Town transportation staff recruits volunteers for Vision Zero street-safety study

Town transportation and planning staff presented the Vision Zero outreach effort and asked Miami Lakes residents and committee volunteers to participate in a citywide safety-mapping exercise.

"If it doesn't feel safe, it means it's not safe," Justin Susana, a transportation and planning department staff member, told committee members while describing the outreach. He urged committee members to help identify dangerous sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting gaps and other hazards and handed out postcards with a QR code that links to an online map where residents can drop pins and leave comments.

Justin said the initiative will compile crash data, state records and community-submitted observations to produce a safety-driven set of recommendations for future street design and capital requests. He said the Vision Zero framework will strengthen the town’s case when staff request safety-focused design changes from county or state agencies and when applying for funding.

Staff will hold workshops where residents can bring notes and staff will enter locations into the project map for participants who prefer not to use the online form. The consultant leading the technical study is already gathering accident and traffic data; staff asked committee members to publicize workshops and to recruit a diversity of users — seniors, people who walk, cyclists and drivers — so the study reflects varied experiences.

Staff noted the final Vision Zero plan is to be adopted by the end of the calendar year, and that earlier public input will give consultants time to validate proposals and include them in the consultant’s recommendations.