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FDOT-contracted team urges new pedestrian crossings and safety fixes along US 1 in South Miami
Summary
An FDOT‑commissioned road safety audit presented to the South Miami City Commission recommends mid‑block pedestrian crossings near 71st Street and targeted signal and ADA fixes along US 1 after finding several pedestrian crashes in the corridor; FDOT staff said next steps include data collection, design study and funding identification.
Winston Harris of engineering firm RS&H told the South Miami City Commission on June 18 that a road safety audit along US 1 from SW 88th Street to 57th Avenue found recurring pedestrian conflicts and a cluster of crashes that support new crossing and signal measures. "We're really taking a qualitative look at existing conditions along the roadway... we're looking for safety concerns, and we're making suggestions to address those safety concerns," Harris said in his opening remarks.
The audit recommends a signalized pedestrian crossing in the 71st Street area — a push‑button activated mid‑block crossing with median refuge and coordinated signal timing — and flagged 63rd and 61st avenues as high‑conflict intersections that may be best addressed with either directional median openings or full signalization. Harris said the team identified "about seven" pedestrian crashes in the study section during the five‑year window they reviewed.
Why it matters: US 1 bisects South Miami's downtown and the Metro Rail station; consultants said improved crossings, signal timing and enforcement can reduce vehicle–pedestrian conflicts while making the corridor more walkable for transit users and shoppers.
DOT traffic operations staffman Sabe Direna told commissioners the RSA focuses on optimizing existing geometry and that any capacity or right‑of‑way changes would require coordination with FDOT's right‑of‑way office. "The RSA focus is on optimizing what's existing currently," Direna said, adding that right‑of‑way acquisition would be a longer‑term effort.
Commissioners pressed the presenters on how the study will move to design and funding. RS&H said it will deliver a report grouping issues into maintenance tasks, low‑cost operational changes (signal timing, leading pedestrian intervals), and items requiring follow‑up study. Harris estimated lower‑cost safety crossings could be relatively affordable but noted that even modest signal projects can approach six‑figure sums when accounting for signal hardware and coordination.
Next steps agreed on the record included FDOT collecting traffic and pedestrian generation data for proposed crossing locations, coordination with an adjacent redevelopment project, and a written RSA report to be delivered to the city and FDOT for prioritization and funding decisions.
