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Consultants present alternatives for bike and pedestrian corridor on 64th Street; separated lanes favored
Summary
Consultants from EXP told the commission that public outreach and walking/biking audits found strong public support for safer sidewalks, separated bike facilities and a trailhead at 64th Street. Staff noted a $1.3 million TAP award but said a multi‑million‑dollar funding gap and constructability constraints (driveways, utilities, trees) remain to be resolved.
Consultants hired by the city presented a public‑engagement‑grounded study of alternatives to improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity along 64th Street, west from 62nd Avenue toward the Lutland/Lulham Trail.
Jesus, a project lead with EXP, told the commission the project team conducted walking and biking audits with seniors and Transit Alliance partners, ran helmet‑giveaways and field surveys, and used those results to narrow a wide set of initial ideas to a smaller set of feasible alternatives. "About 16% of the population in South Miami is over 65," he said, explaining why the team prioritized walking audits and made accessibility a core design goal. He reported that surveys showed motorists are the majority mode but that a significant share of respondents use micro‑mobility and bicycles, and that roughly 86% of respondents supported more sidewalks.
The consultants said respondents ranked a separated on‑street facility as the preferred option, followed by protected and buffered bike lanes. EXP cautioned the commission that the corridor includes many driveway approaches, utility poles and heritage trees that limit where continuous separation can be built, and it recommended a balanced approach: build separated facilities where constructible and use protected or buffered lanes where property access requires it.
On costs and funding, staff said the city has secured about $1.3 million from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program and approximately $150,000 in local CI funds, while the study presented a planning‑level cost that included construction, design, utility relocation, landscaping and contingency. Commissioners pressed for phasing options that would allow a near‑term focus on the highest‑use segment and asked staff to pursue coordinated design with county partners on the short segment that lies outside the city boundary.
What’s next: staff recommended continued refinement of the preferred alternative, completion of a pre‑design constructibility assessment, targeted outreach to neighbors where impacts may occur (especially the 67th‑to‑trail segment), and further discussion of local funding options — mobility‑impact fees, PTP grants and added TAP funding — before any final design or construction commitment.
Why it matters: 64th Street links schools and existing on‑street bike facilities to regional trails. Commissioners said the corridor's mix of school access, aging residents and high micro‑mobility use makes it a priority for Vision Zero and school‑safety improvements.
