Village & County Officials Reach an Agreement for the Intersection of SW 148th Drive & 82nd Avenue
PALMETTO BAY, FL, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
- Following a series of meetings with County officials, the Village of Palmetto Bay has reached an agreement with Miami-Dade County to install a temporary crosswalk at SW 82nd Avenue and SW 148th Drive after the county removed the eastbound/westbound stop signs at this intersection.
Citing safety concerns for pedestrians crossing the intersection, Village officials held several meetings with county staff to identify a solution. As a result of this action and through the help of Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County has agreed to the following:
A Public Meeting will be held at Village Hall on September 27th at 6:30pm to discuss methodology.
The County will allow Palmetto Bay to put in the temporary crosswalk consisting of pavement markings & temporary signage while they review and analyze the installation of a permanent crosswalk.
In the future, the County will provide advance notice of at least 10 days to the Village and to affected residents of any roadway project, including the removal of signs or signals.
Miami-Dade County recently removed the stop signs after determining that they did not comply with Federal and County policies. In an email from Darlene Fernandez, Assistant Director of Traffic Services for the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, she explains that it is the county's policy to "not have unwarranted signs, pavement markings, traffic calming devices, etc...throughout the county." See a copy of the email here.
The Village Council and Village Administration take the safety of our residents to heart. Although Council & Administration were informed that the intersection was being reviewed, the Village was not advised that the removal of the stop signs was imminent. The issue was to be discussed at the Council Meeting of September 12th.
Information presented to the residents from sources other than the Village stating that the request to remove the stop signs came from Palmetto Bay officials is entirely inaccurate. An email sent by County Chief Engineer Claudia Diaz has been misrepresented to the residents and the residents are entitled to know the facts. There was no request from any Palmetto Bay official to remove the signs and there was no prior notice given to the Village before their removal. The decision to remove the signs was made by the county. This is affirmed in a follow-up email sent by Assistant Director Fernandez.
The Village's primary concern has always been the safety of our residents and we will continue to focus on that priority. However, your trust is also important and we will continue to communicate the facts to you about what your Village is doing. We feel it is our duty to keep our residents informed so that they can each reach their own conclusions that are based on facts rather than inaccurate information.
We would like to thank the Village Council and County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava for making this matter a priority, and also thank the Director and staff from the County's Division of Traffic Services for their willingness to work with us and for quickly responding to our concerns. Work on the new temporary crosswalk is expected to begin by the end of next week.
About Palmetto Bay
Palmetto Bay is a vibrant, family-oriented community in the South Miami-Dade area, situated along the beautiful Biscayne Bay. Known as the "Village of Parks" for its amazing park facilities and bountiful recreational amenities, Palmetto Bay is one of the most desirable places to live in South Florida. Adding to its allure are the excellent private and public schools within the Palmetto Bay boundaries. To learn more about our awesome community, please visit our website.
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