediately. In the few moments that he spends in the property (currently remodeling) he saw many reckless drivers being puzzled by the curve and posing a threat to anyone around. Two days ago, one of them lost control and ended up on the walkway near the hospital. Again, if closing the street is not an option at the moment, I demand that immediate action is taken in order to reduce the risk of an accident. We need to effectively discourage non-residents from using our street as a commuter shortcut or as a racing lane. This can easily be done by placing speed bumps and increasing police presence. Looking forward to your comments. Best regards, Federico Erhart 7520 SW 63rd Ave Page 5 of 12 Dear Mayor Stoddard: We are having a serious traffic problem on SW 58 Avenue south of 80 Street. It has become a very dangerous speedway southbound on SW 58 Avenue from all the cars trying to bypass the afternoon rush hour traffic on Red Road by cutting through on 58 Ave. This road is very busy at that time of day with joggers, parents pushing strollers, kids biking and skateboarding, etc. and the speeding traffic is excessive and dangerous. I believe we need the same "No Thru-Traffic" restrictions and signage that is on 58 Ave north of 80th Street. And some initial enforcement to deter these speeders. Please help us with this problem. Thank you for your assistance. Lee Swerdlin Page 6 of 12 Thank you for your prompt response to our letters. It seems that in installing the speed tables on all the surrounding streets in our neighborhood, the city has succeeded in diverting even more traffic along 59th avenue. We often take walks around our neighborhood and it has become more dangerous than ever before! if that's even possible. On a daily basis we see people run stop signs and speed down our streets. The simple task of getting our mail has become an extremely dangerous game of chicken. I don't understand how it is taking so long to correct this. Do the loopholes in the process really overshadow what is clearly common sense? How is it that 58th avenue, 79th street, 76th street, etc. are reaping the benefits while our street has had the most traffic all along? How did 55th and 54th avenues manage to acquire traffic controlling medians at the entrances of their streets? I am extremely concerned that someone is going to be seriously hurt. And if that happens, the city is going to pay dearly. This needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Even having a police officer stationed on the street! perhaps parked at the American Legion! would make a huge difference. Rebeca M. Garcia, D.M.D. 7621 S.W. 59th Avenue Miami, FL 33143 Page 7 of 12 Dear Mayor Stoddard, Thank you for your response to my concerns although it was 2 years hence. I have noticed that the City of South Miami COSM is again counting cars in CocoPlum for a traffic study. Unfortunately the problem in CocoPlum is not the quantity of vehicles but the velocity. I have lived at my current residence for 23 years and the continuing problem is the speed at which most people cut thru to avoid the intersection at 62nd Ave & 64th Street. If you were to look at a map of the area you will notice that 63rd Avenue is the only street other than 62nd Ave or 67th Avenue that connects Hardee Road 64th to Sunset Drive 72nd Street, straight thru. Traffic circles were installed a decade ago with dismal results. As a matter of fact a driver cut me off today instead of driving round the circle they cut in front of me instead of going the 270 degrees around the circle. On many occasions the drivers don't even stop at the circle. We have numerous pedestrians, children, bicyclists, cats and peacocks in the area that are at in constant danger of speeding drivers. Sincerely, Jerome Bruce 6721 SW 63rd Avenue South Miami, FL 33143 Page 8 of 12 Hello Mr. Alexander, I live in a home on SW 70 ST between 63rd Ave and SW 62nd COURT. There is a one-way sign and curbing that restricts drivers from entering our neighborhood on SW 70 ST when coming east from SW 62 AVE. Lately, myself and my neighbors have been shocked by how many people are failing to abide by the one-way signage and are speeding into the neighborhood while our dogs and children and family/friends are outside with us. I would like to request that enforcement levels be increased for this. I notice most of these offenses around 430PM-630PM, M-F (but they happen all the time). I don't think there is a good spot for a patrol car to hide very well to enforce it, so you might have to get creative to actually write some citations so people really learn their lesson. It is just frustrating because everyone who lives on the block obeys the sign despite it being inconvenient for us who live here on this block more than anyone in the neighborhood or people passing through. Thank you for your assistance and consideration on these issues. Best regard~ COLBY REESE, B.A. J.D. Page 9 of 12 Good Afternoon, First I would like to thank you for all the effort put into the parks around South Miami, we are fortunate to have some of the Best Parks in South Florida. The reason I am writing is to see if it is possible to have speed bumps put around Fuchs Park (on the 64th Ave and 81st Street Sides). I live near by and frequent Fuch's Park with my son often (my wife and son were even there for Arbor Day for the tree ceremony, I think my son was even in the picture, he was in a stroller at the time) and people have a tendency to speed down 81st particularly. Please take it into consideration and let me know if you think it is a possibility (especially on near the Children's Play area) In any case, I appreciate you taking the time to read my email. Thanks and have a great day. Best Regards Harry T. Pritchard Page 10 of 12 Hello, My name is Magnus Bergstrom and I live at 7891 SW 62 nd Ave. I have been a resident in South Miami for over 23 years and little over 9 years at the current location. Speeding cars have always been a problem on 62 Ave outside my house and we have lost many animals due to speeding cars. My question is how can I get started to request a 4-way stop at SW 79 th street and 78 th street on SW 62 Ave. This would slow down traffic dramatically and save possible lives and decrease accidents. Or if you have already something planned to slow down traffic on 62 Ave south of US-1. Thank you in advance. Magnus and Gabriella Bergstrom Page 11 of 12 I have noticed that when S.W. 70th Street is being worked for the one way violators the Police Officers seem to reel in a few with ease. There are still pienty zooming through. It is a twenty four hour a day problem but again, the best fishing times are approx. 1530hrs to 1800/1830 hrs. The volume of one way violations is not as great in the am but there are repeat violators between 0800 and 1100 hrs. (a great deal of speeding also) Now having done so much work on the house during the day I was able to witness the amount of traffic in the am. Way before this traffic study was done ( the results will confirm what I am stating): the "NO LEFT HAND TURN" SIGNS ON Sunset at 64th CT. 63RD CT and 63RD ST are rarely enforced. How do I know? Because when I would see so many cars zooming down SW 70th I knew most were coming off Sunset and not coming from south and crossing it. So I walked out to Sunset to satisfy my belief. And the overwhelming number were simply making a left onto one of the three mentioned streets and making a right onto SW 70TH ST. Why are they doing this? Well first it isn't enforced very often. And two they beat more lights. One can't legally make a left onto U.S.l off of Sunset. Also many Larkin Hospital employees save a traffic signal by taking SW 70TH ST. To get to U.S. lone saves the light at Sunset and 62nd. Same for those going to the employee parking. The volume of traffic in the morning is surprising. The speeding is bad. The folks that are going west the wrong way want to get there before someone heading east on 70th. Those heading east don't want to be held up those heading west. So many speed up. If 25 is the limit, the fishing is excellent for those going over 40. These traffic islands with all direction Stop signs are routinely just blown through. A tragedy is just waiting to happen here. A couple speed bumps at both ends of the narrow one way may help. Many of the youthful violators start at U.S.l and try to beat the lights before hitting the one way. I've seen SO and 60mph going the wrong way. We are willing to have a patrol car sit in our driveway. Those speeding heading east on 70th St won't see you. Our driveway entrance to the east will give a view of the stop signs being blown through, the speeding and the one way violations. Either side will work. We will be happy to have an Officer there while we are at home. Regards, Art Newcombe Officer CBP Page 12 of 12