Is the City trying to slip in traffic calming devices unannounced?
At the Village Council meeting last night, Jim McMaster (from Treeman Trust, but speaking as a private citizen) was concerned about the City "secretly" installing traffic circles, diverters and street closings on Grove streets without going through the proper balloting process needed -- asking all the neighbors for their votes.
Jim's concern is that traffic is being diverted through the neighborhoods from US 1 and other major streets.The City has plans to install diverters around Virginia Street and the 30th Court and Bridgeport Avenue area.
Kumquat Avenue, Loquat Avenue and other areas in the South Grove also have plans for "humps" that would slow down traffic.
The City claims that it is too expensive to send out notices, but residents are concerned about all these nonsense traffic diversions, just because one or two neighbors request them. On problem with the certified letters that do go out is that the mail carriers don't deliver them on time. They have so many, that they deliver them when they have time, which could hurt in cases where residents don't get the notices in time for public forums.
The Village Council will ask the City for a public forum in any case, before they proceed with any work on these street projects.
Jim's concern is that traffic is being diverted through the neighborhoods from US 1 and other major streets.The City has plans to install diverters around Virginia Street and the 30th Court and Bridgeport Avenue area.
Kumquat Avenue, Loquat Avenue and other areas in the South Grove also have plans for "humps" that would slow down traffic.
The City claims that it is too expensive to send out notices, but residents are concerned about all these nonsense traffic diversions, just because one or two neighbors request them. On problem with the certified letters that do go out is that the mail carriers don't deliver them on time. They have so many, that they deliver them when they have time, which could hurt in cases where residents don't get the notices in time for public forums.
The Village Council will ask the City for a public forum in any case, before they proceed with any work on these street projects.
posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 PM
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8 Comments:
I can see the "expense" *Cough*bs*cough*
It would be nice if the city where to get a database with peoples e-mails to send out information.
Having actually attended the meeting last night, I now see how "blogs" are a lot like the old game of "telephone". You sorta got the gist of what Mr McMaster presented, but your generalizing and paraphrasing changes it all slightly, and throws in some of your own opinions apparently.
A blogger's job is to add his/her own opinion. That's what makes it a blog.
The traffic calming devices are justified because the Grove is one big "cut through" from downtown to the Gables and beyond.
Considering that Useless 1 is actually a parking lot, many drivers routinely use the back streets of the Grove.
The only other solution is impossible and unthinkable: Build a causeway from downtown Miami to Pinecrest, OVER BISCAYNE BAY.
Ridiculous!
(side note: Grape, blog on)
This article is ridiculous; the City "secretly" installing calming devices etc? McMasters is way off base with his sentimental and outdated conspiracy theory/argument of city's secret traffic measures. The city has a fiduciary duty/responsibility to safeguard the citizens/its constituents. Bridgeport Avenue has suffered significant residential property loss in the past 4 years due to commericial truck traffic cutting through to get in the center grove area; amplified more so as Bridgeport is the adjacent cut-through street to the Grove Gate Shopping Plaza (Home Depot/Milam's Market). We have many young families on 30thCT, Bridgeport and Virginia Avenues, the commercial traffic in addition to speeding motorists are an absolute public safety issue and we are happy to see the city take the appropriate measures to address the issues.
There is no secret city attempt to install any such traffic calming devices. The residents have been actively involved in trying to get the city, and the county, involved in trying to do something about the severe problems and risks to public safety in Coconut Grove. The city has placed many administrative and procedural blocks to the residents' attempts to improve their situation and the current 'balloting' is only the most recent incarnation of these disappointing developments.
Many years of lobbying and complaints have led to some progress with the city by residents directly affected, only to be opposed by those who are not directly affected. As neighbors we should work together to keep ourselves safe and a unified voice against the city when they fail to act in our best interest. This 'article' represents the worst sort of misinformation and can only serve to displace families and neighbors from what used to be a great place to live. How many will stay when all best efforts, multi-year efforts, are thwarted by our very neighbors.
We still have kids, pets, and families living here and we should all act to protect that aspect of our quality of life that will disappear if we don't act together to protect it. Stop giving McMasters a forum for ruining the best efforts of people who care about the whole of Coconut Grove instead of just his 1/16 of an acre!
How funny - the city informs Mr McMaster, but he claims they are not informing others... Not true. The City sends out notices to all of those affected in an area. This is the main reason why the fate of Bridgeport rests with the other streets (30 Ct. and Vir.). So I am not sure what he would be referring...
As a resident of Bridgeport Avenue, I welcome the opportunity to participate in an open, public forum on traffic calming in our neighborhood. In fact, over the last 2 ½ years, my neighbors and I have already made multiple public pleas for relief from the intrusive cut-through traffic that plagues our street. The Village Council forum would provide us with another chance to make our case to our neighbors on adjacent streets and throughout the Grove.
I was surprised and a bit humored to watch Mr. McMaster’s presentation to the Village Council. (Yes, I watched it). Nothing about the process in which Bridgeport residents have been engaged has been “secret.” In our work with the city and county, we have made every effort to be transparent, open, and cooperative. If we are required to go through yet another layer of bureaucracy, we will persevere. I am saddened that Mr. McMaster felt the need to present this issue through such a tainted lens. I consider him a friend and alley, someone who worked closely with our entire neighborhood on the Home Depot issue.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I find it disturbing that this item was included on the Village Council agenda without notification to residents in the immediate area. I make an effort to inform myself of “goings-on” in my community. I read this blog, receive community emails through a number of list serves, etc. I reviewed all these sources, and have not been able to uncover the Village Council agenda for the most recent meeting. Their website is painfully outdated. Can someone share with me more information on where I can receive Village Council agendas (prior to the meeting)?
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