Squeaky neighbors get City's attention
Some neighbors on Mary Street have been complaining about the traffic, due to the construction on 27th Avenue. The whole Grove is effected by the construction on 27th Avenue at all hours. And just when you think parts of the project are done, streets are closed and detours are enforced all over again. It usually takes me a half hour at certain times to get from the North Grove to the South Grove, and sometimes 10 minutes to make a left off of my street onto South Bayshore Drive; but that being said, they got the ear of Carlos Cruz-Casas, Chief Transportation Manager with the City of Miami.
Due to complaints about the lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities along Mary Street, Mr. Cruz-Casas says the city will improve pedestrian walkability by working with Miami-Dade County to build a crosswalk across the north leg of the intersection at Mary, Oak and Tigertail. They are hoping to have this completed by end of June. Mary Street was designated to be a bicycle-priority street, which had "sharrows," which I assume are those drawings on the street which indicate the fact. It's a pretty narrow street, but I guess it is the main artery to get from Bird Avenue to the Center Grove by bicycle.
The sharrows were removed during street renovation, and neighbors what them back, they say that there existence there calms traffic and slows speeders down. One major issue is that Mary Street has become a truck route, with trucks speeding up and down all day long, according to neighbors. Neighbors claim that Mary Street should be a quiet, residential street and that it is not a thruway, but since I have been a kid, I have always used Mary Street as a thruway to get from the Center Grove to Bird Avenue; Mary along with Virginia Street and 32nd Avenue.
As for the crosswalk at Oak, Mary and Tigertail, Cruz-Casas says, "The current geometry of the intersection does not allow for a safe crosswalk along the east leg. We will evaluate a different intersection configuration as part of a comprehensive traffic calming plan."
Residents will work with the City and County on the whole issue. A meeting will be set to discuss it all.
Due to complaints about the lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities along Mary Street, Mr. Cruz-Casas says the city will improve pedestrian walkability by working with Miami-Dade County to build a crosswalk across the north leg of the intersection at Mary, Oak and Tigertail. They are hoping to have this completed by end of June. Mary Street was designated to be a bicycle-priority street, which had "sharrows," which I assume are those drawings on the street which indicate the fact. It's a pretty narrow street, but I guess it is the main artery to get from Bird Avenue to the Center Grove by bicycle.
The sharrows were removed during street renovation, and neighbors what them back, they say that there existence there calms traffic and slows speeders down. One major issue is that Mary Street has become a truck route, with trucks speeding up and down all day long, according to neighbors. Neighbors claim that Mary Street should be a quiet, residential street and that it is not a thruway, but since I have been a kid, I have always used Mary Street as a thruway to get from the Center Grove to Bird Avenue; Mary along with Virginia Street and 32nd Avenue.
As for the crosswalk at Oak, Mary and Tigertail, Cruz-Casas says, "The current geometry of the intersection does not allow for a safe crosswalk along the east leg. We will evaluate a different intersection configuration as part of a comprehensive traffic calming plan."
Residents will work with the City and County on the whole issue. A meeting will be set to discuss it all.
posted by Tom Falco at 5:00 AM
YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.
9 Comments:
We were duly warned years and years ago:
The endless construction on 27th Av will never end.
The shape of that Oval Thing circle point was clear and ominous:
The infinity symbol ∞ (sometimes called the lemniscate) is a mathematical symbol representing the concept of never-ending noise, construction and re-construction, 27/7/365.
Better get used to it, as we go from juicy RFP to juicier RFP, decade after decade.
Not only does there need to be proper crosswalks, there needs to be better signage on 27 at the peanut. Cars are whipping up and down 27 and if you're on Oak or Tigertail trying to enter, good luck to you.
I live on Mary Street, and I also have an office there.
The traffic is not bad right now, but it’s getting worse. When the new Park Grove condo begins construction, we will definitely need a “No Truck Route” policy.
The bike arrows painted on the street are pointless. Cars do not notice them at all. Also, the signs stating that bikes can use the entire lane are counter-productive. They need to come down. When I’m on my bike, I would never use a whole lane. It’s unnecessary and it’s rude. When I cycle with my two children, I teach them to always ride single file.
As a pedestrian, walking can be dangerous because we are missing most of the sidewalks. Therefore one must walk in the street. Oddly, Coconut Grove pays the highest taxes in the city, but only about 20% of our residential neighborhoods have sidewalks.
You're completely wrong about the bike signs, Tony.
1/ People do notice them: like you do.
2/ Bikes can use the entire lane, and sometimes it's safer to do so, in certain areas. It's common sense. As a avid biker/driver, one can only wish both types of vehicles would be more courteous to one another.
You obviously don't know what you are talking about, or have ever ridden on groups, and/or real road bikes.
Do you have a first and last name? .... No? That's what I thought.
I am tired of being sideswiped and cut off by cars and boat trailers, so I use the whole lane when bicycling, thank you.
Most Grovites prefer to walk in the street rather than on the sidewalks because it is safer, less chance of getting jacked or your eye scratched by a bougainvillea or other low hanging branch.
Would be nice if the bumps and holes in the streets were fixed sometime soon.
And who is the idiot who designed the Bobby Dykes memorial peanut traffic circle at 27th & Tigertail and what purpose does it serve. I guarantee 3 stoners a week will run over through it as well as the beer bongers on their way to and fro their boats at dinner key.
And while I'm at it, why weren't the high voltage power lines buried when 27th Ave was dug up?
By the way, since North Grove access was blocked from 27th Ave years ago, the result is the massive backups at 27th and Dixie we are now suffering daily. A right turn ramp towards downtown would help.
Seth, the right turn ramp is an excellent suggestion. That would alleviate a lot of the back-up. There is ample space to build it, although a few parking spaces would be lost in the process. However, the need for traffic flow is at a critical point now, and takes priority.
Mary Street is NOT a good pedestrian street. Lack of a continuous sidewalk from Bird Rd to Day Ave is makes pedestrians walk in the street for long distances.
Lack of lighting, due to overgrown vegetation, which blocks street lamps, makes Mary very dark at night. This is a dangerous situation when you have pedestrian walking in the street due to a lack of a proper continuous sidewalk on 1 side of the street.
Intersections of Mary & Day and Mary & Shipping are also not properly marked for pedestrians and the street lighting is especially dangerous at both of these intersections.
Planers might want to consider placing a couple of "Slow Down" signs next to the "Detour" signs on Mary since this is a residential street.
Post a Comment
<< Home